אָכַל806 H0398
To eat, consume food; figuratively to devour or consume destructively; in Nifal, to be eaten; in Hifil, to feed or cause to eat.
The Hebrew verb 'akhal is one of the most common and visceral words in the Old Testament, appearing over 800 times. At its core it describes the universal human act of eating food — from Adam and Eve in the garden to the Passover lamb consumed in haste. Yet this everyday verb becomes one of Scripture's most powerful metaphors: fire 'eats' (Exod 24:17), the sword 'devours' (Deut 32:42), and the land 'consumes' its inhabitants (Num 13:32). The multilingual evidence reveals how languages handle this dual nature differently — Spanish splits between comer ('eat') and devorar ('devour'), while German moves from essen to verzehren, each language recognizing that destructive consumption is semantically distinct from nourishment. The theological arc from forbidden eating in Eden (Gen 3:6) to the covenant meal of Exodus 12 makes this verb a thread woven through the entire biblical narrative.
1. eat (consume food) — The basic Qal sense of literal eating — physical ingestion of food in any tense, person, or number. This overwhelmingly dominant sense (697 occurrences) covers everything from ordinary meals to theologically charged acts of eating: the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:6), the Passover lamb (Exod 12:11), manna in the wilderness (Exod 16:35), and priestly portions (Lev 6:26). Spanish comer, German essen, French manger, and Korean 먹다 all converge on basic alimentary consumption, confirming this as the unmarked core meaning. The verb's frequent pairing with 'bread' (lechem) creates a near-idiom for sustenance itself. 697×
AR["تَأكُلونَ","تَأْكُلُوا","تَأْكُلُونَ","تَأْكُلُونَهَا","تَأْكُلُونَهُ"]·ben["খাবে","তোমরা-খাবে"]·DE["du-soll-essen","du-sollst-essen","sollt-ihr-essen"]·EN["you-shall-eat"]·FR["tu---manger","tu-devra-manger","vous-mangerez"]·heb["אכל","תאכלו"]·HI["खाओ","खाओगे","खाना","तुम खाओगे","तुम-खाओ","से-उगलने वालों","से-सब"]·ID["boleh-kamu-makan","kamu makan","kamu-akan-makan","kamu-harus-makan","makanlah"]·IT["mangerai","tu-dovra-mangiare","tu-mangerai","tu-shall-mangiare"]·jav["dhahar-panjenengan-sadaya","panjenengan-dhahar;","panjenengan-sadaya-dahar","panjenengan-sedaya-nedha","saged-dipundhahar","samia-dhahar"]·KO["너희-가-먹으라","너희가-먹으리라","먹으라","먹으지","먹을-것이다","먹을지니라-너희가","먹지"]·PT["comereis"]·RU["будете-есть","ешьте"]·ES["comeréis","comáis"]·SW["kula","msile","mtakula"]·TR["yemeyeceksiniz","yiyebilirsiniz","yiyeceksiniz","yiyin"]·urd["تم-کھاؤ-گے","کھاؤ","کھاؤ-گے","کھاؤ-گے-تم","کھانا"]
Gen 3:1, Gen 3:3, Gen 9:4, Exod 12:9, Exod 12:11, Exod 12:15, Exod 12:18, Exod 12:20, Exod 12:20, Exod 12:43, Exod 12:44, Exod 16:12 (+38 more)
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
2. devour (consume destructively) — Figurative devouring or consuming destructively — 75 occurrences where the 'eating' agent is fire, sword, plague, or judgment rather than a person at table. God appears as 'a consuming fire' at Sinai (Exod 24:17; Deut 4:24; 9:3), fire from Heshbon 'devoured' Moab (Num 21:28), and nations 'eat up' Israel (Lev 26:38). The multilingual signal is clear: Spanish shifts to devorar/consumir, German to verzehren/fressen, and French to dévorer, all selecting specifically destructive vocabulary rather than alimentary terms. This metaphorical extension is ancient and appears across Semitic languages — Akkadian akalu and Arabic akala both carry the same fire-consumption sense. 75×
