Hebrew word · H7061

קָמַץ

vekamatz

to grasp

The verb means to grasp with closed fingers, to scoop up a fistful; the noun is the fistful itself. The verb appears only in Leviticus' grain-offering rules. The noun also appears in Gen 41:47, where the land produced 'by handfuls', i.e. abundantly.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

(Qal) to grasp, enclose with the hand, take a handful

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Leviticus 2:2

Range of meaning

The verb means to grasp with closed fingers, to scoop up a fistful; the noun is the fistful itself. The verb appears only in Leviticus' grain-offering rules. The noun also appears in Gen 41:47, where the land produced 'by handfuls', i.e. abundantly.

Against the English

English 'take a handful' is accurate. It flattens the Hebrew sound play, 'scoop the fill of his scoop', and the sense of a defined, almost technical action.

Used elsewhere in the period

Later Jewish law (Mishnah, tractate Menahot) treats qemitsah as a precise priestly act, discussing how the fingers are to be closed and that the priest performs it. Lev 6:8 [6:15] also has a priest doing it.

From the study of Leviticus 5:12

Range of meaning

Verb: to grasp or scoop up with closed fingers. Noun: a fistful. In the Bible it is almost entirely ritual (Lev 2:2; 5:12; 6:15; Num 5:26). The noun also appears for abundance, 'by handfuls' (Gen 41:47).

Against the English

'Handful' is accurate. The Hebrew piles up verb, noun and 'fullness' ('he shall fistful… the fullness of his fistful'), which English smooths out.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Mishnah (tractate Menaḥot, ch. 1) gives detailed rules for the qemiṣah, the priest's taking of the handful, including how the fingers are to be held. This shows how carefully the act was later regulated.

Where it appears

Leviticus · 2

  1. Leviticus 2:2 וְקָמַ֨ץ and he will take a handful

    and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

    Here: A rare technical verb (found only in Lev 2:2; 5:12; 6:8 [6:15 Eng.]) for closing the fingers over the palm to scoop up a fistful. The subject is grammatically ambiguous (offerer or priest); Lev 6:8 and later Jewish practice assign it to the priest.

  2. Leviticus 5:12 וְקָמַ֣ץ and he will take a handful

    He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful from it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar atop the food offerings to the LORD; it is a sin offering.

    Here: A technical ritual verb: to scoop up a closed fistful. It is used only for taking the altar portion out of a flour offering (Lev 2:2; 6:15; Num 5:26).

Numbers · 1

  1. Numbers 5:26 וְקָמַ֨ץ and he will take a handful

    Then the priest is to take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar; after that he is to have the woman drink the water.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.