What does מְלֹא (mĕlōʾ) mean in the Bible?
מְלֹא (mĕlōʾ): Abundance or completeness—what fills a container, space, or period; also what satisfies or completes.
Hebrew · H4393
מְלֹא
Fulness (literally or figuratively)
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מְלֹאH4393
Pronunciationmĕlōʾ
What does מְלֹא (mĕlōʾ) mean in the Bible?
מְלֹא (mĕlōʾ): Abundance or completeness—what fills a container, space, or period; also what satisfies or completes.
Full entry for מְלֹא (H4393) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4393?
The BSB source-word alignment has 38 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and everything in it (5), . . . (4), and all that fills it (4), full (3), a handful (2).
Where does מְלֹא (mĕlōʾ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 48:19. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (5), Isaiah (5), Psalms (5), Leviticus (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itand everything in it5×Deuteronomy 33:16, Jeremiah 8:16, Ezekiel 19:7, Ezekiel 30:12
. . .4×Exodus 16:32, Exodus 16:33, Leviticus 2:2, 2 Kings 4:39
and all that fills it4×1 Chronicles 16:32, Psalms 96:11, Psalms 98:7, Isaiah 34:1
full3×Leviticus 16:12, Numbers 22:18, Numbers 24:13
a handful2×Leviticus 5:12, 1 Kings 17:12
and its fullness2×Psalms 89:11, Jeremiah 47:2
and the fullness thereof2×Psalms 24:1, Psalms 50:12
a band1×Isaiah 31:4
a multitude1×Genesis 48:19
and all that is in it1×Isaiah 42:10
and everyone in it1×Micah 1:2
and two handfuls1×Leviticus 16:12
and with one1×2 Samuel 8:2
flat1×1 Samuel 28:20
handfuls1×Exodus 9:8
is full1×Isaiah 6:3
It was the full length of1×Ezekiel 41:8
of all that filled it1×Ezekiel 32:15
of everything in it1×Ezekiel 12:19
one handful1×Ecclesiastes 4:6
than two handfuls1×Ecclesiastes 4:6
vvv1×Judges 6:38
will cover1×Isaiah 8:8
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 48:19מְלֹֽא־toa multitudeNoun - masculine singular constructExodus 9:8מְלֹ֣אtohandfulsNoun - masculine singular constructExodus 16:32מְלֹ֤אto. . .Noun - masculine singular constructExodus 16:33מְלֹֽא־to. . .Noun - masculine singular constructLeviticus 2:2מְלֹ֣אto. . .Noun - masculine singular constructLeviticus 5:12מְל֨וֹאtoa handfulNoun - masculine singular constructLeviticus 16:12מְלֹֽא־tofullNoun - masculine singular constructLeviticus 16:12וּמְלֹ֣אtoand two handfulsConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructNumbers 22:18מְלֹ֥אtofullNoun - masculine singular constructNumbers 24:13מְלֹ֣אtofullNoun - masculine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 48:19
Aligned rows38
Books represented18
Genesis1Exodus3Leviticus4Numbers2Deuteronomy1Judges11 Samuel12 Samuel11 Kings12 Kings11 Chronicles1Psalms5Ecclesiastes2Isaiah5Jeremiah2Ezekiel5Amos1Micah1
Source forms
מְלֹ֣א5xmə·lōExodus 9:8, Leviticus 2:2, Numbers 24:13, 2 Kings 4:39
מְלֹ֥א4xmə·lōNumbers 22:18, Ecclesiastes 4:6, Isaiah 6:3, Isaiah 8:8
וּמְלֹאָ֔הּ3xū·mə·lō·’āhDeuteronomy 33:16, Isaiah 34:1, Ezekiel 19:7
מְלֹֽא־3xmə·lō-Genesis 48:19, Exodus 16:33, Leviticus 16:12
וּמְלֹאָֽהּ׃2xū·mə·lō·’āhPsalms 50:12, Amos 6:8
וּמְלוֹאָ֔הּ2xū·mə·lō·w·’āhJeremiah 8:16, Jeremiah 47:2
מְלֹ֤א2xmə·lōExodus 16:32, 1 Kings 17:12
מִמְּלֹאָ֔הּ2xmim·mə·lō·’āhEzekiel 12:19, Ezekiel 32:15
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular construct18xGenesis 48:19, Exodus 9:8, Exodus 16:32, Exodus 16:33
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular11xDeuteronomy 33:16, Psalms 24:1, Psalms 50:12, Psalms 89:11
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular4x1 Chronicles 16:32, Psalms 96:11, Psalms 98:7, Isaiah 42:10
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct2xLeviticus 16:12, 2 Samuel 8:2
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular2xEzekiel 12:19, Ezekiel 32:15
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct1xEcclesiastes 4:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Abundance or completeness—what fills a container, space, or period; also what satisfies or completes.
Source Gloss
fulness (literally or figuratively)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Abundance or completeness—what fills a container, space, or period; also what satisfies or completes.
fulness (literally or figuratively) BDB: fulness Usage: × all along, × all that is (there-) in, fill, (× that whereof...was) full, fulness, (hand-) full, multitude.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
מְלֹא is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.