Biblica Analytica

מַכֹּ֫לֶת

mak.ko.let (H4361)

food

1 verses 1 books OT 1 / NT 0
AI Word Study

# Makkolet: A Rare Hebrew Word for Food The Hebrew word *makkolet* (H4361) appears only once in the biblical text, designating basic sustenance or food. Its singular occurrence in the Bible limits our ability to trace semantic nuance or contextual variation, yet its straightforward definition points to everyday nutritional necessities rather than any specialized culinary category. The scarcity of this term in the biblical record is noteworthy. While Hebrew possessed multiple words for food, provisions, and eating, *makkolet* surfaces just once, suggesting it may have been either archaic, dialectal, or simply less common than synonymous terms. This rarity makes it difficult to determine whether the word carried any particular cultural, religious, or social connotations beyond its basic referential meaning. Without additional occurrences to establish patterns of usage, we cannot determine if *makkolet* was preferred in specific contexts or whether it held any technical significance. For modern readers, *makkolet* remains a straightforward lexical item—a simple Hebrew word for food that disappeared from common biblical usage or was replaced by more frequent alternatives. Its existence confirms the biblical text's vocabulary for basic human needs, but its singular appearance leaves most questions about its fuller significance unanswered.

AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.

1 Kings 5:11

Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat for food to his household, and twenty cors of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.