אָכַל

𐤀𐤊𐤋

ʼâkal

H398 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To consume food by eating, to partake of nourishment. Beyond literal ingestion, it can also mean to destroy, consume, or use up in various contexts. May refer figuratively to the act of consuming, destroying, or experiencing something, including fire consuming objects, land being 'eaten' by locusts, or someone enduring suffering.

Semantic Range

to eat food, to consume, to devour, to destroy, to use up, to endure (suffering or loss), to burn up (as with fire), to consume resources, to consume sacrificial offerings, to be consumed by emotion or experience

Root / Etymology

אָכַל derives from the root אכל, whose primary verbal sense is 'to eat, consume.' It is a basic, ancient Semitic root attested in most Northwest Semitic languages and with cognates throughout the region indicating the act of eating or consuming.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical Hebrew, אָכַל is the standard verb for eating, ranging from everyday provision ('he ate bread') to ritual contexts (consuming sacrifices, offerings), as well as metaphoric usages (such as a sword 'devouring' people, or fire 'consuming' a sacrifice). The term is frequent in narrative, law, and poetry. In idioms or extended uses, it can refer to acts of destroying, consuming resources or people, and enduring reversal or loss ('eaten away'). The immediate context determines whether the sense is literal ingestion of food or figurative consumption. The verb is applied widely to humans, animals, and even supernatural agents (e.g., divine fire). Though later English translations sometimes render idiomatic usages with phrases like 'consume,' 'devour,' or 'destroy,' these nuances are grounded in the broader semantic range of the root.

Translation Consistency

primary "eat" 48 occurrences

Most common and natural English rendering (305 of 815 P2 occurrences). "Eat" covers the primary literal meaning (partake of food) and readily supports the frequent figurative senses (devour, be consumed, suffer loss) in natural English phrasing. It is concise, idiomatic, and will allow consistent inflection across all forms; rarer senses (e.g., "destroy," "consume" in technical contexts) can be handled by context-specific choices while keeping the single core verb.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"consumed" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Bemba ukulya to eat
Chichewa kudya to eat
Chokwe kulya to eat, consume
Herero okurya to eat
Kamba kũla to eat, consume

See all 27 languages →

Root Family

אכל (Ukhal) — to eat, consume, devour

Root אכל to eat, consume, devour
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H396 אֲכִילָה the edible provision
H3978 מַאֲכָל for food
H3979 מַאֲכֶלֶת the slaughter-knife
H3980 מַאֲכֹלֶת like an eating-implement of
H399 אֲכַל they ate

Word Forms

165 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H398-85 תֹאכֵ֑לוּ tokhelu HVqi2mp you shall eat you all will eat you all will eat 54
H398-51 לֶ/אֱכֹ֑ל leekhol HR/Vqc to eat to eat to eat 52
H398-154 יֹאכַ֤ל yokhal HVqi3ms shall eat he will consume he will eat 41
H398-161 יֹאכְל֣וּ yokhelu HVqi3mp shall eat they will consume they will eat 41
H398-76 תֹ֥אכַל tokhal HVqi2ms you shall eat you will eat you will eat 35
H398-115 וַ/יֹּאכְל֨וּ vayokhelu HC/Vqw3mp and they ate and they consumed and they ate 31
H398-01 אָכַ֤ל akhal HVqp3ms he ate to eat to eat 23
H398-152 יֵאָכֵ֤ל yeakhel HVNi3ms it shall be eaten he/it will be consumed he/it will be eaten 23
H398-105 וַ/תֹּ֤אכַל vatokhal HC/Vqw2ms and consumed and she consumed and it ate 21
H398-113 וַ/יֹּ֥אכַל vayokhal HC/Vqw3ms and he ate and he consumed and he ate 21

