Word

יָכֹל

yâkôl · H3201 · Hebrew · 193 occurrences

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Meanings

to be able to

Mostly used in a negated clause; state in which an activity cannot be carried out, as a result of a lack of skill, strength, or ability of the agent, or other circumstances that make the activity impossible

Examples
Genesis 13:6 And the land could not support both of them while living together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together.
Genesis 13:16 “I will make your descendants as plentiful as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can count the dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.
Genesis 15:5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
to endure

State in which humans or deities have the ability to tolerate or undergo a certain activity

Examples
Esther 8:6 “For how can I endure to see the disaster which will happen to my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?”
Psalm 101:5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; I will not endure one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart.
Isaiah 1:13 “Do not go on bringing your worthless offerings, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath, the proclamation of an assembly— I cannot endure wrongdoing and the festive assembly.
to succeed, to prevail, to overcome

Process by which humans can complete a certain activity successfully

Examples
Genesis 30:8 So Rachel said, “With mighty wrestling I have wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed.” And she named him Naphtali.
Judges 16:5 So the governors of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and see where his great strength lies and how we can overpower him so that we may bind him to humble him. Then we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”
1 Samuel 17:9 “If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.”

How it’s used In 7 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Who or what does itSubject

189 occurrences in 42 groups

Not stated: I 35
Not stated: they 33
Not stated: you (one person) 28
Not stated: he, she or it 28
Not stated: we 10
בֵּןson 4
Other words · 32 groups that occur once or twice (39) 39

What it acts on, or what is saidObject

34 occurrences in 25 groups

נָשָׂאto lift up, to carry, to bear 4
דָבַרto speak, to say 3
קוּםto arise 3
Other words · 22 groups that occur once or twice (25) 25

With prepositionsPrepositional phrases

136 occurrences in 71 groups

לto/for+ רָאָהto see 9
לto/for+ נָצַלto deliver, to rescue 8
לto/for+ בּוֹאto come, to go in, to bring 7
לto/for+ עָשָׂהto do, to make 6
מִןfrom+ פָּנִיםface, presence, before 5
לto/for+ נָתַןto give, to put, to set 5
Other words · 52 groups that occur once or twice (64) 64

With adverbsAdverbs

145 occurrences in 6 groups

לֹאnot 141
עוֹדstill, again, yet 5
בַּלnot 1
בְּלִיwithout, not 1
אַיִןthere is no, not 1
עַתָּהnow 1

What is done to itIt is the object

5 occurrences in 3 groups

אָמַרto say 3
יָדַעto know 1
רָאָהto see 1

What it is said to bePredicate

1 occurrences in 1 groups

מִיwho? 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

1 occurrences in 1 groups

כlike/as 1

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Near synonyms 1 word

כּוּל kûwl · H3557 · to hold, to contain, to accommodate: יָכֹל (yâkôl, H3201) denotes general capability or power to accomplish or overcome; כּוּל (kûwl, H3557) denotes capacity in the sense of sustaining, containing, or providing for.

In the other Testament 1 word

δύναμαι dýnamai · G1410 · can, to be able to: Both express the core modal concept of ability or capacity; Greek δύναμαι is the standard LXX rendering of Hebrew יָכֹל across contexts denoting power, capacity to act, or possibility.

Semantic domains 3 entries

Able002001001001: יָכֹל is the ordinary Hebrew verb for being able or capable, as Lot and Abram's herds were too great for the land to 'support' both of them together (Genesis 13:6).
Patient002001002020: יָכֹל can describe the capacity to endure under strain, illustrated at Genesis 13:6 ("the land could not sustain them dwelling together") — a genuine sense of sustained ability to hold out.
Succeed002003003020: יָכֹל describes prevailing or succeeding in an undertaking, illustrated at Genesis 19:19 and 19:22 ("I am able" / "I will be able" to escape) — a genuine sense of the positive outcome of having sufficient power.

