H0402 H0402
Food or nourishment given for eating; metaphorically, prey or fuel given over to devouring destruction.
The feminine noun 'okhlah derives from the verb 'akhal ('to eat') and appears exclusively in the Priestly source and Ezekiel, always preceded by the preposition le- (le'okhlah, 'for food/eating'). In Genesis 1:29-30 God designates every green plant le'okhlah — 'for food' — establishing the word's primary association with divinely provided nourishment (cf. Gen 6:21; 9:3; Lev 11:39; 25:6). Ezekiel then extends the image darkly: the useless vine wood is given le'okhlah to the fire (Ezek 15:4, 6), ravaged peoples become 'prey' for beasts (Ezek 34:5, 8), and children are passed through fire le'okhlah (Ezek 23:37). Spanish splits neatly between 'comida/para comer' and 'para devorar/consumir.'
1. food, nourishment — Food, nourishment, or sustenance designated for consumption by living beings. All fourteen occurrences appear in the formula le'okhlah ('for food'), beginning with creation itself — God gives every seed-bearing plant and fruit tree to humanity and animals for food (Gen 1:29-30). The formula recurs in the provisions for the ark (Gen 6:21), the post-flood covenant (Gen 9:3), manna in the wilderness (Exod 16:15), and sabbath-year produce (Lev 25:6). Spanish 'para comida/para comer' and French 'pour nourriture' faithfully render this nourishment sense. 14×
AR["طَعَامًا","لِ-لْأَكْلِ","لِتَأْكُلَ","لِلأَكْلِ","لِلْأَكْلِ"]·ben["-খাদ্যের-জন্য","খাওয়ার-জন্য","খাওয়ার-জন্য।","খাদ্য-হিসেবে।","খাদ্যরূপে","খাদ্যরূপে।","খাদ্যের-জন্য","খাবার-রূপে","খাবারের-জন্য,","খেতে"]·DE["[לאכלה]","fuer-Speise","fuer-eating","zu-essen","zum-Frass","zur-Nahrung","zur-Speise"]·EN["as-food","for-eating","for-food","to-devour","to-eat"]·FR["[לאכלה]","pour-mangeant","pour-nourriture","à-manger"]·heb["ל-אוכל","ל-אוכלה","ל-אכלה"]·HI["के-लिए-भोजन","को-भोजन","खाने-के-लिए","खाने-के-लिये","खाने-को","भोजन","भोजन के लिए","भोजन-के-लिये"]·ID["makanan","makanan.","sebagai-makanan","sebagai-makanan.","untuk-dimakan","untuk-makan","untuk-makanan"]·IT["[לאכלה]","a-mangiare","per-cibo","per-eating"]·jav["dhateng-nedhanié","kangge-dipun-tedha","kangge-dipundhahar","kangge-tedha","kangge-tedhan,","kanggé-tedha","supados-dipun-tedha."]·KO["먹기-위하여","먹는-것으로","먹을-것으로","먹이로","먹이로-","에-음식"]·PT["comida","para-alimento","para-comer","para-comer.","para-comida","por-alimento"]·RU["в-пищу","для-еды","на-съедение","пищей","пожирать"]·ES["a-comer","para-comer","para-comida","para-comida."]·SW["chakula","kula","kuwa-chakula","kwa-chakula"]·TR["-e-yiyecek","yem-olarak","yemek-için","yemeye-","yiyecek-olarak"]·urd["بَ-خوراک","خوراک","لئے-کھانے-کے","کھانے","کھانے-کو","کھانے-کے-لیے"]
Gen 1:29, Gen 1:30, Gen 6:21, Gen 9:3, Exod 16:15, Lev 11:39, Lev 25:6, Jer 12:9, Ezek 29:5, Ezek 34:5, Ezek 34:8, Ezek 34:10 (+2 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. prey, fuel for consuming — Prey, fuel, or material given over to devouring consumption or destruction — a metaphorical extension of 'food.' Ezekiel uses le'okhlah four times in prophetic judgment oracles: vine wood cast into fire as fuel (Ezek 15:4, 6), the sword of divine judgment that 'devours' (Ezek 21:32), and children sacrificed as offerings 'for consuming' (Ezek 23:37). Spanish 'para consumir/para devorar' and German 'zum Frass' capture the violent, destructive overtone that distinguishes this from the nourishing, life-giving primary sense. 4×
AR["أَكْلَةً","لِلْأَكْلِ","لِيَأْكُلَا"]·ben["গ্রাসের-জন্য","গ্রাসের-জন্যে","জ্বালানোর-জন্যে"]·DE["zum-Frass"]·EN["for-consuming","to-be-devoured"]·FR["[לאכלה]"]·heb["ל-אכלה"]·HI["के-लिए-भोजन","खाने"]·ID["sebagai-makanan,","sebagai-makanan;","untuk-dimakan"]·IT["per-cibo"]·jav["kanggé-tadahan,","kanggé-tedhan","supados-dipun-tedha."]·KO["-먹음-위해","-삼킬-것으로","타기-위하여"]·PT["para-devorar"]·RU["для-пожирания","им","пищею"]·ES["para-consumir","para-devorar"]·SW["kuliwa"]·TR["onu","yakıt-için","yakıt-olarak","yemek-olarak"]·urd["جلانے-کے-لئے","کھانے-کو"]
Related Senses
H8081 1. oil (substance) (180×)H3196 1. wine (fermented grape juice) (141×)H1706 1. honey (54×)H4682 1. unleavened bread/cakes (53×)H2461 1. milk (42×)H8492 1. new wine / must (38×)H0400 1. food, nourishment (36×)G3631 1. wine (34×)H3978 1. food, nourishment (30×)H1314 1. spice / perfume / balsam (29×)H7416 1. pomegranate (fruit/ornament) (28×)H3323 1. fresh oil, olive oil (23×)H2964 1. prey, torn flesh (19×)H3899 2. food, sustenance (19×)G1033 1. food (17×)G5160 1. food (16×)H5561 1. spices, aromatic substances (16×)G2219 1. leaven (13×)H4478a 1. manna (13×)G1637 1. olive oil (11×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אָכְלָה17 n.f. food, eating (with some verbal force, cf. DrJPhl. xi.217) only P, & Ez always לְאָכְלָה, 1. especially in phr. like לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאָ׳ Gn 1:29; 6:21; 9:3 Lv 11:39; so 25:6 וְהָיְתָה שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ לָכֶם לְאָכְלָה; cf. נָתַן" dir="rtl" >נָתַן לְא׳ Gn 1:30 Ex 16:15. 2. devouring, by wild beasts, only fig. of ravaged people Ex 29:5 34:5, 8, 10; 39:4, cf. 35:12. 3. consuming, in…