Hebrew word · H6436
פַּנַּג
ufanag
cake
It appears only here in the Bible, so its meaning is uncertain. The most common proposal links it to Akkadian pannigu, a kind of flour or bread or pastry made from grain. Other suggestions are millet, a sweet confection, or (following the ancient versions) some spice or balsam.
Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
1) Pannag-an edible food, perhaps pastry
1a) meaning uncertain
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of Ezekiel 27:17
- Range of meaning
It appears only here in the Bible, so its meaning is uncertain. The most common proposal links it to Akkadian pannigu, a kind of flour or bread or pastry made from grain. Other suggestions are millet, a sweet confection, or (following the ancient versions) some spice or balsam.
- Against the English
KJV and YLT simply transliterate it as 'Pannag', which looks like a place name. BSB and NASB have 'cakes', WEB has 'confections', ESV has 'meal', NRSV has 'millet' and NIV has 'confections'. The range of renderings honestly reflects the uncertainty.
- How it drifted
KJV's capitalized 'Pannag' leads many readers to take it as a town like Minnith. Nothing in the Hebrew marks it as a place.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Not attested elsewhere in Hebrew. Lexicons such as HALOT note the Akkadian comparison. The Septuagint and Vulgate guess spice products (see textual notes).
Where it appears
Ezekiel · 1
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Ezekiel 27:17 וּפַנַּ֨ג and cake
Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith, cakes and honey, oil and balm for your merchandise.
Here: This word appears only here in the Bible. The best guess, from the Akkadian (Babylonian) word pannigu, is a kind of flour or baked good, which is where 'cakes' (BSB) and 'meal' come from. Others guess millet or a confection.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.