Lexical Summary qemach: Flour, meal Original Word: קֶמַח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance flour, meal From an unused root probably meaning to grind; flour -- flour, meal. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition flour, meal NASB Translation flour (7), flour cakes (1), flour* (1), grain (1), meal (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs קֶ֫מַח noun [masculine] flour, meal; — absolute ׳ק 1 Samuel 1:24 +, קָ֑מַח Isaiah 47:2; construct קֶמַח Numbers 5:15; — Judges 6:19 (material for unleavened cakes), 1 Samuel 1:24; 1 Samuel 28:24; 2 Kings 4:41; defined by סֹלֶת (q. v.) Genesis 18:6, distinguished from סֹלֶת1Ki 5:2; of barley (שְׂעֹרִים) Numbers 5:15 (P), but 2 Samuel 17:28 + חִטִּם, שְׂעֹרִים, קָלִי; + other articles of food 1Chron2 Sam 12:41 (van d. H. 2 Samuel 12:40); kept in a) כַּד 1 Kings 17:12,14,16; made by grinding Isaiah 47:2; צֶמַחבְּלִי ׳יַעֲשֶׂה ק Hosea 8:7. Topical Lexicon Everyday Staple and Foundation of Breadקֶמַח denotes finely ground meal, most often wheat or barley, indispensable for ordinary bread-making. In patriarchal times Sarah is told, “Quick, knead three seahs of fine flour and bake some bread” (Genesis 18:6), illustrating a household’s readiness to honor guests. The same domestic use appears in 1 Samuel 28:24, where unleavened cakes are prepared to strengthen Saul before battle. Throughout Israel’s agrarian history flour remained the basic source of daily sustenance, uniting families and communities around a common table. Hospitality and Covenant Fellowship Hospitality in Scripture carries covenantal overtones, welcoming travelers as if welcoming God Himself. Gideon, after encountering the Angel of the LORD, “prepared…unleavened bread from an ephah of flour” (Judges 6:19). Hannah’s pilgrimage to Shiloh includes “an ephah of flour” (1 Samuel 1:24), signifying gratitude for answered prayer. Such scenes portray קֶמַח as a tangible expression of fellowship, generosity, and acknowledgment of divine favor. Legal and Cultic Roles In the jealousy ritual the husband brings “one-tenth of an ephah of barley flour” (Numbers 5:15). Although oil and incense are absent—marking the seriousness of the accusation—the presence of קֶמַח underscores the offering’s connection to ordinary livelihood. The flour represents the couple’s shared life now placed under divine scrutiny. Royal Provision and National Prosperity Solomon’s daily court consumption—“thirty cors of fine flour” (1 Kings 4:22)—celebrates the abundance granted under the Davidic kingdom. Later, David’s supporters supply his hungry company with “plentiful supplies of flour” (2 Samuel 17:28; 1 Chronicles 12:40). National security and joy are pictured through ample stores of meal, reminding Israel that political stability flows from God’s covenant faithfulness. Miraculous Supply in Times of Famine The widow of Zarephath’s dwindling jar of flour becomes a stage for God’s compassion: “The jar of flour was not exhausted…according to the word the LORD had spoken through Elijah” (1 Kings 17:16). Likewise Elisha neutralizes poison in a stew by casting in flour (2 Kings 4:41). In both narratives God employs the humblest kitchen ingredient to preserve life, teaching reliance on His word rather than visible resources. Prophetic Imagery and Warning Isaiah tells proud Babylon, “Take millstones and grind flour” (Isaiah 47:2). The once-royal city will be reduced to servile labor, its splendor ground down like grain. Hosea laments, “The standing grain has no heads; it yields no flour” (Hosea 8:7), portraying covenant infidelity as harvest without meal—activity without nourishment. The prophets use קֶמַח to contrast genuine productivity under Yahweh with the barrenness of rebellion. Typological and Christological Reflections Flour, crushed and refined, prefigures the suffering and perfection of the promised Messiah. Just as grain is broken to become bread for the world, the incarnate Son is “the bread of life” (John 6:35). The grain offerings of Leviticus—typically “fine flour” (though usually a different Hebrew term)—foreshadow the spotless humanity of Christ offered to the Father. The inexhaustible jar in Zarephath anticipates the limitless sufficiency of His atoning work; what He provides never runs out. Ministry Applications 1. Dependence: God can multiply modest resources, encouraging believers to act in faith rather than fear. Key References Genesis 18:6; Numbers 5:15; Judges 6:19; 1 Samuel 1:24; 1 Samuel 28:24; 2 Samuel 17:28; 1 Kings 4:22; 1 Kings 17:12-16; 2 Kings 4:41; 1 Chronicles 12:40 (twice); Isaiah 47:2; Hosea 8:7. Forms and Transliterations הַקֶּ֙מַח֙ הקמח וְקֶ֣מַח וקמח מַאֲכָ֡ל מאכל קֶ֔מַח קֶ֙מַח֙ קֶ֠מַח קֶ֣מַח קֶּ֔מַח קָ֑מַח קָֽמַח׃ קמח קמח׃ hakKemach haq·qe·maḥ haqqemaḥ Kamach Kemach ma’ăḵāl ma·’ă·ḵāl maaChal qā·maḥ qāmaḥ qe·maḥ qemaḥ veKemach wə·qe·maḥ wəqemaḥLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 18:6 HEB: שְׁלֹ֤שׁ סְאִים֙ קֶ֣מַח סֹ֔לֶת ל֖וּשִׁי NAS: of fine flour, knead KJV: of fine meal, knead INT: three measures meal of fine knead Numbers 5:15 Judges 6:19 1 Samuel 1:24 1 Samuel 28:24 2 Samuel 17:28 1 Kings 4:22 1 Kings 17:12 1 Kings 17:14 1 Kings 17:16 2 Kings 4:41 1 Chronicles 12:40 1 Chronicles 12:40 Isaiah 47:2 Hosea 8:7 15 Occurrences |
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