H8168 H8168
hollow of hand, handful (cupped palm or measured portion)
This noun denotes either the hollow of the hand (the cupped palm) or the amount that fits in one hand—a handful. Isaiah 40:12 uses it in a magnificent image of God 'measuring the waters in the hollow of His hand,' emphasizing divine sovereignty over creation. In hyperbolic contexts, 'handfuls' becomes a figure for quantity: enough dust in Samaria to give each soldier a handful (1 Kings 20:10), or false prophetesses who prophesy for 'handfuls of barley' (Ezekiel 13:19). The term captures both the anatomical feature (the cupped hand) and the measured amount it can hold.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Either the hollow/cup of the hand itself or the amount it holds. 1 Kings 20:10 uses the plural: Ben-hadad boasts there won't be enough dust in Samaria to give 'handfuls' to all his men (an impossibly large army). Isaiah 40:12 asks rhetorically who has measured the waters 'in the hollow of his hand'—only God can cup the seas in his palm. Ezekiel 13:19 condemns prophetesses who work for 'handfuls of barley'—paltry payment for false divination. The cross-linguistic evidence ('puñados,' 'handfuls,' 'hollow of His hand') confirms both the container (cupped hand) and contents (measured portion). 3×
AR["بِحَفَنَاتِ", "بِكَفِّهِ", "لِ-حَفَناتٍ"]·ben["তার-হাতের-খোড়লে", "মুঠো-", "মুঠোর-জন্য"]·DE["[בשעלו]", "[בשעלי]", "fuer-handfuls"]·EN["for-handfuls", "for-handfuls-of", "in-the-hollow-of-His-hand"]·FR["[בשעלו]", "ouverture", "pour-handfuls"]·heb["ב-שעלו", "ב-שעלי", "ל-שעלים"]·HI["के-लिए-मुठ्ठीभर", "मुट्ठियों-के-लिए", "से-चुल्लू-अपने"]·ID["dengan-telapak-tangan-Nya", "untuk-genggaman", "untuk-segenggam-"]·IT["[בשעלו]", "[בשעלי]", "per-handfuls"]·jav["ing-telapak-astanipun", "kanggé-genggeman-genggeman", "kanggé-kegos-kegos"]·KO["그의-움큼으로", "손바닥들-로", "한-줌의-"]·PT["na-concha-dele", "para-punhados", "por-punhados-de-"]·RU["горстью-Своей", "для-горстей", "за-горсти-"]·ES["con-el-hueco-de-su-mano", "para-puñados", "por-puñados-de"]·SW["kwa-kiganja-chake", "kwa-makomeo", "kwa-vipimo-vya"]·TR["avucuyla", "avuçlar-için", "için"]·urd["اپنی-مُٹھی-سے", "مٹھیوں-بھر-", "مٹھیوں-کے-لیے"]
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
† [שֹׁ֫עַל] n.[m.] hollow hand, handful;— 1. hollow hand: sf. בְּשָׁעֳלוֹ Is 40:12 (fig. of י׳ holding waters). 2. handful: pl. שְׁעָלִים 1 K 20:10 (dust, in hyperb.); cstr. שַׁעֲלֵי שְׂעֹרִים (as if from [שַׁ֫עַל] Kö ii. 1. 35) Ez 13:19 handfuls of barley.