Word Study for H7062 (קֹמֶץ) | Strong's Concordance

qômets /ko'mets/ Ask about this word

Meaninga grasp, i.e. handful

KJV usagehandful.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of qômets — 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 Hebrew word qômets, represented by H7062, defines a grasp or handful. It is derived from the root verb qâmats H7061 and appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible, carrying a specific meaning related to measurement and offerings.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The primary use of H7062 is within the instructions for offerings in the book of Leviticus. In these passages, the priest is commanded to take a handful of the offering's flour, oil, and frankincense to be burned on the altar as a memorial portion (Leviticus 2:2, Leviticus 6:15). This act is also specified for a sin offering, where the priest shall take his handful of it to burn as a memorial Leviticus 5:12. A different context appears in Genesis, where H7062 describes agricultural abundance, stating that during the seven plenteous years, "the earth brought forth by handfuls" Genesis 41:47.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the function and context of qômets:

H7061 qâmats (to grasp with the hand): As the primitive root, this verb describes the specific action of taking a qômets. It is used for the priest's duty to take an handful from the offering (Leviticus 2:2, Leviticus 5:12).
H234 'azkârâh (memorial): This term is consistently paired with the handful taken from offerings. The qômets serves as the memorial portion that is burned before the LORD (Leviticus 2:2, Leviticus 5:12, Leviticus 6:15).
H4393 mᵉlôʼ (fulness, hand-full): This word is used alongside qômets to specify "his handful," emphasizing the fullness of the grasp taken by the priest from the offering materials (Leviticus 2:2, Leviticus 5:12).

Theological Significance

The significance of H7062 is understood through its distinct applications:

A Representative Offering: The qômets functions as a representative portion of a larger offering. The single handful of flour and oil is what the priest burns as a memorial H234, signifying the whole (Leviticus 2:2, Leviticus 6:15).
A Symbol of Abundance: In its non-ritualistic use, the term describes overwhelming divine provision. The earth producing "by handfuls" communicates a harvest of immense quantity during the plenteous years Genesis 41:47.
A Sacred Measure: The word links a simple physical measure to a holy act. The handful is the specific amount designated to be taken from the meat offering and presented to the LORD upon the altar as a sweet savour Leviticus 6:15.

Summary

In summary, H7062 qômets is a term with a dual application. In a ritual context, it is the specific, sacred handful of an offering that serves as a representative memorial before God. In a narrative context, it illustrates a measure of immense abundance and provision. The word connects the physical act of grasping with the theological concepts of remembrance, sacrifice, and blessing.

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 noun across 4 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

קֻמְצ
קְמָצִים

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

Appears in 4 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Leviticus (3 verses); never once in the other 37.

Genesis

Leviticus

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.