Lexical Summary
qemach: Flour, meal
Original Word:קֶמַח
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:qemach
Pronunciation:keh'-makh
Phonetic Spelling:(keh'-makh)
KJV: flour, meal
NASB:flour, meal, flour cakes, grain
Word Origin:[from an unused root probably meaning to grind]
1. flour
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
flour, meal
From an unused root probably meaning to grind; flour -- flour, meal.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionflour, meal
NASB Translationflour (7), flour cakes (1), flour* (1), grain (1), meal (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
1 Samuel 1:24 +,
Isaiah 47:2; construct
Numbers 5:15; —
Judges 6:19 (material for unleavened cakes),
1 Samuel 1:24;
1 Samuel 28:24;
2 Kings 4:41; defined by (q. v.)
Genesis 18:6, distinguished from 1Ki 5:2; of barley ()
Numbers 5:15 (P), but
2 Samuel 17:28 + , , ; + other articles of food 1Chron2 Sam 12:41 (van d. H.
2 Samuel 12:40); kept in a)
1 Kings 17:12,14,16; made by grinding
Isaiah 47:2;
Hosea 8:7.
Topical Lexicon
Everyday Staple and Foundation of Breadקֶמַח denotes finely ground meal, most often wheat or barley, indispensable for ordinary bread-making. In patriarchal times Sarah is told, “Quick, knead three seahs of fine flour and bake some bread” (Genesis 18:6), illustrating a household’s readiness to honor guests. The same domestic use appears in1 Samuel 28:24, where unleavened cakes are prepared to strengthen Saul before battle. Throughout Israel’s agrarian history flour remained the basic source of daily sustenance, uniting families and communities around a common table.
Hospitality and Covenant Fellowship
Hospitality in Scripture carries covenantal overtones, welcoming travelers as if welcoming God Himself. Gideon, after encountering the Angel of the LORD, “prepared…unleavened bread from an ephah of flour” (Judges 6:19). Hannah’s pilgrimage to Shiloh includes “an ephah of flour” (1 Samuel 1:24), signifying gratitude for answered prayer. Such scenes portray קֶמַח as a tangible expression of fellowship, generosity, and acknowledgment of divine favor.
Legal and Cultic Roles
In the jealousy ritual the husband brings “one-tenth of an ephah of barley flour” (Numbers 5:15). Although oil and incense are absent—marking the seriousness of the accusation—the presence of קֶמַח underscores the offering’s connection to ordinary livelihood. The flour represents the couple’s shared life now placed under divine scrutiny.
Royal Provision and National Prosperity
Solomon’s daily court consumption—“thirty cors of fine flour” (1 Kings 4:22)—celebrates the abundance granted under the Davidic kingdom. Later, David’s supporters supply his hungry company with “plentiful supplies of flour” (2 Samuel 17:28;1 Chronicles 12:40). National security and joy are pictured through ample stores of meal, reminding Israel that political stability flows from God’s covenant faithfulness.
Miraculous Supply in Times of Famine
The widow of Zarephath’s dwindling jar of flour becomes a stage for God’s compassion: “The jar of flour was not exhausted…according to the word the LORD had spoken through Elijah” (1 Kings 17:16). Likewise Elisha neutralizes poison in a stew by casting in flour (2 Kings 4:41). In both narratives God employs the humblest kitchen ingredient to preserve life, teaching reliance on His word rather than visible resources.
Prophetic Imagery and Warning
Isaiah tells proud Babylon, “Take millstones and grind flour” (Isaiah 47:2). The once-royal city will be reduced to servile labor, its splendor ground down like grain. Hosea laments, “The standing grain has no heads; it yields no flour” (Hosea 8:7), portraying covenant infidelity as harvest without meal—activity without nourishment. The prophets use קֶמַח to contrast genuine productivity under Yahweh with the barrenness of rebellion.
Typological and Christological Reflections
Flour, crushed and refined, prefigures the suffering and perfection of the promised Messiah. Just as grain is broken to become bread for the world, the incarnate Son is “the bread of life” (John 6:35). The grain offerings of Leviticus—typically “fine flour” (though usually a different Hebrew term)—foreshadow the spotless humanity of Christ offered to the Father. The inexhaustible jar in Zarephath anticipates the limitless sufficiency of His atoning work; what He provides never runs out.
Ministry Applications
1. Dependence: God can multiply modest resources, encouraging believers to act in faith rather than fear.
2. Hospitality: Sharing basic food remains a powerful gospel witness, mirroring Abraham’s and Gideon’s generous tables.
3. Purity and Transformation: Like grain crushed into meal, discipleship involves refining trials that ultimately nourish others.
4. Warning: Spiritual labor without covenant loyalty yields “no flour”; ministries detached from obedience become hollow.
Key References
Genesis 18:6;Numbers 5:15;Judges 6:19;1 Samuel 1:24;1 Samuel 28:24;2 Samuel 17:28;1 Kings 4:22;1 Kings 17:12-16;2 Kings 4:41;1 Chronicles 12:40 (twice);Isaiah 47:2;Hosea 8:7.
Forms and Transliterations
הַקֶּ֙מַח֙ הקמח וְקֶ֣מַח וקמח מַאֲכָ֡ל מאכל קֶ֔מַח קֶ֙מַח֙ קֶ֠מַח קֶ֣מַח קֶּ֔מַח קָ֑מַח קָֽמַח׃ קמח קמח׃ hakKemach haq·qe·maḥ haqqemaḥ Kamach Kemach ma’ăḵāl ma·’ă·ḵāl maaChal qā·maḥ qāmaḥ qe·maḥ qemaḥ veKemach wə·qe·maḥ wəqemaḥ
Links
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Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
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