כּוּל (H3557) — Hebrew Lexicon

כּוּל

𐤊𐤅𐤋

kûwl

H3557 verb

SILEX Entry

Root כול to contain, to hold, to sustain, to endure

Definition

To contain, hold, or endure; to provide or sustain, especially in the sense of maintaining provisions or support; also, to be able to grasp intellectually or to bear emotionally or physically. The verb denotes the act of holding together an object, person, or situation, enabling it to persist, continue, or be maintained over time. In some contexts, it points to the capacity to withstand difficulty, support another, or maintain necessary provisions for survival.

Semantic Range

to contain or hold physically, to sustain or provide for, to endure or bear (emotionally or physically), to maintain or support, to be able to grasp or comprehend, to provide (especially with food or sustenance), to be capable of

Root / Etymology

Root כּ־ו־ל (כול), linked to the idea of containing or encompassing. The root meaning is 'to contain, hold, retain.' The verb כּוּל directly derives from this root, building on the notion of containment and capability, extending semantically to facilitating endurance, provision, and support.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, כּוּל is used in both literal and figurative senses. Literally, it can mean to hold or contain something physically (e.g., vessels, people, or territory). Figuratively, the term expands to enduring or bearing emotional or spiritual burdens (e.g., Job 31:23) and sustaining or providing for needs (e.g., Genesis 45:11, where Joseph sustains his family). In poetic and wisdom contexts, the verb sometimes overlaps with the sense of providing wisdom or sustenance metaphorically. The term is not limited to physical nourishment; it encompasses any form of sustaining or maintaining—whether material, emotional, or existential. It is distinct from verbs like פרנס (to provide for, a late Hebrew term), as כּוּל is broader in its semantic scope in Biblical usage. The English translations sometimes narrow its sense to 'feed' or 'sustain,' but the biblical lexicon retains wider applications. כּוּל is relatively infrequent and occurs in a mix of prose and poetic texts, with important occurrences in Genesis (sustaining family in famine) and Psalms (God's providence and endurance). Its sense of comprehending or enduring is context-dependent and sometimes only clear from parallelisms or surrounding clauses. In later Hebrew, the root evolves semantically, giving rise to related nouns (e.g., כְּלִי, vessel, as a container) and continuing the theme of holding or enabling capacity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to keep in; hence, to measure; figuratively, to maintain (in various senses); (be able to, can) abide, bear, comprehend, contain, feed, forbearing, guide, hold(-ing in), nourish(-er), be present, make provision, receive, sustain, provide sustenance (victuals).

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Root Family

כול (k-w-l) — contain, hold, sustain, endure

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H3596	כִּילַי	withholding man
H3633	כַּלְכֹּל	Kalkol

Word Forms

26 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H3557-20`	יָכִֽיל	yakhil	`HVhi3ms`	held	he will sustain	3
`H3557-22`	יְכַלְכֵּ֔ל	yekhalekel	`HVli3ms`	he will maintain	he will sustain	3
`H3557-06`	לְ/הָכִֽיל	lehakhil	`HR/Vhc`	to contain	to sustain	3
`H3557-17`	וְ/כִלְכַּלְתִּ֤י	vekhilekaleti	`HC/Vlq1cs`	and I will sustain	and I sustained	2
`H3557-19`	וְ/כִלְכְּל֥וּ	vekhilekelu	`HC/Vlp3cp`	and-supplied	and they thoroughly sustained	2
`H3557-21`	יָכִ֖לוּ	yakhilu	`HVhi3mp`	can endure	they will sustain	2
`H3557-25`	יְכַלְכְּל֔וּ/ךָ	yekhalekelukha	`HVli3mp/Sp2ms`	contain you	they will sustain you	2
`H3557-08`	לְ/כַלְכֶּלְ/ךָ֖	lekhalekelekha	`HR/Vlc/Sp2ms`	to feed you	to sustain you	2
`H3557-14`	וַֽ/יְכַלְכְּלֵ֔/ם	vayekhalekelem	`HC/Vlw3ms/Sp3mp`	and-provided-for-them	and he sustained them	1
`H3557-05`	כִּלְכַּלְתָּ֥/ם	kilekaletam	`HVlp2ms/Sp3mp`	you sustained them	you sustained them	1
`H3557-10`	מְכַלְכֵּל֙	mekhalekel	`HVlrmsa`	can endure	the sustaining one	1
`H3557-13`	וַ/יְכַלְכֵּ֤ל	vayekhalekel	`HC/Vlw3ms`	And Joseph nourished	and he sustained	1
`H3557-23`	יְכַ֫לְכְּלֶ֥/ךָ	yekhalekelekha	`HVli3ms/Sp2ms`	will sustain you	he will sustain you	1
`H3557-07`	לְ/כַלְכֵּֽל	lekhalekel	`HR/Vlc`	for providing	to sustain and provision	1
`H3557-12`	וָ/אֲכַלְכְּלֵ֖/ם	vaakhalekelem	`HC/Vlw1cs/Sp3mp`	and provided-them	I sustained them	1
`H3557-04`	כִלְכַּ֤ל	khilekal	`HVlp3ms`	had-sustained	he sustained	1
`H3557-02`	הָכִ֔יל	hakhil	`HVhc`	of holding [it] in	to cause to endure	1
`H3557-24`	יְכַלְכְּלֻ֑/הוּ	yekhalekeluhu	`HVli3ms/Sp3ms`	can contain him	he will sustain him	1
`H3557-01`	אֲכַלְכֵּ֥ל	akhalekel	`HVli1cs`	will provide for	I will sustain	1
`H3557-15`	וְ/כָ֥ל	vekhal	`HC/Vqp3ms`	and all	and whole-of	1
`H3557-26`	יְכִילֶֽ/נּוּ	yekhilenu	`HVhi3ms/Sp3ms`	can endure it	he causes him to endure	1
`H3557-03`	כַּֽלְכֵ֖ל	kalekhel	`HVlc`	with holding it in	to sustain fully	1
`H3557-09`	מֵֽ/הָכִיל֙	mehakhil	`HR/Vhc`	to contain	to cause to sustain	1
`H3557-16`	וְ/כָלְכְּל֔וּ	vekhalekelu	`HC/VLp3cp`	and were provisioned	they provided sustenance	1
`H3557-11`	וּ/לְ/כַלְכֵּ֖ל	ulekhalekel	`HC/R/Vlc`	and a sustainer	and to sustain	1
`H3557-18`	וְ/כִלְכְּלָ֖/ם	vekhilekelam	`HC/Vpp3ms/Sp3mp`	and sustained them	and he sustained them	1

