Lexical Summary qallachath: Boiling pot, cauldron Original Word: קַלַּחַת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance caldron Apparently but a form for tsallachath; a kettle -- caldron. see HEBREW tsallachath NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition a caldron NASB Translation caldron (1), kettle (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs קַלַּ֫חַת noun feminine caldron (ErmanZMG xivi (1892), 121 compare Egyptian ‡rµt, pot, compare Old Coptic ²alahµt Lag Bn: 88, which has come back as loan-word WMMAs.u.Eur:94); — absolute ׳ק 1 Samuel 2:14 (+ כִיּוֺר, דּוּד, מָּרוּר); קַלָּ֑חַת Micah 3:3("" סִיר). I. קלט (√ of following; Late Hebrew קָלַט take up, in, harbour, so ᵑ7 קְלַט; BaEs:36 compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Physical description The word denotes a sizeable cooking vessel—larger than a simple pan yet smaller than an industrial caldron—suited for boiling meat in communal or domestic settings. Made of bronze, iron, or hardened clay, it was designed for repeated exposure to fire, wide enough for a three-pronged fork (1 Samuel 2:14) and durable enough to hold bone-in cuts (Micah 3:3). Archaeological parallels from Iron-Age Israel show rounded bottoms for hearth placement and looped handles for suspension over an open flame. Occurrences in Scripture Contextual usage • 1 Samuel 2:14 situates the pot at Shiloh, where the priests’ sons, Hophni and Phinehas, defrauded worshipers. “He would thrust it into the pan, kettle, cauldron, or pot, and everything the fork brought up the priest would take for himself”. The vessel becomes a silent witness to sacrilege—holy meat intended for Yahweh is commandeered to satisfy corrupt appetites. Historical background Open-fire cookery was central to Israel’s sacrificial meals and household life. Heave offerings, peace offerings, and community feasts all employed such pots (compare Leviticus 6:28). Priests were allotted specific portions (Deuteronomy 18:3), usually the breast and right thigh, not whatever the fork might seize. Abuse of the pot at Shiloh thus reveals a departure from Torah practice decades before the monarchy. Micah’s eighth-century indictment shows that disregard for covenant ethics remained pervasive even after temple worship was centralized in Jerusalem. Symbolic significance 1. Boundary marker between sacred and profane: the pot reminds worshipers that even mundane tools are to be governed by divine statute. Theological and ministry reflections • God monitors the stewardship of everyday resources. A vessel made for hospitality becomes an instrument of theft or cruelty when hearts are unrestrained. Practical applications 1. Financial integrity in ministry: modern “forks in the pot” can appear as misappropriated funds or self-serving leadership perks. Summary The קַלַּחַת is more than cookware; it is a biblical spotlight exposing hearts. Its appearance in narratives of priestly greed and civic brutality challenges contemporary believers to honor God in both worship and justice, assuring that the heat of divine examination will never be absent from the pot. Forms and Transliterations בַקַּלַּ֙חַת֙ בקלחת קַלָּֽחַת׃ קלחת׃ ḇaq·qal·la·ḥaṯ ḇaqqallaḥaṯ kalLachat qal·lā·ḥaṯ qallāḥaṯ vakkalLachatLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 2:14 HEB: בַדּ֗וּד א֤וֹ בַקַּלַּ֙חַת֙ א֣וֹ בַפָּר֔וּר NAS: kettle, or caldron, or pot; KJV: or kettle, or caldron, or pot; INT: kettle or caldron or pot Micah 3:3 2 Occurrences |
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reservoir with ת, compare קטל, קטן).