International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Handful

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Handful


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hand´fool: There are five words in Hebrew used to indicate what may be held in the hand, either closed or open.

(1) חפן, ḥōphen, חפנים, ḥophnayim̌. The fist or closed hand occurs in the dual in , where it signifies what can be taken in the two hands conjoined, a double handful.

(2) כּף, kaph, “hollow of the hand,” the palm; an open handful (; ; ).

(3) עמיר, ‛āmı̄r, “sheaf or bundle.” It signifies the quantity of grain a gleaner may gather in his hand ( (Hebrew 21)).

(4) קמץ, ḳōmec, “the closed handful” (; ; ; (); ).

(5) שׁעל, shō‛al, “the hollow of the hand,” or what can be held in it (; ). In it signifies “measure.”

(6) פסּה, piṣṣāh () is rendered “handful” by the King James Version, but is properly “abundance” as in the Revised Version (British and American).