AR["آكِلَةٍ","أَكَلَ","أَكَلَتِ","أَكَلَتْ","أَكَلَتْهَا","أَكَلَتْهُمَا","وَ-تَأْكُلُ","وَ-تَأْكُلُكُمْ","يَأْكُلُ"]·ben["এবং-গ্রাস-করবে","খেয়েছে","গ্রাস-করে","গ্রাস-করেছিল","গ্রাস-করেছে","গ্রাসকারী"]·DE["ass","consuming","devoured","er-isst","essen","sie-frass","und-ass","und-wird-verschlingen"]·EN["and-it-shall-devour","and-will-devour","consumes","consuming","devoured","devours","has-devoured","the-earth"]·FR["consuming","devoured","et-fera-dévorer","et-manger","manger"]·heb["אוכלת","אכלה","ו-אכל","ו-אכלה","יאכל"]·HI["आग","और-खा जाएगी","और-खा-जाएगी","खा-गई","खा-गया","खा-लिया","खाई","भस्म-करती-है","भस्म-करने-वाली"]·ID["Memakan","dan-ia-akan-memakan","dan-tanah-musuh-musuhmu-akan-menelan","dimakan","memakan","yang memakan"]·IT["consuming","divoro","divorò","e-fara-divorare","e-mangiare","mangiare"]·jav["dipun-mangsa","dipun-tedha","ingkang-mangsa","ingkang-nguntal","lan-nedha","lan-nglalap","nedha","nglahap","nguntal","sampun-nedha"]·KO["그것-이-먹었네","그리고-먹을것이다","그리고-삼킬-것이다","말람하였다","먹었느니라","먹었다","먹었다-","먹은","삼켜으니","삼켰나니","삼켰다","삼켰음-이라","삼키는"]·PT["Devorou","consumindo","consumiu","devorava","devorou","e-consumirá"]·RU["и-поглотит","и-пожрёт","пожирает","пожирала","пожирающий","пожрал"]·ES["Devoró","consumidor","consumió","devoró","que-devora","y-devorará","y-os-devorará"]·SW["ilila","imekula","imeteketezwa","inakula","na-itawala","na-utateketeza","ulivyomeza","umekula","umeteketeza","unaoteketeza","waliyokula"]·TR["ve-yiyecek","yedi","yiyen"]·urd["آگ-بھسم-کرنے-والی","اور-کھا-جائے-گی","نگلی","کھا-لیا","کھا-گئی","کھائی"]
Exod 24:17, Lev 26:38, Num 21:28, Deut 4:24, Deut 9:3, Deut 32:22, Deut 32:42, Judg 9:15, Judg 9:20, Judg 9:20, 2 Sam 2:26, 2 Sam 11:25 (+38 more)
3. be eaten (passive) — The Nifal passive: being eaten, being consumed, or being permitted to be eaten — 36 occurrences concentrated in legal and cultic legislation. Exodus 12:46 stipulates the Passover lamb 'shall be eaten in one house'; Leviticus repeatedly specifies which sacrificial portions 'shall be eaten' and by whom (Lev 6:16, 23, 26; 7:6). Spanish se-comera and German gegessen-werden both use standard passive constructions, while Korean 먹히다 employs the dedicated passive suffix. The sense is functionally distinct because the subject is the food itself, not the eater — a reversal of semantic roles essential for dietary and sacrificial law. 36×
AR["تُؤْكَلُ","يُؤكَلُ","يُؤْكَلُ"]·ben["খাওয়া-হবে","খাওয়া-হোক","গ্রাস-হবে","তা-খাওয়া-হবে"]·DE["ass","es-soll-sein-gegessen","essen","lass-sein-gegessen","soll-es-sein-gegessen","soll-sein-gegessen"]·EN["it-shall-be-eaten","let-be-eaten","shall-be-eaten","shall-it-be-eaten","will-be-consumed"]·FR["--être-mangé","cela---être-mangé","cela-devra-être-mangé","devra-cela-être-mangé","devra-être-mangé","laisse-être-mangé","manger"]·heb["אכל","יאכל","ייאכל","תיאכל"]·HI["खाई-जाए","खाई-जाएगी","खाया-जाए","खाया-जाएगा","वह खाया जाएगा","वह-खाया-जाए","वह-भस्म-हो-जाएगी"]·ID["akan-dimakan","boleh-dimakan","dimakan","harus-dimakan"]·IT["dovra-essere-mangiato","dovra-esso-essere-mangiato","esso-dovra-essere-mangiato","esso-shall-essere-mangiato","lascia-essere-mangiato","mangiare","shall-essere-mangiato"]·jav["dipun-dhahar","dipun-tedha","dipun-tédha","dipundhahar","dipuntedha","saged-dipundhahar"]·KO["먹어지게-될-것이다","먹어지리라","먹으라","먹으리라","먹혀지니라","먹히는","먹히다","삼킬-바-되리라"]·PT["será-comida","será-comido","será-consumida","serão-comidos"]·RU["будет-пожран","будет-съедаться","будет-съеден","будет-съедена","будет-съедено","будут-съедаться","должно-быть-съедено","пусть-будет-съедена","пусть-едят"]·ES["se-comerá","se-comerán","sea-comido","será-comido","será-consumida"]·SW["atateketezwa","itakayoliwa","italiwa","kitaliwa","kuliwa"]·TR["tüketilecek","yenecek","yenilecek"]·urd["کھائی-جائیں","کھائی-جائے","کھائی-جائے-گی","کھایا-جائے","کھایا-جائے-گا"]
