אׇכְלָה
food
Definition
The Hebrew noun אׇכְלָה (ʼoklâh) primarily means 'food' or 'something to be eaten.' It refers to the general concept of sustenance for both humans and animals, as seen in Genesis 1:29-30 where God provides plants as food for all living creatures. In some contexts, it carries a more specific sense of 'meat' or 'flesh' as consumable animal flesh, such as in Genesis 9:3 where God permits eating animal flesh. The word can also imply the act of 'eating' or 'consumption' itself, as in Jeremiah 12:9 where it is used metaphorically for destruction.
Biblical Usage
This word appears 18 times across the Pentateuch and Prophets. It is most frequent in Genesis and Leviticus, often in legal or descriptive passages about dietary provisions. In Genesis, it describes divinely appointed food for humans and animals (Genesis 1:29-30, 6:21). In Leviticus, it is used in purity laws regarding clean and unclean animals (Leviticus 11:39) and Sabbath-year provisions (Leviticus 25:6). A notable metaphorical usage occurs in Jeremiah 12:9, where it depicts Judah as a preyed-upon animal.
Etymology
אׇכְלָה is the feminine form of the noun אֻכָל (ʼukāl, H401), which also means 'food.' Both derive from the common Hebrew root אכל (ʼākal), meaning 'to eat.' This root is widespread in Semitic languages, with cognates in Aramaic and Arabic. The feminine form often emphasizes the concrete substance or result of the action, hence 'that which is eaten.'
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it appears in foundational texts about God's provision and humanity's relationship with creation. In Genesis 1:29-30, it highlights God's original design for a plant-based diet, establishing humanity's stewardship over the earth's resources. The permission to eat meat in Genesis 9:3 marks a post-flood shift in human-animal relations, reflecting a changed world. Understanding this term enriches reading of dietary laws and concepts of sustenance as divine gift.
In ancient Israelite culture, 'food' was not merely nutritional but deeply tied to covenant, purity, and survival. Distinctions between clean and unclean food (Leviticus 11:39) were part of religious identity. The reliance on annual harvests and flocks made food security a constant concern, reflected in laws like the Sabbath year (Leviticus 25:6), where the land's produce was for all.
לֶחֶם (lechem, H3899) — 'bread' or general sustenance, often a staple food. מַאֲכָל (maʼăkāl, H3978) — 'food' or 'something edible,' a more general synonym. אֹכֶל (ʼōkel, H400) — 'food' or 'eating,' closely related masculine form.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →