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אָכַל (a.khal)

a.khal

to eat

H0398 · Hebrew · Old Testament · 607 verses

H:V

Quick Reference

Language
Biblical Hebrew
Testament
Old Testament
Occurrences
607 verses
Root
—
Part of speech
H:V

Word Overview

The Hebrew verb a.khal means to eat, but its range extends far beyond human consumption. It describes animals devouring prey, fire consuming wood, and even abstract forces like drought or oppression destroying what they touch. This broad usage shows that in the ancient mind, eating was not just a biological act but a powerful image for total absorption and destruction.

The word appears over six hundred times, often in legal texts like Leviticus and Deuteronomy where it regulates dietary laws. Yet its most striking use is metaphorical. In Isaiah 36:16, the Assyrian official tells the people of Jerusalem to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, using a.khal to describe a humiliating act of surrender. Similarly, in Genesis 3:17, God declares that the ground will be cursed because Adam ate from the forbidden tree, linking the physical act to spiritual consequence.

Translators sometimes render a.khal as "devour" or "consume" when the context implies destruction rather than nourishment. This distinction matters because it reveals how the Hebrew Bible uses everyday actions to explain complex theological ideas. The word reminds readers that all things, whether food, fire, or judgment, ultimately come from and return to God’s sovereign control.

Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).

What This Word Means for Your Faith

The word a.khal appears over six hundred times in Scripture, covering everything from sharing a meal with friends to the devastating power of fire consuming a forest. In Genesis 2:16, God invites humanity to freely eat from every tree, establishing food as a gift of provision and joy. Yet the same verb describes the curse in Genesis 3:17, where eating from the forbidden tree brings hardship and labor into human experience. This range shows that eating is never just a biological act; it is a profound symbol of relationship, trust, and consequence.

When we read about people eating together, such as Abraham’s guests in Genesis 18:8, we see hospitality and peace. When the text speaks of devouring or consuming, it often points to judgment or destruction. Understanding this duality helps us see how deeply embedded physical actions are in spiritual realities. The word reminds us that what we take into ourselves shapes our lives, whether through nourishment or through choices that lead away from God.

For your daily walk, this word invites reflection on what you allow into your life. Just as food sustains the body, words, habits, and influences sustain the soul. The Bible encourages discernment in all things, recognizing that some things bring life while others bring harm. By paying attention to these patterns, we can better appreciate God’s design for both physical nourishment and spiritual health.

How it's translated

How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 607 verses where it appears, by frequency.

  • you will eat55×
  • to/ eat39×
  • he will eat32×
  • and/ they ate29×
  • and/ you will eat27×
  • it will be eaten21×
  • you must eat18×
  • they will eat15×
  • and/ he ate15×
  • and/ it will consume14×
  • and/ eat13×
  • and/ it consumed12×

Forms in the text

The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.

  • וְ/אָכְלָ֖ה12×
  • לֶ/אֱכֹ֣ל11×
  • תֹּאכֵֽלוּ\׃9×
  • לֶ/אֱכֹ֥ל9×
  • יֹאכַ֥ל8×
  • יֹ֥אכַל7×
  • תֹּאכַ֣ל6×
  • יֹאכְל֖וּ6×
  • וַ/יֹּ֣אכַל6×
  • יֹאכַ֣ל5×
  • יֹאכְל֥וּ5×
  • יֹ֣אכַל5×

Key Verses

  • Genesis 2:16
    Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;

    This verse establishes eating as a generous gift from God, highlighting provision and permission rather than restriction.

  • Genesis 3:6
    When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate. Then she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too.

    Here the verb marks the pivotal moment of disobedience, linking physical action with spiritual rebellion.

  • Genesis 3:17
    To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and have eaten from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life.

    The word connects the act of eating directly to the curse on the ground, showing how human choices alter creation.

  • Genesis 18:8
    He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

    This occurrence portrays eating as an act of hospitality and fellowship, contrasting with the isolation of the fall.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Hebrew word a.khal mean?

