--- title: אָכַל — eat · The Tanakh dictionary description: אָכַל (398), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 809 times: eat. BDB 1906: vb. eat. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/398.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/) / [א](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1488-4.md)‎ / אָכַל‎ # אָכַל «אָכַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **eat** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers. **Used:** 809 times · **Key:** 398 · **BDB:** אָכַל ### Glosses you.will.eat (88); eat (83); he.will.eat (38) ### Meaning (OSHB) eat [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/398/#m1) ### Meaning (BDB 1906) vb. eat [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/398/#m2) **The whole BDB entry:** vb. eat (Aramaic أَكَلَ, As. akâlu DlW, Aramaic אֲכַל, ܐܶܟܰܠ )— Pf. אָכַל Ex 34:28 +; אָֽכְלָה Nu 21:28 +, etc. Impf. יֹאכַל Gn 49:27 +; וַיֹּא֫כַל Gn 25:34 +; וַיֹּאכַ֑ל Gn 3:6 +; יֹאכֵ֑ל Lv 21:22 +; אֹכַל Gn 24:33 +; וָֽאֹכַ֫ל 27:33; וְאֹכֵ֑ל Is 44:19; וָֽאֹכֵל Gn 3:12, 13; 3 pl. יֹאכְלוּ Gn 32:33 +; יֹאכֵ֑לוּ Dt 18:8 +; etc. (for יוֹכְלוּ Ez 42:5 rd. יוצלו, יאצלו 𝔊 Ew Co); sf. יֹאכְלֶנּוּ Lv 7:6 +; תֹּאכַלְכֶם Is 33:11, etc., prob. also תְּאָכְלֵהוּ Jb 20:26, either as secondary form fr. תֹּא׳ (Ew§ 253 Di) or text. error (Ges§ 68. 1) \> Pi., Thes KöI, 389; or Poʿel, Ki De MV; Imv. אֱכוֹל 1 K 18:41 +, etc.; Inf. abs. אָכוֹל Gn 2:16 +; cstr. אֲכֹל Nu 26:10 + 2 textual; לֶאֱכֹל Gn 24:33 +; לְאָכְלָה Je 12:9; Pt. אֹכֵל (אוֹכֵל) Gn 39:6 +, אֹכֶלֶת Ex 24:17 +, etc.— eat, human subject Gn 3:11, 18 + oft.; mostly c. acc. Ex 16:35 +; also sq. מִן־ (eat of,—some of,—or from) Ex 34:15 Ru 2:14 +; sq. בְּ (eat of or at) Ex 12:43 f; abs. Dt 2:6 +; as act of worship Gn 31:54 (cf. 46:1) Ex 18:12; 24:11; 34:15 Dt 12:7, 18; 14:23, 26 Ju 9:27 +; of priests Ex 29:32 Lv 10:13 +; cf. אָכַל אֶל־הֶהָרִים Ez 18:6, 11, 15; 22:9 + 33:25 עַל־הַדָּם Co עַל־הֶהָרִים; (but RSRel. Sem.. i. 324 N would emend first 4 by last); eat up, finish eating Gn 43:2 (c. כלה) 1 K 13:28 +; אָכַל לֶחֶם = take a meal Gn 43:25 Ex 2:20 1 S 20:24 Je 41:1 +; so א׳ alone Gn 43:16 1 S 20:5 +; א׳ לֶחֶם = eat, get food Gn 3:19 2 K 4:8 +; Am 7:12 (i.e. spend one’s life) cf. Ec 5:16; לֹא א׳ ל׳ i.e. fast 1 S 28:20; 30:12 Ezr 10:6 cf. Dn 10:3; fig. א׳ אֶת־בְּשָׂרוֹ Ec 4:5 (i.e. waste away); eat words Je 15:16 (i.e. eagerly receive); of adultery, Pr 30:20 אָֽכְלָה וּמָֽחֲתָה פִּ֑יהָ וְאָֽמְרָה לֹא־פָעַלְתִּי אָֽוֶן׃; eat (taste) good fortune, א׳ בַּטּוֹבָה Jb 21:25; לְפִי אָכְלוֹ according to his eating, i.e. acc. to his needs in eating Ex 12:4; 16:16, 18 also v 21; cf. Jb 20:21 \& sub אָכְלָה; אָכַל הַפְּרִי 2 K 19:29 Am 9:14, of peaceful enjoyment of results of labour; fig. of receiving consequences of action, good or bad Pr 1:31; 18:21 Ho 10:13 cf. וַיֹּאכַל גַּם־אָכוֹל אֶת־כַּסְפֵּנוּ Gn 31:15 i.e. he has reaped all the benefit, cf. Ho 7:9; fig. of mourner, אֵפֶר כַּלֶּחֶם אָכָ֑לְתִּי ψ 102:10 (cf. 80:6 Hiph., \& As. akâl al âkul, bikîtum kurmatî = food I ate not, weeping (was) my refreshment HptASKT 166 f. Obv. l, 21, 22 ZimBP 34, 42); of gods, partaking of sacrifices Dt 32:38; fig. = destroy Dt 7:16 (cf. Nu 14:9); cf. Je 10:25; 30:16; 50:7 Ho 7:7. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour; Gn 37:20, 33; 40:17, 19 1 K 13:28; 14:11; 16:4; 21:23, 24 Ho 2:14 +; specif. of locusts Jo 1:4; 2:25 2 Ch 7:13 cf. Am 4:9; moth Jb 13:28; flies ψ 78:45; worms Dt 28:39; also Ez 19:3, 6 (of Isr. under fig. of lion), cf. Je 50:7, 17; 51:34; also Ho 13:8 (of י׳ under fig. of lion), Ez 22:25 (נֶפֶשׁ אָכָ֑לוּ, of false proph. under fig. of lion). fig. of fire, devour, consume Lv 6:3 (sq. 2 acc. consume offering to ashes) Na 3:13 Is 5:24 (in sim.), partic. of fire fr. י׳ Lv 10:2; 16:25 Ju 9:15 f 1 K 18:38 2 K 1:10, 12, 14 2 Ch 7:1; cf. Am. 1:4, 7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5; 5:6 +; Dt 5:22 of fire at Sinai; of י׳ as fire (in judgment) Dt 4:24 כִּי י׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה הוּא cf. Dt 9:3 Is 10:17 (‖ בּער) 30:27, 30; 33:14 (‖ מוֹקְדֵי עוֹלָם). of sword, devour, slay Dt 32:42 2 S 2:26; 11:25; 18:8 Ho 11:6 Je 2:30 12:12; cf. of devastation of land Is 1:7 Je 8:16. in genl. devour, consume, destroy (inanim. subj.) of drought Gn 31:40; of pestilence Ez 7:15; of forest 2 S 18:8; cf. Lv 26:38 וְאָֽכְלָה אֶתְכֶם אֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיכֶם; of הַבֹּשֶׁת Je 3:24 (v. בֹּשֶׁת). fig. of oppression, devour the poor, etc. Pr 30:14 Hb 3:14 cf. ψ 14:4; of bitter enmity לֶאֱכֹל אֶת־בְּשָׂרִי ψ 27:2. (cf. Jb 19:22). Pf. וְנֶאֱכַל cons. Ex 22:5 Impf. יֵאָכֵל Gn 6:21 +; וַיֵּאָכֵ֫ל Nu 12:12 etc.; Inf. abs. הֵאָכֹל Lv 7:18; 19:7; Pt. f. נֶאֱכֶ֫לֶת Lv 11:47;— be eaten by man Ex 12:46; 13:3, 7; 21:28; 29:34 Lv 6:9, 16, 19, 23; 7:6, 15, 16(×2), 18; 11:41; 19:6, 7, 23; 22:30 Nu 28:17 Ez 45:21; of custom, usage Gn 6:21 Ex 12:16 Dt 12:22 Jb 6:6; of permission to eat Lv 7:19; 11:13, 34, 47(×2); 17:13; c. neg. be uneatable Je 24:2, 3, 8; 29:17. be devoured by fire, consumed Zp 1:18; 3:8 Zc 9:4 Ez 23:25. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh Nu 12:12 Je 30:16. Pf. אֻכְּלוּ be consumed with fire Ne 2:3, 13 cf. Na 1:10 (fig.); so Pt. אֻכָּל (= מְאֻכָּל Ew§ 169 d) Ex 3:2; by sword Is 1:20 תְּאֻכְּלוּ. Pf. 2 ms. sf. הֶאֱכַלְתָּם ψ 80:6, וְהַאֲכַלְתִּ֫י Is 49:26; sf. וְהַאֲכַלְתִּיךָ cons. Is 58:14; הֶאֱכַלְתִּיךְ Ez 16:19; וְהַאֲכַלְתִּים cons. Je 19:9; Impf. sf. יַאֲכִלֵנוּ Nu 11:4, 18, etc.; 2 ms. js. תַּאֲכֵל Eze 3:3; 1 s. אוֹכִיל Ho 11:4(?); Imv. הַאֲכִילֵהוּ Pr 25:21. etc.; Inf. לִהָכִיל Ez 21:33 (but Co לההל); Pt. מַאֲכִיל Je 23:15, etc.;— cause to eat, feed with, sq. 2 acc. subj. mostly י׳; Ex 16:32 Dt 8:3, 16 Ez 3:2 Je 19:9; abs. Ho 11:4; cf. Nu 11:4, 18; fig. Je 9:14; 23:15 Is 49:26; 58:14 Ez 16:19; also ψ 80:6 הֶאֱכַלְתָּם לֶחֶם דִּמְעָ֑ה (cf. 102:10 Qal supr.); sq. acc. pers. + מן ψ 81:17, but also subj. man Pr 25:21; 1 K 22:27 2 Ch 18:26 וְהַאֲכִלֻהוּ לֶהֶם לַ֫חַץ of prison fare; sq. acc. pers. only 2 Ch 28:15, cf. Ez 3:3. cause to devour, obj. sword Ez 21:23 (but on text vid. Co). Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 204 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (3 candidates) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every English meaning of «אָכַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/398/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames. ### In the verses [Deuteronomy 14:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/DEU.14.3/) לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל כָּל־תּוֹעֵבָֽה׃ *Word for word:* not you.will.eat any disgusting.thing *JPS 1917:* Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. [Deuteronomy 14:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/DEU.14.11/) כָּל־צִפּ֥וֹר טְהֹרָ֖ה תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃ *Word for word:* any bird clean you.will.eat *JPS 1917:* Of all clean birds ye may eat. - ← previous: [אָכִישׁ](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/397.md) - next →: [אֹכֶל](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/400.md) - ↑ back to [א](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1488-4.md)