### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼăkîylâh**, represented by `{{H396}}`, refers to **something eatable, specifically food or meat**. As a feminine form derived from the root word for "to eat," it is an exceptionally rare term. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** within the biblical text, making its single usage highly significant.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole instance of `{{H396}}` occurs in the narrative of Elijah's journey to Horeb. After being ministered to by an angel, he is told to eat. The verse states that he "arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that **meat** forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God" [[1 Kings 19:8]]. In this context, `{{H396}}` is not just ordinary food, but a divinely provided meal that imparts supernatural strength for an extended and arduous spiritual journey.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a broader context for the concepts of eating and rising:
* `{{H398}}` **ʼâkal** (to eat): This is the primitive root from which **ʼăkîylâh** is derived. It is used both literally for consuming food [[Nehemiah 8:10]] and figuratively for internalizing God's words [[Jeremiah 15:16]] or for divine judgment, as when God is described as a "consuming fire" [[Deuteronomy 9:3]].
* `{{H6965}}` **qûwm** (to rise): This word is used directly alongside the act of eating in the primary verse [[1 Kings 19:8]]. It signifies not only a physical act of getting up but also the establishment of God's counsel [[Proverbs 19:21]] and His word which "shall stand for ever" [[Isaiah 40:8]].
* `{{H8354}}` **shâthâh** (to drink): Often paired with eating, this term completes the act of physical sustenance [[Haggai 1:6]]. It can refer to drinking water provided by God [[Exodus 17:6]] or, in a figurative sense, drinking the cup of God's fury [[Isaiah 51:17]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H396}}` is concentrated in its single, powerful appearance.
* **Divine Empowerment:** The **meat** provided to Elijah was the direct source of his strength for the forty-day journey to the mount of God, illustrating that God's provision is sufficient for the tasks He calls His people to [[1 Kings 19:8]].
* **Spiritual Sustenance:** The related root word `{{H398}}` expands this idea to spiritual nourishment. Eating can symbolize the assimilation of divine truth, as when Jeremiah consumes God's words, which become his joy [[Jeremiah 15:16]].
* **The Act of Faith:** The story in [[1 Kings 19:8]] shows an act of obedience—Elijah arose and ate as commanded—which resulted in divine empowerment. This connects the physical act of partaking in God's provision with the faith required to complete a spiritual mission.
### Summary
In summary, while `{{H396}}` **ʼăkîylâh** is one of the rarest words in the Old Testament, its meaning is clear and impactful. It signifies a divinely provided food or **meat** that enables supernatural endurance. Its context, linked with the broader concepts of eating, drinking, and rising found in related words, elevates a simple meal into a profound symbol of God's power to sustain and strengthen His servants for His purposes.
TRV