The verb a.khal primarily means to eat, but its usage extends to devouring, consuming, or destroying. It covers human consumption, animal feeding, and metaphorical destruction by fire or judgment.

Why is eating mentioned so often in the Bible?

Eating is a fundamental human activity that serves as a powerful metaphor for relationship, trust, and consequence. It appears in legal codes, historical narratives, and prophetic warnings to illustrate spiritual truths.

How does Genesis 3:6 use this word?

In Genesis 3:6, the woman takes fruit and eats it, marking the first act of disobedience. This single action triggers the curse on creation and introduces death into human experience.

Is there a difference between eating and devouring in Hebrew?

While a.khal can mean both, context determines the nuance. When used for animals or fire, it often implies destruction rather than nourishment. Translators may use devour or consume to reflect this intensity.

Every Occurrence (607 verses across 36 books)

Genesis 53 verses
Genesis 2:16

Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;

Genesis 2:17

but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely…

Genesis 3:1

Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God…

Genesis 3:2

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden,

Genesis 3:3

but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall…

Genesis 3:5

for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:6

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be…

Genesis 3:11

God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

Genesis 3:12

The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

Genesis 3:13

Yahweh God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:14

Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal…

Genesis 3:17

To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and have eaten from the tree, about which I commanded…

Genesis 3:18

It will yield thorns and thistles to you; and you will eat the herb of the field.

Genesis 3:19

You will eat bread by the sweat of your face until you return to the ground, for you were taken out of it. For you are…

Genesis 3:22

Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand,…

Genesis 6:21

Take with you some of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.”

Genesis 9:4

But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.

Genesis 14:24

I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me:…

Genesis 18:8

He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and…

Genesis 19:3

He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked…

Genesis 24:33

Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my message.” Laban said, “Speak on.”

Genesis 24:54

They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said,…

Genesis 25:34

Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

Genesis 26:30

He made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

Genesis 27:4

Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die.”

Genesis 27:7

‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before Yahweh before my death.’

Genesis 27:10

You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”

Genesis 27:19

Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of…

Genesis 27:25

He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless you.” He brought it near to…

Genesis 27:31

He also made savory food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his…

Genesis 27:33

Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it to me, and I have eaten of…

Genesis 28:20

Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to…

Genesis 31:15

Aren’t we considered as foreigners by him? For he has sold us, and has also used up our money.

Genesis 31:38

“These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven’t…

Genesis 31:40

This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

Genesis 31:46

Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.

Genesis 31:54

Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night…

Genesis 37:20

Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has…

Genesis 37:25

They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from…

Genesis 37:33

He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in…

Genesis 39:6

He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate.…

Genesis 40:17

In the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my…

Genesis 40:19

Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will…

Genesis 41:4

The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke.

Genesis 41:20

The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle;

Genesis 43:2

When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a…

Genesis 43:16

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and butcher an…

Genesis 43:25

They prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

Genesis 43:32

They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the…

Genesis 45:18

Take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will…

Genesis 47:22

Only he didn’t buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which…

Genesis 47:24

It will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of…

Genesis 49:27

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”

Exodus 42 verses
Leviticus 74 verses
Numbers 24 verses
Deuteronomy 69 verses
Joshua 3 verses
Judges 14 verses
Ruth 3 verses
I Samuel 24 verses
II Samuel 18 verses
I Kings 33 verses
II Kings 24 verses
I Chronicles 1 verse
II Chronicles 7 verses
Ezra 4 verses
Nehemiah 9 verses
Esther 1 verse
Job 20 verses
Psalms 15 verses
Proverbs 15 verses
Ecclesiastes 9 verses
Song of Solomon 2 verses
Isaiah 46 verses
Jeremiah 37 verses
Lamentations 4 verses
Daniel 5 verses
Hosea 13 verses
Joel 7 verses
Amos 14 verses
Obadiah 1 verse
Micah 3 verses
Habakkuk 2 verses
Zephaniah 2 verses
Haggai 1 verse
Zechariah 7 verses
Malachi 1 verse