1690. debelah

Lexical Summary

debelah: Cake of pressed figs

Original Word: דְּבֵלָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: dbelah
Pronunciation: deh-bay-LAH
Phonetic Spelling: (deb-ay-law')
KJV: cake (lump) of figs
NASB: cake, cakes of figs, fig cake, fig cakes
Word Origin: [from an unused root (akin to H2082 (זָבַל - dwell)) probably meaning to press together]

1. a cake of pressed figs

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

cake lump of figs

From an unused root (akin to zabal) probably meaning to press together; a cake of pressed figs -- cake (lump) of figs.

see HEBREW zabal

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a lump (of pressed figs), a pressed (fig) cake
NASB Translation
cake (2), cakes of figs (1), fig cake (1), fig cakes (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

דְּבֵלָה noun feminine lump of pressed figs, pressed (fig-) cake (Late Hebrew דְּבֵילָה, Aram id., , = Greek παλάθη; Arabic lump, large gobbet or mouthful; compare Assyrian dublu, foundation, & Hebrew synonym אֲשִׁישָׁה Dl^{HA 58}) — דְּבֵלָה 1 Samuel 30:12; construct דְּבֶלֶת 2 Kings 20:7 = Isaiah 38:21; plural דְּבֵלִים 1 Samuel 25:18; 1 Chronicles 12:40; — used as food 1 Samuel 25:18; 1 Samuel 30:12; 1 Chronicles 12:40; דְּבֶלֶת תְּאֵנִים, as application to boil, or eruption 2 Kings 20:7 = Isaiah 38:21.

Topical Lexicon

Debelah – Cakes of Dried Figs

Agricultural and Dietary Setting

Ancient Israel’s warm, semi-arid climate allowed figs to be sun-dried, pressed into dense disks, and stored year-round. These portable “cakes” supplied concentrated sugars, minerals, and fiber, making them a strategic staple for travelers, soldiers, and households. Their durability also made them ideal tribute and gift items.

Provision for the Lord’s Anointed (1 Samuel 25:18; 1 Samuel 30:12)

Abigail hastened to intercept David with a peace-offering that included “a hundred cakes of pressed figs” (1 Samuel 25:18). Her discernment preserved her household and affirmed David’s future kingship. Later, when David’s men pursued the Amalekites, an abandoned Egyptian slave was revived with “a cake of pressed figs and two clusters of raisins” (1 Samuel 30:12). In both narratives the fig cake becomes a tangible means by which God sustains the life and mission of His chosen servant. The episodes illustrate the biblical pattern that the Lord often meets spiritual needs through ordinary, well-prepared generosity.

Medicinal Uses and Divine Healing (2 Kings 20:7; Isaiah 38:21)

When King Hezekiah lay terminally ill, Isaiah ordered, “Take a lump of pressed figs.” Applied to the inflamed boil, “they prepared it and applied it to the boil, and he recovered” (2 Kings 20:7; cf. Isaiah 38:21). While simple by modern standards, the poultice underscores three truths:

1. Healing ultimately comes from God, yet He often employs created means.
2. Obedience to prophetic instruction, however mundane, is a conduit for divine mercy.
3. The same fruit that nourishes armies in the field can also restore a king on his sickbed, showing God’s comprehensive care for His people.

Celebratory Hospitality and Covenant Unity (1 Chronicles 12:40)

As David’s supporters from every tribe assembled at Hebron, the text records they brought abundant provisions, including “fig cakes” (1 Chronicles 12:40). The shared meal sealed national solidarity around God’s chosen king. In covenant culture, eating together ratified loyalty; the presence of fig cakes evokes images of settled prosperity in the land promised to Abraham.

Symbolic and Theological Themes

1. Sustenance in Wilderness – Fig cakes join manna (Exodus 16) and Elijah’s hearth cakes (1 Kings 19:6) in portraying God’s faithful provision in transitional seasons.
2. Preservation of the Messianic Line – Each appearance in David’s account protects the lineage ultimately culminating in Jesus Christ.
3. Restoration – From Hezekiah’s recovery to post-exile hope (cf. Zechariah 8:12), figs signify renewal and life.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Strategic Generosity: Believers can mirror Abigail’s foresight, supplying missionaries, pastors, and the vulnerable with timely, thoughtful resources.
• Integrative Healing: Prayer, obedience, and medical means all coexist under God’s sovereignty; the church need not pit faith against medicine.
• Fellowship Feasts: Shared meals that recall God’s goodness strengthen congregational unity and gratitude, anticipating the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Key References

1 Samuel 25:18; 1 Samuel 30:12; 2 Kings 20:7; 1 Chronicles 12:40; Isaiah 38:21

Forms and Transliterations

דְּבֵלִ֑ים דְּבֵלִ֨ים דְּבֵלָ֜ה דְּבֶ֣לֶת דבלה דבלים דבלת וְצִמּוּקִ֧ים וצמוקים də·ḇê·lāh də·ḇe·leṯ də·ḇê·lîm dəḇêlāh dəḇeleṯ dəḇêlîm deveLah deVelet deveLim vetzimmuKim wə·ṣim·mū·qîm wəṣimmūqîm

Englishman's Concordance

1 Samuel 25:18
HEB: צִמֻּקִ֖ים וּמָאתַ֣יִם דְּבֵלִ֑ים וַתָּ֖שֶׂם עַל־
NAS: and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded
KJV: and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid
INT: clusters hundred cakes and loaded on

1 Samuel 30:12
HEB: לוֹ֩ פֶ֨לַח דְּבֵלָ֜ה וּשְׁנֵ֤י צִמֻּקִים֙
NAS: him a piece of fig cake and two
KJV: him a piece of a cake of figs, and two
INT: gave A piece of fig and two clusters

2 Kings 20:7
HEB: יְשַֽׁעְיָ֔הוּ קְח֖וּ דְּבֶ֣לֶת תְּאֵנִ֑ים וַיִּקְח֛וּ
NAS: Take a cake of figs.
KJV: Take a lump of figs.
INT: Isaiah Take A cake of figs took

1 Chronicles 12:40
HEB: מַאֲכָ֡ל קֶ֠מַח דְּבֵלִ֨ים וְצִמּוּקִ֧ים וְיַֽיִן־
NAS: cakes, fig cakes
KJV: meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins,
INT: of flour cakes fig cakes and bunches

1 Chronicles 12:40
HEB: קֶ֠מַח דְּבֵלִ֨ים וְצִמּוּקִ֧ים וְיַֽיִן־ וְשֶׁ֛מֶן
NAS: fig cakes and bunches of raisins,
INT: cakes fig cakes and bunches wine

Isaiah 38:21
HEB: יְשַׁעְיָ֔הוּ יִשְׂא֖וּ דְּבֶ֣לֶת תְּאֵנִ֑ים וְיִמְרְח֥וּ
NAS: Let them take a cake of figs
KJV: Let them take a lump of figs,
INT: now Isaiah take A cake of figs and apply

6 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1690
6 Occurrences

də·ḇê·lāh — 1 Occ.
də·ḇe·leṯ — 2 Occ.
də·ḇê·lîm — 2 Occ.
wə·ṣim·mū·qîm — 1 Occ.