Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary
אכל
The verb אכל ('akal) means to eat or consume. It may simply describe someone ingesting a meal (Genesis 3:11, Exodus 16:35) but also someone being consumed by hardship (Proverbs 30:14). Often the subject of our verb is fire (Leviticus 6:10, Isaiah 5:24, Nahum 3:13), and sometimes the subject is a sword (Deuteronomy 32:42, 2 Samuel 2:26, Hosea 11:6), which is an image in line with that of the flaming sword (Genesis 3:24), the mouth of a sword (Genesis 34:26, 2 Samuel 2:26) and the sword from the mouth (Revelation 19:15).
From this verb come the following derivatives:
- The masculine noun אכל ('okel), meaning food (Genesis 41:35, Psalm 145:15, Malachi 1:12).
- The feminine equivalent אכלה ('okla), food or a devouring or consuming (Genesis 1:29, Leviticus 11:39, Ezekiel 29:5).
- The feminine noun אכילה ('akila), a meal (1 Kings 19:8 only).
- The masculine מאכל (ma'akal), food in the broader sense of various eatable items (Genesis 40:7, Ezra 3:7, Isaiah 62:8).
- The noun מאכלת (ma'akelet), knife or utensil to eat with (Genesis 22:6, Judges 19:29).
- The feminine noun מאכלת (ma'akolet), fuel (Isaiah 9:4 and 9:18 only).
- The feminine noun מכלת (makkolet), food, foods (1 Kings 5:11 only).