---
title: כּוּל — comprehend · The Tanakh dictionary
description: כּוּל (3557), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 38 times: comprehend. BDB 1906: vb. comprehend, contain. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# כּוּל

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«כּוּל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **comprehend** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 38 times · **Key:** 3557 · **BDB:** כּוּל

### Glosses

contain (3); he (3); it.contained (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

comprehend [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3557/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. comprehend, contain [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3557/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. comprehend, contain (NH, Aramaic id., measure, measure out, of dry or liquid measure; Syriac Aph. ܐܰܟܻܝܠ id.; Arabic كَالَ measure grain)— Pf. only Is 40:12 מִי … כָּל בְּשָׁלִשׁ עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ who hath comprehended the dust of the earth in a shalish-measure? Pf. כִּלְכֵּל 2 S 19:33; sf. כִּלְכְּלָם 1 K 18:4; 2 ms. sf. כִּלְבַּלְתָּם Ne 9:21, etc.; Impf. יְכַלְכֵּל Zc 11:16 +, etc.; Inf. cstr. כַּלְכֵּל Je 20:9 +, etc.; Pt. מְכַלְכֵּל Mal 3:2;—sustain, maintain, contain: sustain, support, nourish, sq. acc. pers. Gn 45:11; 50:21 (both E), 2 S 19:33, 34; 20:3 1 K 4:7a (v b abs.), 5:7; 17:4, 9 Ne 9:21 Ru 4:15 ψ 55:23 Zc 11:16 (of sheep); sq. acc. pers. + rei (food) Gn 47:12 (J), 1 K 18:4, 13. contain, sq. acc. pers. 1 K 8:27 2 Ch 2:5; 6:18 (heavens cannot contain י׳); hold in, restrain Yahweh’s word within one, Je 20:9. support, endure, sickness רוּחַ אִישׁ יְכַל׳ מַחֲלֵ֑הוּ Pr 18:14 Mal 3:2 (obj. אֶת־יוֹם בּוֹאוֹ); of sustaining a cause, in court, יְכַל׳ דְּבָרָיו בְּמִשְׁפָּט ψ 112:5. Pf. 3 pl. כָּלְכְּלוּ were supplied with food 1 K 20:27 (Klo proposes בַּגִּלְבֹּעַ) Impf. יָכִיל 1 K 7:26 + 2 times etc.; Inf. cstr. הָכִיל Je 6:11 + 5 times;—contain, hold, hold in, endure; contain, sq. acc. (of liquid) 1 K 7:26, 38 2 Ch 4:5; in fig. Je 2:13, abs. Ez 23:32; (of burnt-offering) 1 K 8:64 2 Ch 7:7; hold in (wrath of י׳, obj. not expr.), Je 6:11 (opp. שָׁפַךְ); on Ez 21:33 v. אָכַל. sustain, endure, sq. acc. Am 7:10 Je 10:10 Jo 2:11.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 37 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (11 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (6 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «כּוּל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3557/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 112:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.112.5/)

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טֽוֹב־אִ֭ישׁ חוֹנֵ֣ן וּמַלְוֶ֑ה יְכַלְכֵּ֖ל דְּבָרָ֣יו בְּמִשְׁפָּֽט׃

*Word for word:* \[is\].good a.person \[who\].shows.favor and.\[who\] lends \[who\].he.maintains affairs his with justice

*JPS 1917:* Well is it with the man that dealeth graciously and lendeth, that ordereth his affairs rightfully.

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[Proverbs 18:14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.18.14/)

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רֽוּחַ־אִ֭ישׁ יְכַלְכֵּ֣ל מַחֲלֵ֑הוּ וְר֥וּחַ נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה מִ֣י יִשָּׂאֶֽנָּה׃

*Word for word:* \[the\].spirit of.a.person it.will.endure sickness his and a.spirit stricken who? will he.bear.it

*JPS 1917:* The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a broken spirit who can bear?

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