כּוּל (kul)
kul
to sustain
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 30 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb kul primarily means to contain, sustain, or nourish. While its root sense involves measuring or holding something within boundaries, it is most often used in the intensive stem (Piel) to describe the act of sustaining life. This usage appears frequently in historical books like 1 Kings and Chronicles, where it describes kings providing food for their people or officials managing provisions.
A striking example occurs in 1 Kings 8:27, when Solomon acknowledges that even the highest heavens cannot contain God. Here, the word emphasizes the vastness of divine presence against physical limits. In other contexts, such as Genesis 45:11, it refers to Joseph’s plan to sustain his family with grain during famine, highlighting God’s provision through human agency.
Translators often render kul as "sustain," "nourish," or "contain," depending on context. The word carries a sense of active care and support, whether applied to physical needs like food or spiritual endurance. Its range reflects both the tangible act of holding something together and the broader idea of maintaining life and order.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels like a season of scarcity, this word reminds us that God is actively involved in sustaining our daily needs. It appears in stories where provision comes through human hands, such as Joseph feeding his family during the famine, showing us that God often works through practical means to care for His people.
We also see it in moments of profound awe, like Solomon’s prayer acknowledging that even the highest heavens cannot contain God. This contrast helps us understand that while our physical needs are met by tangible provision, our spiritual life rests on a Creator who is far greater than any container or limit we can imagine.
This dual meaning offers comfort. We can trust that the same God who sustains our bodies with bread also holds the universe within His reach. It invites us to rest in the knowledge that our lives are supported by a power that is both intimately close and infinitely vast.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 30 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- it contained3×
- to/ supply/ you2×
- to hold [it] in2×
- you sustained/ them1×
- will he endure/ it1×
- to/ supply1×
- to/ endure1×
- to/ contain1×
- they will endure1×
- they will contain/ you1×
- they contain/ you1×
- they contain1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יְכַלְכְּל֔וּ/ךָ2×
- מֵֽ/הָכִיל֙1×
- מְכַלְכֵּל֙1×
- לְ/כַלְכֶּלְ/ךָ֖1×
- לְ/כַלְכֵּֽל\׃\ \ס1×
- לְ/כַלְכְּלֶֽ/ךָ\׃1×
- לְ/הָכִ֛יל1×
- לְ/הָכִ֖יל1×
- כַּֽלְכֵ֖ל1×
- כִּלְכַּלְתָּ֥/ם1×
- יָכִֽיל\׃\ \פ1×
- יָכִֽיל\׃\ \ס1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 45:11
There I will provide for you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have.”’
This verse highlights God’s provision through human agency, as Joseph uses his position to sustain his family against the threat of poverty.
-
I Kings 8:27
But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
Solomon uses this word to emphasize that no physical structure, not even the heavens, can contain the vastness of God’s presence.
-
Nehemiah 9:21
“Yes, forty years you sustained them in the wilderness. They lacked nothing. Their clothes didn’t grow old, and their feet didn’t swell.
The text recalls how God sustained Israel in the wilderness for forty years, ensuring they lacked nothing despite their journey.
-
Ruth 4:15
He shall be to you a restorer of life and sustain you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
This occurrence connects physical sustenance with emotional restoration, describing how a child will sustain Naomi in her old age.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word kul mean?
How is this word used in the Old Testament?
Does this word refer only to physical food?
Every Occurrence (30 verses across 14 books)
Genesis 3 verses
There I will provide for you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your…
Genesis 47:12Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household with bread, according to the sizes of their…
Genesis 50:21Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to…