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
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.
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 |
Root Family
אכל (Ukhal) — 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 |