H4393 H4393
Fullness, the full amount or contents of something; by extension, a full band or company of people.
A noun of measure and completeness, referring to the entire contents that fill a vessel, hand, or space. When a patriarch grasps a 'handful of soot' (Exod 9:8) or when the earth and 'its fullness' belong to God (Ps 24:1), this word captures the idea of totality and completeness. The construct form ('fullness of X') is its most characteristic usage, appearing with containers (hands, garments, an omer) and with abstractions (nations, the sea). In one evocative passage, Isaiah uses it for a 'full band' of shepherds rallying against a lion (Isa 31:4).
Senses
1. fullness, full measure — The full measure or entire contents of a container, space, or grouping. Construct chains such as 'fullness of your fists' (Exod 9:8), 'fullness of the omer' (Exod 16:33), and 'fullness of the earth' (Ps 24:1) show the word marking completeness of quantity. Spanish 'lleno/llena-de' and French 'plénitude' consistently reflect this quantitative totality. Genesis 48:19 extends the idea to people: Jacob prophesies Ephraim will become a 'fullness of nations,' where multilingual renderings split between 'multitud' (spa) and abstract 'Fülle' (deu). 37×
AR["مِلْءَ","مِلْءُ","وَ-مِلْأَها","وَ-مِلْؤُها","وَ-مِلْؤُهَا","وَ-مِلْؤُهُ","وَمِلْءَهَا","وَمِلْأَهَا","وَمِلْؤُهَا"]·ben["আর-তার-পরিপূর্ণতা","আর-তার-পূর্ণতা","এবং-তার-পরিপূর্ণতা","ও-তার-পরিপূর্ণতা","ও-পূর্ণতা-তার","পূর্ণ","পূর্ণ-","ভর্তি"]·DE["[ומלאה]","[ומלואה]","fullness-von","fullness-von-","und-sein-fullness","und-voll"]·EN["and-fullness-its","and-its-fullness","fullness-of","fullness-of-"]·FR["et-de-plénitude","et-pleine","et-plénitude","fullness-de","plénitude-de","plénitude-de-"]·heb["ו-מלוא-ה","ו-מלואה","ו-מלואו","וּ-מלוֹאה","מלוא"]·HI["और-उसकी-परिपूर्णता","और-उसकी-भरपूरी","और-परिपूर्णता-उसकी","और-भरपूरी-उसकी-को","और-भरपूरी-उसकी।","भर-के","भरा","भरा-","भरा-हुआ","भरी","भरी-गोद"]·ID["Satu-gomer-penuh","dan-isinya","dan-kepenuhan-nya","dan-segala-isinya","dan-seisinya","dan-seluruh-isinya","penuh","satu-gomer-penuh-"]·IT["e-piena","e-pienezza","fullness-di","fullness-di-","pienezza-di"]·jav["Kebak","jagad","kebak","kebak-","lan-isining","lan-isininé","lan-isinipun","lan-kebekanipun","lan-sadaya-isinipun","saha-isen-isenipun","sakepel"]·KO["가득","가득-의","가득한","그-가득함-을","그리고-가득-이","그리고-그-안-에-가득한-것-이","그리고-그-안-의-가득한-것-이","그리고-그-안의-것이","그리고-그-의-가득-함","그리고-그-충만함을","그리고-그-충만함이여","그리고-그것의-참을","그리고-그의-충만함을","그리고-충만함을-그것의"]·PT["Cheio-de","cheia-de","cheio-de","cheio-de-","e-a-sua-plenitude","e-sua-plenitude","plenitude-de","punhado-de","punhados-cheios-de"]·RU["Полностью","и-полнота-его","и-полнота-ее","и-полнота-её","и-полноту-его","и-полноту-её","полноту","полную","полные","полный","полный-"]·ES["llena-de","lleno","lleno-de","lleno-de-","llenura-de","plenitud-de","y-plenitud-de-el","y-su-plenitud"]·SW["bakuli-lililojaa","jaza","kiasi-cha","kiasi-kamili","na-kujaa-kwake","na-vilivyomo-ndani-yake","na-vyote-vilivyomo","na-vyote-vilivyomo-ndani-yake","na-yaliyojaa","nyumba-yake-iliyojaa","vujaa"]·TR["dolgunlugu","dolu","dolusu","dolusu-","için-yalnız","ve-dolulugu","ve-doluluğu","ve-doluluğunu","ve-doluğunu"]·urd["اور-اُس-کی-معموری","اور-بھرپوری-اُس-کی","اور-جو-اُس-میں-تھا","اور-جو-اُس-میں-ہے","اور-جو-کچھ-اُس-میں","بھر","بھر-پور","بھرا","بھرا-ہوا","بھری","وَ-اُس-کی-معموری"]
Gen 48:19, Exod 9:8, Exod 16:32, Exod 16:33, Lev 2:2, Lev 5:12, Lev 16:12, Lev 16:12, Num 22:18, Num 24:13, Deut 33:16, Judg 6:38 (+25 more)
2. band, full contingent — A full contingent or band of people assembled as a complete group. In Isaiah 31:4, a 'fullness of shepherds' is called out against a lion — not the abstract concept of fullness but a concrete company of men. English renders 'a band,' Spanish 'plenitud-de,' and German 'füllte,' each interpreting the collective-human nuance differently. This sole occurrence represents a metonymic shift from quantity to the people themselves who constitute that quantity. 1×
AR["مِلْءُ"]·ben["পূর্ণ-সংখ্যা"]·DE["fuellte"]·EN["a-band"]·FR["plein"]·heb["מלוא"]·HI["भरपूर"]·ID["sejumlah"]·IT["riempi"]·jav["kebak"]·KO["가득한"]·PT["plenitude-de"]·RU["множество-"]·ES["plenitud-de"]·SW["kundi"]·TR["dolusu"]·urd["بھر"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מְלֹא [מְלוֹא] n.m. Is 31:4 fulness, that which fills (Arabic مِلْأٌ Lane 2729);—מ׳ cstr. Gn 48:19 + 19 times; מְלוֹ Ez 41:8; sf. מְלוֹאוֹ Is 42:10 + 3 times; מְלוֹאָהּ Dt 33:16 + 12 times;— 1. fulness of hand (= handful) Ec 4:6(×2) sq. acc. mat. מ׳ חָפְנֵיכֶם פִּיחַ Ex 9:8 cf. Lv 16:12 1 K 17:12; so homer-full of manna; Ex 16:33 cf. Lv 16:12 Nu 22:18; 24:13 Ju 6:38; simil. מְלֹא בִגְדוֹ 2 K…