Lexical Summary maakal: Food, nourishment, meal Original Word: מַאֲכָל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance food, fruit, victual From 'akal; an eatable (includ. Provender, flesh and fruit) -- food, fruit, ((bake-)) meat(-s), victual. see HEBREW 'akal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom akal Definition food NASB Translation eaten (1), food (26), fruit (2), provision (1), something to eat (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַאֲכָל30 noun masculineJudges 14:14 (feminine Habakkuk 1:16) food — ׳מ Genesis 2:9 21t.; construct מַאֲכַל Genesis 40:7 3t.; suffix מַאֲכָֽלְךָ Ezekiel 4:10; מַאֲכָלוֺ Habakkuk 1:16; מַאֲכָלָהּ Proverbs 6:8; מַאֲכַלְכֶם Daniel 1:10 — food, in Genl. Genesis 6:21; 1 Kings 10:5 2Chronicles 9:4; Haggai 2:12; opposed to drink Ezra 3:7; 2Chronicles 11:11; Daniel 1:10; מַאֲכַל תַּאֲוָה Job 33:20; figurative of peoples as fishes, food for Chaldeans Habakkuk 1:16; applied to fruit Genesis 2:9; Genesis 3:6 (of tree ׳טוֺב לְמ) compare ׳עֵץמֿ Leviticus 19:23; Deuteronomy 20:20; Nehemiah 9:25; Ezekiel 47:12 (twice in verse); applied to דָּגָן Isaiah 62:8; applied to honey Judges 14:14; to flour 1 Chronicles 12:41 where apposition קֶמַח; to food of ants Proverbs 6:8 ("" לֶחֶם); to baker's work Genesis 40:17 compare Ezekiel 4:10; applied to carcasses, as food for beasts & birds of prey Deuteronomy 28:26; Psalm 79:2; compare Psalm 44:12 (׳צאֹן מ, simile of suffering people) Jeremiah 7:33; Jeremiah 16:4; Jeremiah 19:7; Jeremiah 34:20; Psalm 74:14. Topical Lexicon Overview מַאֲכָל (maʾăkāl) centers on the concept of “what is eaten,” appearing about twenty-nine times throughout the Old Testament narrative, legal, poetic, and prophetic books. While it ordinarily denotes ordinary food, the contexts in which it is used move far beyond the dinner table, touching creation theology, covenant blessing and curse, ethical stewardship, and even eschatological judgment. Creation: Food as Original Gift The first two uses (Genesis 2:9; 3:6) frame food as a gracious, abundant provision embedded in the very structure of Edenic life. “Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food” (Genesis 2:9). Adam and Eve’s disobedient taking of the same “food” (Genesis 3:6) reveals that the gift carries an ethical responsibility; misuse of God’s provision introduces death into the world. Prepared Provision in Crisis Before the Flood, Noah receives the mandate, “You are to take for yourself every kind of food that can be eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals” (Genesis 6:21). Maʾăkāl here underlines foresight and obedience: salvation from judgment includes God-directed preparation of adequate sustenance. Wilderness and Conquest: Food, Faith, and Stewardship While the manna narratives employ other food terms, maʾăkāl punctuates covenantal instruction. Deuteronomy repeatedly contrasts trees “for food” with those reserved for destruction (Deuteronomy 20:20), teaching Israel to honor divine boundaries even in warfare. Later, Nehemiah 9:25 recounts Israel’s settled prosperity: “They ate and were filled… and reveled in Your great goodness.” Food becomes a tangible metric of covenant fidelity. Blessing and Curse Psalm 111:5 extols the LORD who “provides food to those who fear Him,” weaving daily bread into the fabric of steadfast covenant love. Conversely, the covenant curses of Deuteronomy climax in horrifying imagery: in siege conditions a mother will “secretly eat” her own children “because she lacks anything else” (Deuteronomy 28:57). The same term swings from gift to judgment, illustrating that dependence on God cannot be evaded. Wisdom and Experience Job employs maʾăkāl to illustrate discernment: “Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?” (Job 12:11). Just as palate distinguishes flavors, the wise heart discerns truth, suggesting that receiving instruction parallels receiving nourishment. Prophetic and Eschatological Echoes Several prophets harness maʾăkāl imagery to expose spiritual decay. In destruction or exile scenes the land’s “food” is consumed by invading forces, signaling covenant breach. Yet promises of restoration also appear, where renewed abundance of food accompanies messianic hope (for example, Ezekiel 34:29). Theological Trajectory and Ministry Significance 1. Providence: Every appearance reaffirms that sustenance flows from God’s hand. Gratitude and stewardship are therefore moral imperatives. Pastoral Applications • Encourage thankful reception of daily provision; mealtime prayer rehearses Psalm 111:5. Select References Genesis 2:9; 3:6; 6:21 Deuteronomy 20:20; 28:57 Forms and Transliterations וּמַאֲכַ֣ל וּמַאֲכָ֨ל וּמַאֲכָֽלְךָ֙ וּמַאֲכָל֖וֹ ומאכל ומאכלו ומאכלך לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל לְמַאֲכָ֑ל לְמַאֲכָ֔ל לְמַאֲכָ֜ל למאכל מַ֝אֲכָ֗ל מַ֠אֲכָל מַ֭אֲכָל מַֽאֲכָל֙ מַאֲכַ֥ל מַאֲכַלְכֶ֖ם מַאֲכָ֑ל מַאֲכָ֔ל מַאֲכָ֖ל מַאֲכָל֙ מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃ מאכל מאכלה׃ מאכלכם lə·ma·’ă·ḵāl ləma’ăḵāl lemaaChal ma’ăḵal ma’ăḵāl ma’ăḵālāh ma’ăḵalḵem ma·’ă·ḵā·lāh ma·’ă·ḵal ma·’ă·ḵāl ma·’ă·ḵal·ḵem maaChal maachaLah maachalChem Maachol ū·ma·’ă·ḵā·lə·ḵā ū·ma·’ă·ḵā·lōw ū·ma·’ă·ḵal ū·ma·’ă·ḵāl ūma’ăḵal ūma’ăḵāl ūma’ăḵāləḵā ūma’ăḵālōw umaaChal umaachaleCha umaachaLoLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 2:9 HEB: לְמַרְאֶ֖ה וְט֣וֹב לְמַאֲכָ֑ל וְעֵ֤ץ הַֽחַיִּים֙ NAS: and good for food; the tree KJV: and good for food; the tree INT: to the sight and good food the tree of life Genesis 3:6 Genesis 6:21 Genesis 40:17 Leviticus 19:23 Deuteronomy 20:20 Deuteronomy 28:26 Judges 14:14 1 Kings 10:5 2 Chronicles 9:4 2 Chronicles 11:11 Ezra 3:7 Nehemiah 9:25 Job 33:20 Psalm 44:11 Psalm 74:14 Psalm 79:2 Proverbs 6:8 Isaiah 62:8 Jeremiah 7:33 Jeremiah 16:4 Jeremiah 19:7 Jeremiah 34:20 Ezekiel 4:10 Ezekiel 47:12 29 Occurrences |
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