Hebrew noun (masculine) · H3978
מַאֲכָל
maakalmah-ak-awl'
food
30 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: maʼăkâl
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H3978is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 18 of 39Old Testament books
- 21spellings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · H3978
an eatable (includ. provender, flesh and fruit)
The King James renders it: food, fruit, (bake-)meat(-s), victual.
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
maakal is rendered "food". It stands 30 times in the Hebrew text, across eighteen books.
- Four of the uses stand in Genesis, more than in any other book.
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Genesis 2:9Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- The Greek text spells it twenty-one different ways.
The first use
Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:9לְמַאֲכָ֑ל
The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.
Where the word stands
The word stands in eighteen of the 39 Old Testament books.
What the word means
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
How the Greek text is glossed, word by word
- food13
- into food4
- for food3
- and food of2
- food of2
- and food1
- and food his1
- and food your1
- food its1
- food your1
- to food1
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
The words it stands beside
All 30, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
21 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל4
- מַאֲכָ֖ל3
- וּמַאֲכַ֣ל2
- לְמַאֲכָ֔ל2
- מַאֲכַ֥ל2
- מַאֲכָ֔ל2
- וּמַאֲכָ֨ל1
- וּמַאֲכָל֖וֹ1
- וּמַאֲכָֽלְךָ֙1
- לְמַאֲכָ֑ל1
- לְמַאֲכָ֜ל1
- מַֽאֲכָל֙1
and 9 more spellings in the ledger below.
The grammar of each form
- noun · masculine singular13HNcmsa
- preposition + noun · masculine singular8HR/Ncmsa
- conjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)2HC/Ncmsc
- noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)2HNcmsc
- conjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular1HC/Ncmsa
- conjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singular1HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms
- conjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singular1HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
- noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine plural1HNcmsc/Sp2mp
- noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person feminine singular1HNcmsc/Sp3fs
Genesis
four uses
Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- לְמַאֲכָ֑לlemaakhalpreposition + noun · masculine singulartagged: for food
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
- לְמַאֲכָ֜לlemaakhalpreposition + noun · masculine singulartagged: for food
You are also to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals.”
- מַֽאֲכָל֙maakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
- מַאֲכַ֥לmaakhalnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: food of
Leviticus
one use
When you enter the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you shall regard the fruit as forbidden. For three years it will be forbidden to you and must not be eaten.
- מַאֲכָ֔לmaakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
Deuteronomy
two uses
But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.
- מַאֲכָל֙maakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away.
- לְמַאֲכָ֔לlemaakhalpreposition + noun · masculine singulartagged: into food
Judges
one use
So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they were unable to explain the riddle.
- מַאֲכָ֔לmaakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
1 Kings
one use
the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away.
- וּמַאֲכַ֣לumaakhalconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and food of
1 Chronicles
one use
And their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—abundant supplies of flour, fig cakes and raisin cakes, wine and oil, oxen and sheep. Indeed, there was joy in Israel.
- מַאֲכָ֡לmaakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
2 Chronicles
two uses
the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away.
- וּמַאֲכַ֣לumaakhalconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and food of
He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine.
- מַאֲכָ֖לmaakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
Ezra
one use
They gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.
- וּמַאֲכָ֨לumaakhalconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singulartagged: and food
Nehemiah
one use
They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.
- מַאֲכָ֖לmaakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
Job
one use
so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.
- מַאֲכַ֥לmaakhalnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: food of
Psalms
three uses
You have given us up as sheep to be devoured; You have scattered us among the nations.
- מַאֲכָ֑לmaakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.
- מַ֝אֲכָ֗לmaakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.
- מַ֭אֲכָלmaakholnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
Proverbs
one use
it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
- מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃maakhalahnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person feminine singulartagged: food its
Isaiah
one use
The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain to your enemies for food, nor will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled.
- מַֽאֲכָל֙maakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
Jeremiah
four uses
The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.
- לְמַֽאֲכָ֔לlemaakhalpreposition + noun · masculine singulartagged: into food
“They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and beasts of the earth.”
- לְמַאֲכָ֔לlemaakhalpreposition + noun · masculine singulartagged: into food
And in this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hands of those who seek their lives, and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.
- לְמַֽאֲכָ֔לlemaakhalpreposition + noun · masculine singulartagged: to food
I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.
- לְמַֽאֲכָ֔לlemaakhalpreposition + noun · masculine singulartagged: into food
Ezekiel
three uses
You are to weigh out twenty shekels of food to eat each day, and you are to eat it at set times.
- וּמַאֲכָֽלְךָ֙umaakhalekhaconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: and food your
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of all kinds will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for healing.”
- מַ֠אֲכָלmaakholnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
- לְמַֽאֲכָ֔לlemaakhalpreposition + noun · masculine singulartagged: for food
Daniel
one use
but he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age? You would endanger my head before the king!”
- מַאֲכַלְכֶ֖םmaakhalkhemnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: food your
Habakkuk
one use
Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich.
- וּמַאֲכָל֖וֹumaakhaloconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: and food his
Haggai
one use
If a man carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does that item become holy?’” “No,” replied the priests.
- מַאֲכָ֖לmaakhalnoun · masculine singulartagged: food
Where it leads
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.
The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.
The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.
