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קֹמֶץ

𐤒𐤌𐤑

qômets

H7062 noun

SILEX Entry

Root קמץ to grasp, close the hand, draw together

Definition

A handful; the amount that can be grasped with one hand, particularly used in ritual contexts for the portion of grain, incense, or other substance taken by a priest as part of a sacrificial offering. It signifies a measured portion, specifically that which is encompassed by the palm and the closed fingers. The term is used primarily in contexts describing ritual or cultic procedures, such as the removal of a handful of flour or incense for burning on the altar.

Semantic Range

handful, graspful, the cupped or closed hand's contents (especially in a ritual context), small measured portion (esp. of flour or incense in offerings)

Root / Etymology

From the root קמץ, which fundamentally conveys the act of grasping, enclosing, or drawing together (with the hand). קֹמֶץ is a nominal formation indicating 'that which is grasped', thus a 'handful'. The form is a masculine noun from the Qal theme of the root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

קֹמֶץ appears almost exclusively in priestly and cultic texts, especially in Leviticus (e.g., Lev 2:2; 6:15), where it refers to a specific ritual gesture by the priest taking a small portion (a 'handful') from an offering for burning on the altar. This technical use differentiates it from general terms for measures or quantities. The act of 'taking a handful' (קִמֵּץ from the same root) is significant for validating the ritual act. Unlike more general Hebrew terms for measurement (such as אֵיפָה for effa or סְאָה for seah), קֹמֶץ is not a standardized volume, but strictly defined by what the officiant's hand can grasp. English renderings like "handful" are adequate, though they may not fully convey the term's ritual specificity. Over time, the word remains largely restricted to cultic vocabulary and does not generalize to everyday measures in biblical Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from קָמַץ; a grasp, i.e. handful; handful.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קמץ (q-m-ts) — to grasp, close the hand, draw together

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7061 קָמַץ and he grasped a handful

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7062-03 קֻמְצ֗/וֹ qumetso HNcmsc/Sp3ms handful his handful his handful 2
H7062-02 לִ/קְמָצִֽים liqematsim HR/Ncmpa by handfuls for handfuls for handfuls 1
H7062-01 בְּ/קֻמְצ֗/וֹ bequmetso HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms in-its-handful in his handful with his handful 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7062-02 Genesis 41:47 לִ/קְמָצִֽים liqematsim HR/Ncmpa by handfuls for handfuls for handfuls
H7062-03 Leviticus 2:2 קֻמְצ֗/וֹ qumetso HNcmsc/Sp3ms handful his handful his handful
H7062-03 Leviticus 5:12 קֻמְצ֜/וֹ qumetso HNcmsc/Sp3ms handful his handful his handful
H7062-01 Leviticus 6:8 בְּ/קֻמְצ֗/וֹ bequmetso HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms in-its-handful in his handful with his handful
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