English · KJV
H399

אֲכַל

ʼăkal /ak-al'/ Ask about this word
Root(Aramaic) corresponding to אָכַל
Meaning(to eat (literally or figuratively))
KJV usagedevour, eat.
Idioms & phrasesphrase accuse

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼăkal — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word ʼăkal, represented by H399, is the counterpart to the Hebrew word for to eat. It appears 7 times across 7 unique verses, exclusively in the book of Daniel. While its base definition is to eat, its application extends figuratively to mean devouring with destructive force or making a malicious accusation.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H399 has a literal and a figurative sense. Literally, it describes the humbled King Nebuchadnezzar, who "did eat grass as oxen" as part of his judgment Daniel 4:33. Figuratively, it is used to depict the violent and consuming nature of the prophetic beasts in Daniel's visions. A bear-like beast is commanded to "Arise, devour much flesh" Daniel 7:5, and the dreadful fourth beast "devoured and brake in pieces" (Daniel 7:7, Daniel 7:19). This imagery extends to worldly kingdoms, as the fourth kingdom "shall devour the whole earth" Daniel 7:23. The word is also used in a unique phrase to mean "accuse," as when Chaldeans came to "accused the Jews" Daniel 3:8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of consumption and destruction associated with H399:

  • H7170 qᵉrats (accuse): This word is paired with H399 to create a phrase for accusation, figuratively meaning "to eat the morsels of" someone through slander. This is seen when men "accused Daniel" before the king Daniel 6:24 and when the Chaldeans "accused the Jews" Daniel 3:8.
  • H1855 dᵉqaq (to crumble or (trans.) crush; break to pieces): This word frequently appears alongside H399 to intensify the description of destruction, as the fourth beast "devoured and brake in pieces" its victims Daniel 7:7.
  • H1759 dûwsh (to trample; tread down): Used in conjunction with H399, this describes the total subjugation by the fourth kingdom, which will "devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down" Daniel 7:23.
  • H7512 rᵉphaç (to trample, i.e. prostrate; stamp): This action follows the devouring, showing complete dominance, as the fourth beast "stamped the residue with his feet" after it devoured and broke its prey Daniel 7:7.

Theological Significance

The significance of H399 is concentrated within the prophetic and narrative portions of Daniel, highlighting several key themes:

  • Destructive Power of Empires: The primary figurative use of ʼăkal is to illustrate the rapacious and all-consuming nature of earthly kingdoms, which are depicted as wild beasts that devour and destroy Daniel 7:23.
  • Malicious Accusation: The unique pairing of H399 with H7170 portrays slander and accusation as a form of consumption, an act that seeks to chew up and destroy a person's reputation and life (Daniel 3:8, Daniel 6:24).
  • Divine Humiliation: The word's single literal use powerfully demonstrates God's sovereignty over the proudest of kings, reducing Nebuchadnezzar to the level of an animal that must eat grass Daniel 4:33.

Summary

In summary, H399 carries a meaning that goes far beyond simple consumption. Within its limited appearances, it serves as a powerful descriptor for destruction, subjugation, and malicious slander. From the humbling of a king eating grass to the visions of terrifying beasts devouring the earth, ʼăkal is a key term for understanding the themes of worldly power and divine judgment in the book of Daniel.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 7 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • אָכְלָה
  • אֲכַלוּ
  • אֲכֻלִי
  • יֵאכֻל
  • תֵאכֻל

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H7170 קְרַץ (Aramaic) corresponding to קֶרֶץ in the sense of a bit (to 'eat the morsels of' any one, i.e.; chew him up (figuratively H1855 דְּקַק (Aramaic) corresponding to דָּקַק; to crumble or (trans.) crush; break to pieces. H1759 דּוּשׁ (Aramaic) corresponding to דּוּשׁ; to trample; tread down. H7512 רְפַס (Aramaic) corresponding to רָפַס; {to trample, i.e. prostrate}; stamp.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

7 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.