Gen 6:21, Exod 12:16, Exod 12:46, Exod 13:3, Exod 13:7, Exod 21:28, Exod 22:6, Exod 29:34, Lev 6:16, Lev 6:23, Lev 6:26, Lev 6:30 (+24 more)
4. feed (cause to eat) — The Hifil causative: to feed, cause to eat, or provide food for another — only 6 occurrences but theologically weighty. God 'fed' Israel with manna (Deut 8:3, 16; Exod 16:32), and the people recall the meat God 'caused them to eat' (Num 11:4, 18). Spanish alimentar, Korean 먹이다 (causative of 먹다), and Arabic at'ama (Form IV causative of akala) all select dedicated causative-feeding vocabulary, confirming this as a distinct stem-driven sense. The Deuteronomy passages are especially significant: 'He fed you manna... that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone' — the feeding becomes a vehicle for revelation. 6×
AR["أَطْعَمْتُكُمْ","أُطعِمُ","الَّذِي-أَطْعَمَكَ","وَأَطْعَمَكَ","يُطْعِمُنَا"]·ben["আমি-খাইয়েছি","এবং-তিনি-তোমাকে-খাওয়ালেন","খাওয়াতাম","খাওয়াবে-আমাদের","যিনি-তোমাকে-খাওয়ালেন"]·DE["ass","der-fed-du","ich-fed","und-fed-du","wird-feed-uns"]·EN["I-fed","and-fed-you","who-fed-you","will-feed-us"]·FR["Je-fed","et-fed-tu","fera-feed-nous","manger","qui-fed-tu"]·heb["אוכיל","אכל","ה-מאכילך","האכלתי","ו-יאכילך"]·HI["और-खिलाया-तुझे","खिलाई-है-मैंने","खिलाएगा-हमें","जिसने-खिलाया-तुझे","मैं-खिलाता-था"]·ID["Aku-berikan-makan","dan-memberi-makan-mu","yang-memberi-makan-kami","yang-memberi-makan-mu"]·IT["che-fed-tu","e-fed-tu","fara-feed-noi","io-fed","mangiare"]·jav["Ingkang-maringi-panjenengan-nedha","Kawula-sampun-maringi-nedha","lan-maringi-panjenengan-nedha","piyambakipun-ngedani-kawula-sedaya"]·KO["그-먹이신-너를","그리고-먹이셨다-너를","내가-먹였다","먹였노라","먹이겠느냐-우리에게"]·PT["Que-alimentou-te","alimentei","e-alimentou-te","nos-dará-comer"]·RU["и-кормил-тебя","кормил","кормил-Я","накормит-нас","питающего-тебя"]·ES["el-que-te-alimentó","le-daba-de-comer","nos-dará-de-comer","os-alimenté","y-te-alimentó"]·SW["Aliyekulisha-wewe","atatulisha","na-akakulisha-wewe","niliwalisha","niliwalishe"]·TR["ve-yedirdi-sana","yedirdim","yedirecek-bize","yediren-sana","yedirirdim"]·urd["اور-تمہیں-کھلایا","جو-کھلایا-تمہیں","میں-نے-کھلایا","کھلائے-گا-ہمیں","کھلایا"]
5. sense 5 — A single occurrence at Exodus 3:2 where the burning bush 'was not consumed' — Moses sees that the fire burns but the bush is not 'eaten.' The gloss evidence (English 'consumed,' Spanish consumida, German verzehrte, French consuma) places this at the intersection of senses 1 and 2, combining the fire-consumption metaphor with a stative or resultative nuance. The theological uniqueness of the passage — divine fire that sustains without destroying — may warrant treating this as a distinct marginal sense rather than simply assigning it to the figurative-devouring cluster. 1×
AR["تَحْتَرِقُ"]·ben["গ্রাস-হচ্ছে"]·DE["verzehrte"]·EN["consumed"]·FR["consuma"]·heb["נאכל"]·HI["जलती"]·ID["dimakan"]·IT["consumò"]·jav["katut"]·KO["소멸되지"]·PT["consumida"]·RU["сгорает"]·ES["consumida"]·SW["kuteketezwa"]·TR["tükenen"]·urd["جلتی"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)H1818 1. blood (physical substance) (327×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H1320 1. body, physical being (207×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)G4561 1. flesh, physical body (150×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
אָכַל806 vb. eat (Aramaic أَكَلَ, As. akâlu DlW, Aramaic אֲכַל, ܐܶܟܰܠ )— Qal Pf. אָכַל Ex 34:28 +; אָֽכְלָה Nu 21:28 +, etc. Impf. יֹאכַל Gn 49:27 +; וַיֹּא֫כַל Gn 25:34 +; וַיֹּאכַ֑ל Gn 3:6 +; יֹאכֵ֑ל Lv 21:22 +; אֹכַל Gn 24:33 +; וָֽאֹכַ֫ל 27:33; וְאֹכֵ֑ל Is 44:19; וָֽאֹכֵל Gn 3:12, 13; 3 pl. יֹאכְלוּ Gn 32:33 +; יֹאכֵ֑לוּ Dt 18:8 +; etc. (for יוֹכְלוּ Ez 42:5 rd. יוצלו, יאצלו 𝔊 Ew Co); sf.…