Occurrences in Scripture

37 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H3557-17`	Genesis 45:11	וְ/כִלְכַּלְתִּ֤י	vekhilekaleti	`HC/Vlq1cs`	I will provide for	and I sustained
`H3557-13`	Genesis 47:12	וַ/יְכַלְכֵּ֤ל	vayekhalekel	`HC/Vlw3ms`	And Joseph nourished	and he sustained
`H3557-01`	Genesis 50:21	אֲכַלְכֵּ֥ל	akhalekel	`HVli1cs`	will provide for	I will sustain
`H3557-04`	2 Samuel 19:33	כִלְכַּ֤ל	khilekal	`HVlp3ms`	had-sustained	he sustained
`H3557-17`	2 Samuel 19:34	וְ/כִלְכַּלְתִּ֥י	vekhilekaleti	`HC/Vlq1cs`	and I will sustain	and I sustained
`H3557-14`	2 Samuel 20:3	וַֽ/יְכַלְכְּלֵ֔/ם	vayekhalekelem	`HC/Vlw3ms/Sp3mp`	and-provided-for-them	and he sustained them
`H3557-19`	1 Kings 4:7	וְ/כִלְכְּל֥וּ	vekhilekelu	`HC/Vlp3cp`	who provided	and they thoroughly sustained
`H3557-07`	1 Kings 4:7	לְ/כַלְכֵּֽל	lekhalekel	`HR/Vlc`	for providing	to sustain and provision
`H3557-19`	1 Kings 5:7	וְ/כִלְכְּלוּ֩	vekhilekelu	`HC/Vlp3cp`	and-supplied	and they thoroughly sustained
`H3557-20`	1 Kings 7:26	יָכִֽיל	yakhil	`HVhi3ms`	it held	he will sustain
`H3557-20`	1 Kings 7:38	יָכִ֣יל	yakhil	`HVhi3ms`	held	he will sustain
`H3557-25`	1 Kings 8:27	יְכַלְכְּל֔וּ/ךָ	yekhalekelukha	`HVli3mp/Sp2ms`	contain You	they will sustain you
`H3557-09`	1 Kings 8:64	מֵֽ/הָכִיל֙	mehakhil	`HR/Vhc`	to contain	to cause to sustain
`H3557-08`	1 Kings 17:4	לְ/כַלְכֶּלְ/ךָ֖	lekhalekelekha	`HR/Vlc/Sp2ms`	to feed you	to sustain you
`H3557-08`	1 Kings 17:9	לְ/כַלְכְּלֶֽ/ךָ	lekhalekelekha	`HR/Vlc/Sp2ms`	to provide for you	to sustain you
`H3557-18`	1 Kings 18:4	וְ/כִלְכְּלָ֖/ם	vekhilekelam	`HC/Vpp3ms/Sp3mp`	and sustained them	and he sustained them
`H3557-12`	1 Kings 18:13	וָ/אֲכַלְכְּלֵ֖/ם	vaakhalekelem	`HC/Vlw1cs/Sp3mp`	and provided-them	I sustained them
`H3557-16`	1 Kings 20:27	וְ/כָלְכְּל֔וּ	vekhalekelu	`HC/VLp3cp`	and were provisioned	they provided sustenance
`H3557-15`	Isaiah 40:12	וְ/כָ֥ל	vekhal	`HC/Vqp3ms`	and all	and whole-of
`H3557-21`	Jeremiah 2:13	יָכִ֖לוּ	yakhilu	`HVhi3mp`	can hold	they will sustain
`H3557-02`	Jeremiah 6:11	הָכִ֔יל	hakhil	`HVhc`	of holding [it] in	to cause to endure
`H3557-21`	Jeremiah 10:10	יָכִ֥לוּ	yakhilu	`HVhi3mp`	can endure	they will sustain
`H3557-03`	Jeremiah 20:9	כַּֽלְכֵ֖ל	kalekhel	`HVlc`	with holding it in	to sustain fully
`H3557-06`	Ezekiel 23:32	לְ/הָכִֽיל	lehakhil	`HR/Vhc`	to contain	to sustain
`H3557-26`	Joel 2:11	יְכִילֶֽ/נּוּ	yekhilenu	`HVhi3ms/Sp3ms`	can endure it	he causes him to endure
`H3557-06`	Amos 7:10	לְ/הָכִ֖יל	lehakhil	`HR/Vhc`	to bear	to sustain
`H3557-22`	Zechariah 11:16	יְכַלְכֵּ֔ל	yekhalekel	`HVli3ms`	he-will-sustain	he will sustain
`H3557-10`	Malachi 3:2	מְכַלְכֵּל֙	mekhalekel	`HVlrmsa`	can endure	the sustaining one
`H3557-23`	Psalms 55:23	יְכַ֫לְכְּלֶ֥/ךָ	yekhalekelekha	`HVli3ms/Sp2ms`	will sustain you	he will sustain you
`H3557-22`	Psalms 112:5	יְכַלְכֵּ֖ל	yekhalekel	`HVli3ms`	he will maintain	he will sustain
`H3557-22`	Proverbs 18:14	יְכַלְכֵּ֣ל	yekhalekel	`HVli3ms`	will sustain	he will sustain
`H3557-11`	Ruth 4:15	וּ/לְ/כַלְכֵּ֖ל	ulekhalekel	`HC/R/Vlc`	and a sustainer	and to sustain
`H3557-05`	Nehemiah 9:21	כִּלְכַּלְתָּ֥/ם	kilekaletam	`HVlp2ms/Sp3mp`	you sustained them	you sustained them
`H3557-24`	2 Chronicles 2:5	יְכַלְכְּלֻ֑/הוּ	yekhalekeluhu	`HVli3ms/Sp3ms`	can contain him	he will sustain him
`H3557-20`	2 Chronicles 4:5	יָכִֽיל	yakhil	`HVhi3ms`	it contained	he will sustain
`H3557-25`	2 Chronicles 6:18	יְכַלְכְּל֔וּ/ךָ	yekhalekelukha	`HVli3mp/Sp2ms`	contain you	they will sustain you
`H3557-06`	2 Chronicles 7:7	לְ/הָכִ֛יל	lehakhil	`HR/Vhc`	to contain	to sustain

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