אָכַל
To eat (literally or figuratively)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does אָכַל (akal) mean in the Bible?
אָכַל (akal) is a Hebrew word meaning "to eat (literally or figuratively)". to eat (literally or figuratively) BDB: eat Usage: × at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, × freely, × in. Expresses the intensity of divine holiness against sin. This term runs through the canonical themes of Holiness.
Meaning
Encompasses consuming and destruction; figuratively denotes covenant violation, judgment, or moral corruption through eating imagery.
to eat (literally or figuratively) BDB: eat Usage: × at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, × freely, × in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, × quite.
Why This Word Matters
Expresses the intensity of divine holiness against sin. Hosea 5:1-7
The repeated consumption imagery underscores the self-destructive nature of unchecked sin. Hosea 7:1-7
Judgment imagery of consuming consequence. Isaiah 33:13-24
Describes destructive political cycles. Isaiah 9:18-21
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 357×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 41×
Qal passive 5×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 4×
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Showing 8 of 815 occurrences in the biblical text.
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.