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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" 686 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 (129 occurrences):
"consume" (38x) "consumed" (23x) "devour" (12x) "devoured" (10x) "eaters" (6x) "fed" (6x) "eaters of" (5x) "consuming" (4x) "devouring" (4x) "feeding" (3x) "consumes" (3x) "feed" (3x) "among eaters of" (2x) "flying creature will consume" (1x) "gathered people consumed" (1x) "consumer" (1x) "sword devours" (1x) "eater" (1x) "devours" (1x) "those who devour" (1x) "devourer" (1x) "food" (1x) "consumers" (1x)

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
Kaonde kulya to eat
Kikuyu kũlya to eat
Kinyarwanda kurya to eat
Kirundi kurya to eat
Kongo kulya to eat
Lamba ukulya to eat
Lingala kolya to eat
Lozi kulya to eat
Luganda okulya to eat
Luvale kulya to eat
Makhuwa oolya to eat (food)
Meru kuria to eat
Nyamwezi kulya to eat
Runyankore kuryá to eat, devour
Shona kudya to eat
Sukuma kulya to eat
Swahili kula to eat
Tonga kulya to eat
Tumbuka kulya to eat
Xhosa ukudla to eat
Yoruba okèlè swallow lump of food (eating)
Zulu ukudla to eat

Root Family

אכל (ʾ-k-l) — 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 תֹֽאכְל֔וּ tokhelu HVqi2mp you shall eat you all will eat you all will eat 54
H398-51 לֶ/אֱכֹ֔ל leekhol HR/Vqc to eat to eat to eat 52
H398-154 יֹ֣אכַל yokhal HVqi3ms shall eat he will consume he will eat 41
H398-161 יֹאכְל֨וּ yokhelu HVqi3mp shall eat they will consume they will eat 41
H398-76 תֹאכַ֖ל tokhal HVqi2ms you shall eat you will eat you will eat 35
H398-115 וַ/יֹּאכֵֽלוּ vayokhelu HC/Vqw3mp and they ate and they consumed and they ate 31
H398-152 יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל yeakhel HVNi3ms it shall be eaten he/it will be consumed he/it will be eaten 23
H398-01 אֲכָל akhal HVqc he ate to eat to eat 23
H398-113 וַ/יֹּאכַֽל vayokhal HC/Vqw3ms and he ate and he consumed and he ate 21
H398-105 וַ/תֹּאכַ֑ל vatokhal HC/Vqw3fs and consumed and she consumed and it 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
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