שֹׁ֫עַל (sho.al)
sho.al
handful
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sho‘al denotes the hollowed-out shape of a hand when it is cupped to hold something. It refers specifically to the capacity of that gesture, describing either the empty space itself or the quantity that fits within it—a handful.
This term appears in only two verses in the Old Testament: 1 Kings 19:21 and Isaiah 40:12. In Elijah’s story, he throws soil on Elisha with a sho‘al, marking a decisive break from his former life. In Isaiah, God measures the waters and the heavens with His hand, emphasizing that no human hand can contain or define the Creator.
The word highlights the contrast between finite human capacity and infinite divine power. While humans use their hands to gather small amounts, Scripture uses this image to show that God’s reach extends far beyond what any handful could hold.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sho‘al describes the simple gesture of cupping your hands to hold water or grain. It represents a small, finite amount—what fits in one grasp. In Isaiah 40:12, this image highlights the vast difference between human limits and God’s power. While we can only hold a handful of dust or water, Scripture says God measured the entire earth with His hand. This contrast reminds us that our capacity is small, but God’s reach is infinite.
When life feels overwhelming, it helps to remember where your strength ends and God’s begins. You do not need to carry the weight of the world in your cupped hands. Instead, you can trust that the One who holds the heavens also cares for your daily needs. This word invites you to rest in His sufficient power rather than striving to contain everything yourself.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in/ [the] hollow of hand/ his1×
- for/ handfuls1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לִ/שְׁעָלִ֕ים1×
- בְּ/שָׁעֳל֜/וֹ1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the sky with his span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measuring basket, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
This verse uses the word to contrast God’s infinite ability to measure creation with human limitation, showing that no one can contain the Creator in their grasp.
-
I Kings 20:10
Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”
Ben Hadad boasts that even the dust of Samaria would be enough for his army to hold in handfuls, using the word to emphasize the overwhelming size of his forces.