4361. makkoleth
Lexical Summary
makkoleth: Food, provision

Original Word: מַכֹּלֶת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: makkoleth
Pronunciation: mak-ko'-leth
Phonetic Spelling: (mak-ko'-leth)
KJV: food
NASB: food
Word Origin: [from H398 (אָכַל - eat)]

1. nourishment

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
food

From 'akal; nourishment -- food.

see HEBREW 'akal

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from akal
Definition
foodstuff
NASB Translation
food (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מַכֹּ֫לֶת noun feminine food-stuff, consisting in חִטִּים, 1 Kings 5:25 (on form see Bö§ 415 Sta§ 112 a. 2). **So read also "" 2 Chron 2:9 (MT מַכּוֺת).

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scope

Makkoleth denotes a provision of food, especially grain, supplied to sustain a household or workforce. It is broader than a single meal, highlighting an ongoing allotment that maintains life and enables productive labor.

Occurrence in Scripture

1 Kings 5:11 records the sole use: “Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty thousand cors of beaten oil; Solomon continued to provide this for Hiram year after year”. Here the term encapsulates a calculated, covenantal ration that bound two monarchs in mutual service.

Historical Background

• Diplomatic Tribute. In the tenth century B.C., Tyre controlled prized timber; Israel held vast agricultural potential. Wheat and oil flowed north; cedar and cypress south. Makkoleth, therefore, describes a royal tribute that stabilized a political alliance and secured materials for the Temple.
• Economic Scale. Twenty thousand cors—well over 100,000 bushels—reflect an organized agrarian system under Solomon’s administration (compare 1 Kings 4:22-23). Such volume demanded storage granaries, transport networks, and a loyal labor force, underscoring Israel’s prosperity during the united monarchy.

Theological Themes

• Covenant Faithfulness. Solomon “continued to provide…year after year,” portraying steadfastness that mirrors the Lord’s own faithfulness to His people (Deuteronomy 7:9).
• Provision and Worship. Food supplied to Hiram freed Tyrian artisans to fashion cedar beams for Yahweh’s sanctuary. Material provision thus became an act of worship, demonstrating that everyday resources can advance God’s redemptive purposes.
• Bread as Blessing. Wheat, the staple of makkoleth, prefigures the messianic promise of abundant grain (Psalm 72:16) and ultimately points to Jesus Christ, the true “bread of life” (John 6:35).

Covenantal Hospitality

Ancient Near Eastern treaties often included meal-sharing or regular food deliveries to confirm loyalty. By calling the allotment makkoleth, the writer highlights the personal dimension—Hiram’s own “household” ate Israel’s bread. Such hospitality echoes the patriarchal model (Genesis 18:1-8) and foreshadows the church’s table fellowship (Acts 2:46).

Applications for Ministry Today

• Strategic Generosity. Churches and believers may employ practical resources—food banks, mission support, disaster relief—as bridges for gospel witness, following Solomon’s pattern of purposeful provision.
• Integrity in Partnerships. Like Solomon’s yearly makkoleth, Christian partnerships should be marked by reliable commitment that honors agreements and enhances the work of God’s kingdom.
• Stewardship Education. Teaching on makkoleth encourages congregations to view budgeting, storage, and distribution as spiritual disciplines integral to ministry effectiveness.

Related Biblical Themes

Provision for workers: Nehemiah 5:17-18; Luke 10:7.

National grain reserves: Genesis 41:46-57.

Covenant meals: Exodus 24:9-11; 2 Samuel 9:7-13.

Summary

Makkoleth is more than a Hebrew word for “food”; it is an emblem of covenantal generosity that sustained an international alliance, enabled the building of God’s house, and foreshadows the divine, unfailing provision fulfilled in Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
מַכֹּ֣לֶת מכלת mak·kō·leṯ makKolet makkōleṯ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Kings 5:11
HEB: כֹּ֤ר חִטִּים֙ מַכֹּ֣לֶת לְבֵית֔וֹ וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים
NAS: of wheat as food for his household,
KJV: of wheat [for] food to his household,
INT: kors of wheat food his household and twenty

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4361
1 Occurrence


mak·kō·leṯ — 1 Occ.

4360
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