Occurrences in Scripture

815 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H398-20 Genesis 2:16 אָכֹ֥ל akhol HVqa eat to consume to eat
H398-80 Genesis 2:16 תֹּאכֵֽל tokhel HVqi2ms you may eat you (ms) will eat you will eat
H398-76 Genesis 2:17 תֹאכַ֖ל tokhal HVqi2ms you shall eat you will eat you will eat
H398-07 Genesis 2:17 אֲכָלְ/ךָ֥ akhalekha HVqc/Sp2ms that you eat your eating you eat
H398-85 Genesis 3:1 תֹֽאכְל֔וּ tokhelu HVqi2mp you shall eat you all will eat you all will eat
H398-58 Genesis 3:2 נֹאכֵֽל nokhel HVqi1cp we may eat we will eat we will eat
H398-85 Genesis 3:3 תֹֽאכְלוּ֙ tokhelu HVqi2mp you shall eat you all will eat you all will eat
H398-08 Genesis 3:5 אֲכָלְ/כֶ֣ם akhalekhem HVqc/Sp2mp you eat your eating your eating
H398-105 Genesis 3:6 וַ/תֹּאכַ֑ל vatokhal HC/Vqw3fs and ate and she consumed and she ate
H398-113 Genesis 3:6 וַ/יֹּאכַֽל vayokhal HC/Vqw3ms and he ate and he consumed and he ate
H398-01 Genesis 3:11 אֲכָל akhal HVqc to eat to eat to eat
H398-10 Genesis 3:11 אָכָֽלְתָּ akhaleta HVqp2ms you eaten? you ate you ate
H398-102 Genesis 3:12 וָ/אֹכֵֽל vaokhel HC/Vqw1cs and I ate and I consumed and I ate
H398-102 Genesis 3:13 וָ/אֹכֵֽל vaokhel HC/Vqw1cs and I ate and I consumed and I ate
H398-76 Genesis 3:14 תֹּאכַ֖ל tokhal HVqi2ms you shall eat you will eat you will eat
H398-105 Genesis 3:17 וַ/תֹּ֨אכַל֙ vatokhal HC/Vqw2ms and you ate and she consumed and you ate
H398-76 Genesis 3:17 תֹאכַ֖ל tokhal HVqi2ms you shall eat you will eat you will eat
H398-78 Genesis 3:17 תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֔/נָּה tokhalenah HVqi2ms/Sp3fs you shall eat it you will consume her you will eat her
H398-118 Genesis 3:18 וְ/אָכַלְתָּ֖ veakhaleta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall eat and you ate and you will eat
H398-76 Genesis 3:19 תֹּ֣אכַל tokhal HVqi2ms you shall eat you will eat you will eat
H398-116 Genesis 3:22 וְ/אָכַ֖ל veakhal HC/Vqq3ms and eat and he consumed and eat
H398-152 Genesis 6:21 יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל yeakhel HVNi3ms is eaten he/it will be consumed he/it will be eaten
H398-85 Genesis 9:4 תֹאכֵֽלוּ tokhelu HVqi2mp you shall eat you all will eat you all will eat
H398-19 Genesis 14:24 אָֽכְל֣וּ akhelu HVqp3cp have eaten they consumed they ate
H398-115 Genesis 18:8 וַ/יֹּאכֵֽלוּ vayokhelu HC/Vqw3mp and they ate and they consumed and they ate
H398-115 Genesis 19:3 וַ/יֹּאכֵֽלוּ vayokhelu HC/Vqw3mp and they ate and they consumed and they ate
H398-51 Genesis 24:33 לֶ/אֱכֹ֔ל leekhol HR/Vqc to eat to eat to eat
H398-59 Genesis 24:33 אֹכַ֔ל okhal HVqi1cs I will eat I will eat I will eat
H398-115 Genesis 24:54 וַ/יֹּאכְל֣וּ vayokhelu HC/Vqw3mp and they ate and they consumed and they ate
H398-113 Genesis 25:34 וַ/יֹּ֣אכַל vayokhal HC/Vqw3ms and he ate and he consumed and he ate
H398-115 Genesis 26:30 וַ/יֹּאכְל֖וּ vayokhelu HC/Vqw3mp and they ate and they consumed and they ate
H398-140 Genesis 27:4 וְ/אֹכֵ֑לָה veokhelah HC/Vqh1cs that I may eat and let me eat and let me eat
H398-140 Genesis 27:7 וְ/אֹכֵ֑לָה veokhelah HC/Vqh1cs that I may eat and let me eat and let me eat
H398-116 Genesis 27:10 וְ/אָכָ֑ל veakhal HC/Vqq3ms that he may eat and he consumed and he may eat
H398-121 Genesis 27:19 וְ/אָכְלָ/ה֙ veakhelah HC/Vqv2ms/Sh and eat and eat! and eat!
H398-140 Genesis 27:25 וְ/אֹֽכְלָה֙ veokhelah HC/Vqh1cs and I will eat and let me eat and let me eat
H398-113 Genesis 27:25 וַ/יֹּאכַ֔ל vayokhal HC/Vqw3ms and he ate and he consumed and he ate
H398-147 Genesis 27:31 וְ/יֹאכַל֙ veyokhal HC/Vqi3ms and eat and he will eat and eat
H398-101 Genesis 27:33 וָ/אֹכַ֥ל vaokhal HC/Vqw1cs and I ate and I ate and I ate
H398-51 Genesis 28:20 לֶ/אֱכֹ֖ל leekhol HR/Vqc to eat to eat to eat
H398-113 Genesis 31:15 וַ/יֹּ֥אכַל vayokhal HC/Vqw3ms and he has eaten and he consumed and he ate
H398-20 Genesis 31:15 אָכ֖וֹל akhol HVqa consumed to consume to eat
H398-13 Genesis 31:38 אָכָֽלְתִּי akhaleti HVqp1cs have I eaten I have consumed I have eaten
H398-03 Genesis 31:40 אֲכָלַ֥/נִי akhalani HVqp3ms/Sp1cs consumed me he consumed me it consumed me
H398-115 Genesis 31:46 וַ/יֹּ֥אכְלוּ vayokhelu HC/Vqw3mp and they ate and they consumed and they ate
H398-49 Genesis 31:54 לֶ/אֱכָל leekhal HR/Vqc to eat to eat to eat
H398-115 Genesis 31:54 וַ/יֹּ֣אכְלוּ vayokhelu HC/Vqw3mp they ate and they consumed and they ate
H398-161 Genesis 32:33 יֹאכְל֨וּ yokhelu HVqi3mp eat they will consume they will eat
H398-04 Genesis 37:20 אֲכָלָ֑תְ/הוּ akhalatehu HVqp3fs/Sp3ms devoured him she consumed him she consumed him
H398-49 Genesis 37:25 לֶֽ/אֱכָל leekhal HR/Vqc to eat to eat to eat