Lexical Summary kul: To contain, sustain, maintain, provide, support, endure Original Word: כּוּל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be able to, can abide, bear, comprehend, contain, feed, forbearing, guide, A primitive root; properly, to keep in; hence, to measure; figuratively, to maintain (in various senses) -- (be able to, can) abide, bear, comprehend, contain, feed, forbearing, guide, hold(-ing in), nourish(-er), be present, make provision, receive, sustain, provide sustenance (victuals). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to comprehend, contain NASB Translation calculated (1), contain (4), contains (1), endure (5), had to provide (1), held (1), hold (4), holding (2), maintain (1), provide (4), provided (6), provided them with sustenance (1), provisioned (1), sustain (3), sustained (1), sustainer (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כּוּל] verb comprehend, contain (Late Hebrew, Aramaic id., measure, measure out, of dry or liquid measure; Syriac Aph`el  id.; Arabic  measure grain) — Qal Perfect only Isaiah 40:12 מִיכָּ֗֗֗ל בְּשָׁלִשׁ עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ who hath comprehended the dust of the earth in a shalish-measure? Pilpel Perfect כִּלְכֵּל 2 Samuel 19:33; suffix כִּלְכְּלָם 1 Kings 18:4; 2masculine singular suffix כִּלְכַּלְתָּם Nehemiah 9:21, etc.; Imperfect יְכַלְכֵּל Zechariah 11:16 +, etc.; Infinitive construct כַּלְכֵּל Jeremiah 20:9 +, etc.; Participle מְכַלְכֵּל Malachi 3:2; — sustain, maintain, contain: 1 sustain, support, nourish, followed by accusative of person Genesis 45:11; Genesis 50:21 (both E), 2 Samuel 19:33; 2 Samuel 19:34; 2 Samuel 20:3; 1 Kings 4:7 a (v:b absolute), 1 Kings 5:7; 1 Kings 17:4,9; Nehemiah 9:21; Ruth 4:15; Psalm 55:23; Zechariah 11:16 (of sheep); followed by accusative of person + of thing (food) Genesis 47:12 (J), 1 Kings 18:4,13. 2 contain, followed by accusative of person 1 Kings 8:27; 2Chron 2:5; 2 Chronicles 6:18 (heavens cannot contain ׳י); hold in, restrain Yahweh's word within one, Jeremiah 20:9. 3 support, endure, sickness רוּחַ אִישׁ מַחֲלֵ֑הוּ ׳יְכַל Proverbs 18:14; Malachi 3:2 (object אֶתיֿוֺם בּוֺאוֺ); of sustaining a cause, in court, דְּבָרָיו בְּמִשְׁמָּט ׳יְכַל Psalm 112:5. Polpal Perfect3plural כָּלְכְּלוּ were supplied with food 1 Kings 20:27 (Klo proposes בַּגִּלְבֹּעַ). Hiph`il Imperfect יָכִיל 1 Kings 7:26 2t. etc.; Infinitive construct הָכִיל Jeremiah 6:11 5t.; — contain, hold, hold in, endure; 1 contain, followed by accusative (of liquid) 1 Kings 7:26,38; 2Chronicles 4:5; in figure Jeremiah 2:13, absolute Ezekiel 23:32; (of burnt-offering) 1 Kings 8:64; 2Chronicles 7:7; hold in (wrath of ׳י, object not expressed, subject Jeremiah) Jeremiah 6:11 (opposed to שָׁפַךְ). 2 sustain, endure, followed by accusative Amos 7:10; Jeremiah 10:10; Joel 2:11. כִּלְכֵּל verb, כַּלְכֹּל proper name, masculine see below כול. Topical Lexicon Overview of כּוּל (kul, Strong’s Hebrew 3557) The verb כּוּל gathers its many shades of meaning into a single idea: adequate capacity. Whether “holding,” “sustaining,” “enduring,” or “providing,” the word conveys sufficiency. Across roughly thirty-seven Old Testament occurrences the subject may be a person, a container, a leader, or the Lord Himself, but the action always answers the question, “Can it carry the weight?” Sustain and Provide Most familiar is the causative sense “to sustain, feed, provide,” a theme that threads through narratives of famine relief and personal care: Ministry significance: the verb underlines that human agency (Joseph, a widow, a government official) is a secondary means—Yahweh is the true Sustainer. Christian service