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מָלֵא

𐤌𐤋𐤀

mâlêʼ

H4392 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root מלא to be full, fill, become filled, to fill to capacity

Definition

Adjective and verb expressing the state of being completely filled or occupied, having no lack or empty space; describing something at capacity, abundance, or completeness. Can refer to physical fullness (e.g., full of water, days, years), figurative completeness (e.g., full of wisdom, anger), or fulfillment (e.g., appointed time completed).

Semantic Range

full (literal or figurative), filled, completed, at capacity, fulfilled, abundance, saturation, state of being complete, pregnant, being under the influence of an attribute (e.g., full of wisdom/anger);

Root / Etymology

From the root מלא (mlʾ), which in verbal form means 'to fill' or 'be full.' The adjective מָלֵא (mālēʼ) describes a quality of something that has been filled to capacity or is complete. Forms may reflect participial or stative function in biblical Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The adjective מָלֵא occurs widely throughout all periods of Biblical Hebrew. In the earliest texts, it refers to physical fullness (e.g., vessels filled with oil, fields with grain), but it regularly extends to abstract contexts—being 'full of wisdom' or 'full of days' at life's end, expressing completeness or abundance. In idiomatic usage, 'to be full of' can denote the possession of an attribute (positive or negative), as in 'full of mercy' or 'full of violence.' The noun form (מְלֹא, H4393) refers to 'fullness' or 'that which fills,' and the verb (מלא) is distinguished by its action (the process of filling). English translations often flatten nuance by simply rendering מָלֵא as 'full,' sometimes missing its idiomatic power (such as 'she who is with child' = 'full of pregnancy'). In Late Biblical Hebrew and Dead Sea Scroll texts, the semantic range remains broad and includes fulfillment of appointed time or destiny. Later, rabbinic usage continues both literal and figurative senses. The term should not be confused with similar-appearing terms for wealth or multitude; while 'full' can signal abundance, it primarily emphasizes the state of completion or maximum capacity, not simply quantity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from מָלֵא; full (literally or figuratively) or filling (literally); also (concretely) fulness; adverbially, fully; [idiom] she that was with child, fill(-ed, -ed with), full(-ly), multitude, as is worth.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

מלא (m-l-ʾ) — to be full, fill, become filled, fill to capacity

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3229 יִמְלָא He-will-be-full
H4390 מָלֵא I will fill up
H4391 מְלָא he filled himself
H4393 מְלֹא fullness of
H4394 מִלֻּא the installation-fillings

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4392-06 מְלֵאִ֗ים meleim HAampa full full ones 18
H4392-05 מְלֵאָ֥ה meleah HAafsa filled full 16
H4392-03 מָלֵ֜א male HAamsa full full 14
H4392-07 מְלֵאֹ֥ת meleot HAafpa full full ones 4
H4392-02 הַֽ/מְלֵאִ֥ים hameleim HTd/Aampa they are full the full ones 1
H4392-04 מָלֵ֨אתִי֙ maleti HVqp1cs I am full I have become full 1
H4392-10 וְ/הַ/מְּלֵא֑וֹת vehameleot HC/Td/Aafpa and full and the full ones 1
H4392-09 וְ/הַ/מָּלֵ֖א vehamale HC/Td/Aamsa and the full one and the full one 1
H4392-08 וּ/מָלֵ֖א umale HC/Aamsa and full and full 1
H4392-01 הַ/מְּלֵאָ֑ה hameleah HTd/Aafsa of the full one the fullness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

58 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4392-03 Genesis 23:9 מָלֵ֜א male HAamsa full full
H4392-10 Genesis 41:7 וְ/הַ/מְּלֵא֑וֹת vehameleot HC/Td/Aafpa and full and the full ones
H4392-07 Genesis 41:22 מְלֵאֹ֥ת meleot HAafpa full full ones
H4392-06 Numbers 7:13 מְלֵאִ֗ים meleim HAampa full full ones
H4392-05 Numbers 7:14 מְלֵאָ֥ה meleah HAafsa filled full
H4392-06 Numbers 7:19 מְלֵאִ֗ים meleim HAampa full full ones
H4392-05 Numbers 7:20 מְלֵאָ֥ה meleah HAafsa filled full
H4392-06 Numbers 7:25 מְלֵאִ֗ים meleim HAampa full full ones
H4392-05 Numbers 7:26 מְלֵאָ֥ה meleah HAafsa full full
H4392-06 Numbers 7:31 מְלֵאִ֗ים meleim HAampa full full ones
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