that shares resources mirrors the divine pattern of faithful provision. Contain and Hold A second group highlights created limits versus God’s infinity: Every appearance underscores that only God has unlimited capacity; everything else fails or overflows. For worship, the word cautions against domesticating the Almighty and underlines the necessity of covenant fidelity, lest the soul become a “broken cistern.” Bear and Endure Closely related is the notion of inner fortitude: Leadership structures in Exodus and Acts echo the solution God gave Moses: shared responsibility enables endurance. Spiritual resilience, however, is sourced in the Lord who alone “sustains.” Measured, Contained, Limited Less frequent is כּוּל for measuring or containing literal quantities: These passages feed a doctrine of providence: the same God who keeps oceans within their boundaries also governs history within His purposes. Theological Themes 1. God’s inexhaustible sufficiency. Heaven itself “cannot contain” Him, yet He effortlessly “sustains” His people. Practical Ministry Implications • Shepherding: like Joseph, pastors and parents are to “provide” for those under their charge, trusting God to replenish their resources. Eschatological Outlook The final vision of Scripture culminates in a new creation where God Himself “will be their God” (Revelation 21:3). Nothing will limit His presence; no need will remain unsustained. Every prior occurrence of כּוּל points forward to that consummate day when divine capacity finally fills and sustains all things forever. Forms and Transliterations אֲכַלְכֵּ֥ל אכלכל הָכִ֔יל הכיל וְכִלְכְּל֥וּ וְכִלְכְּלָ֖ם וְכִלְכְּלוּ֩ וְכִלְכַּלְתִּ֤י וְכִלְכַּלְתִּ֥י וְכָ֥ל וְכָלְכְּל֔וּ וַֽיְכַלְכְּלֵ֔ם וַיְכַלְכֵּ֤ל וָאֲכַלְכְּלֵ֖ם וּלְכַלְכֵּ֖ל ואכלכלם ויכלכל ויכלכלם וכל וכלכלו וכלכלם וכלכלתי ולכלכל יְכִילֶֽנּוּ׃ יְכַ֫לְכְּלֶ֥ךָ יְכַלְכְּל֔וּךָ יְכַלְכְּלֻ֑הוּ יְכַלְכֵּ֔ל יְכַלְכֵּ֖ל יְכַלְכֵּ֣ל יָכִ֖לוּ יָכִ֣יל ׀ יָכִ֥לוּ יָכִֽיל׃ יכיל יכיל׃ יכילנו׃ יכלו יכלכל יכלכלהו יכלכלוך יכלכלך כִּלְכַּלְתָּ֥ם כִלְכַּ֤ל כַּֽלְכֵ֖ל כלכל כלכלתם לְהָכִ֖יל לְהָכִ֛יל לְהָכִֽיל׃ לְכַלְכְּלֶֽךָ׃ לְכַלְכֵּֽל׃ לְכַלְכֶּלְךָ֖ להכיל להכיל׃ לכלכל׃ לכלכלך לכלכלך׃ מְכַלְכֵּל֙ מֵֽהָכִיל֙ מהכיל מכלכל ’ă·ḵal·kêl ’ăḵalkêl achalKel chilKal hā·ḵîl haChil hāḵîl kal·ḵêl kalChel kalḵêl ḵil·kal kil·kal·tām ḵilkal kilkalTam kilkaltām lə·hā·ḵîl lə·ḵal·kə·le·ḵā lə·ḵal·kêl lə·ḵal·kel·ḵā lechalKel lechalkelCha lechalkeLecha lehaChil ləhāḵîl ləḵalkêl ləḵalkəleḵā ləḵalkelḵā mê·hā·ḵîl mə·ḵal·kêl mechalKel mehaChil mêhāḵîl məḵalkêl ū·lə·ḵal·kêl ulechalKel ūləḵalkêl vaachalkeLem vaychalKel vaychalkeLem vechalkeLu vechilkalTi vechilkeLam vechilkeLu vechol wā’ăḵalkəlêm wā·’ă·ḵal·kə·lêm way·ḵal·kə·lêm way·ḵal·kêl wayḵalkêl wayḵalkəlêm wə·ḵā·lə·kə·lū wə·ḵāl wə·ḵil·kal·tî wə·ḵil·kə·lām wə·ḵil·kə·lū wəḵāl wəḵāləkəlū wəḵilkaltî wəḵilkəlām wəḵilkəlū yā·ḵi·lū yā·ḵîl yaChil yaChilu yāḵîl yāḵilū yə·ḵal·kə·le·ḵā yə·ḵal·kə·lu·hū yə·ḵal·kə·lū·ḵā yə·ḵal·kêl yə·ḵî·len·nū yechalKel yeChalkeLecha yechalkeLucha yechalkeLuhu yechiLennu yəḵalkêl yəḵalkəleḵā yəḵalkəluhū yəḵalkəlūḵā yəḵîlennūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 45:11 HEB: וְכִלְכַּלְתִּ֤י אֹֽתְךָ֙ שָׁ֔ם NAS: There I will also provide for you, for there are still KJV: And there will I nourish thee; for yet [there are] five INT: provide There there Genesis 47:12 Genesis 50:21 Ruth 4:15 2 Samuel 19:32 2 Samuel 19:33 2 Samuel 20:3 1 Kings 4:7 1 Kings 4:7 1 Kings 4:27 1 Kings 7:26 1 Kings 7:38 1 Kings 8:27 1 Kings 8:64 1 Kings 17:4 1 Kings 17:9 1 Kings 18:4 1 Kings 18:13 1 Kings 20:27 2 Chronicles 2:6 2 Chronicles 4:5 2 Chronicles 6:18 2 Chronicles 7:7 Nehemiah 9:21 Psalm 55:22 37 Occurrences |
    |