Word family 3 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

יָכֹלyâkôl · H3201יְכֵל yᵉkêl · H3202 · be able, can, couldest · 12×מִיכָל mîykâl · H4323 · pool, stream · 1×

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H3201. yakol יָכוֺל יָכֹל,193 verb be able, have power prevail, endure (Late Hebrew id.;…

H3201. yakol
יָכוֺל יָכֹל,193
verb be able, have power prevail, endure (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic יְכִיל; Assyrian akâlu, Hpt in KAT2Gloss i,) —
Qal Perfect יָכֹל Gen 32:26 Gen 32:8t.; יָכוֺל 1Sa 4:15 1Sa 4:2t.; 3 feminine singular יָכְלָה Gen 36:7; Exo 2:3; Exo 2:2masculine singular וְיָכָלְתָּ֫ Exo 18:23; Exo 18:1singular יָכֹלְתִּי Gen 30:8 Gen 30:2t.; suffix יְכָלְתִּיו Psa 13:5; Psa 13:3plural יָכְ֑לוּ Gen 13:6 27t. + Jos 15:63 Qr; יָכֹ֑לוּ Exo 8:14 Exo 8:2t.; Imperfect3masculine singular יוּכָל Gen 13:16 34t.; יוּכָ֑ל Job 4:2 Job 4:4t.; וַיֻּכָ֑ל Hos 12:5; Hos 12:3feminine singular תּוּכַל Amo 7:10 Amo 7:2t.; 2 masculine singular תּוּכַל Gen 15:5 Gen 15:16t.; 1 singular אוּכַל Gen 19:19 Gen 19:30t., etc. (on these Imperfect forms as irregular Qal, see Ges§ 2, R. 3 Köi. 407 WSG 237; others
Hoph`al); Infinitive construct יְכֹ֫לֶת Num 14:16; Deu 9:28; Infinitive absolute יָכוֺל Num 13:20; 2Ch 32:13; יָכֹל Num 22:38; 1Sa 26:25; P 8 t. (not Leviticus), Ezekiel 3 t.; often J E D Jeremiah, Isa2, not seldom in Samuel Kings Chronicles; —
1 be able, to do a thing, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority; usually of man Gen 13:16 (J) +, but also of gods 2Ch 32:13, 2Ch 32:15, and of ׳י Num 14:16 (JE), Deu 9:28; Jer 44:22; occasionally of inanimate things Amo 7:10; Gen 36:7 (P), Son 8:7; Ecc 1:15 (twice in verse), etc.:
a. usually followed by infinitive with לְ (122 t.), Gen 31:35 I am not able to rise up; Gen 45:1 Joseph was not able to restrain himself, Gen 45:3; Gen 48:10; Exo 7:21, Exo 7:24 were not able to drink, Exo 12:39; Jos 24:19 (all E); Gen 13:16 if a man can number the dust, Gen 19:19, Gen 19:22; Gen 43:32; Gen 44:22, Gen 44:26 (twice in verse); Exo 10:5; Exo 19:23 (all J), Gen 15:5; Exo 15:23; Num 11:14 (all J E) + 10 t. J E; Deu 7:17 Deu 7:10t. D; Gen 13:6 they could not dwell together, Gen 34:14; Gen 36:7; Exo 9:11; Exo 40:35; Num 9:6; Jos 9:19 (all P); 1Sa 3:2; 1Sa 6:20; 1Ki 9:21 (on || 2Ch 8:8 and text of Jdg 1:19 see BuRS 8), Amo 7:10; Hos 5:13; Zep 1:18; Jer 6:10; Jer 11:11; Jer 13:23; Jer 18:6; Jer 19:11 +.
b. followed by infinitive without לְ (27 t.; not P): Gen 37:4; Exo 2:3; Exo 18:18, Exo 18:23 (all E), Gen 24:50; Gen 44:1 (J), Num 22:37-38, (JE), Deu 1:9; Deu 7:22; Deu 14:24; Deu 22:29; Jdg 8:3; Jer 49:10, Jer 49:23; Hab 1:13; Isa 46:2; Isa 47:11-12, Isa 57:20; Lam 1:14; Psa 18:39; Psalm 36:13; Psa 78:20; Pro 30:21; Job 4:2; Job 33:5.
c. with infinitive implicit, always negative, Gen 29:8 go and feed them; and they said, We are not able, cannot (J), Exo 8:14 (P), Isa 29:11; Jer 20:9; Psa 21:12; Jon 1:13.
d. with negative = may not (of moral inability): Gen 43:32 (J) the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; Jdg 21:18 we may not give them wives; especially D, Deu 7:22; Deu 12:17; Deu 14:24; Deu 16:5; Deu 17:15; Deu 22:3; Deu 28:27, Deu 28:35.
e. be able, followed by imperfect: נַכֶּה אוּכַל אוּלַי Num 22:6 (JE) perchance I am able (so that) we smite (see Di; read perhaps נוּכַל for אוּכַל Ges§ 120, 1 b); יִגְּעוּ יוּכְלוּ לֹא Lam 4:14 they are unable, they touch = are unable to touch (Dr§ 163, Obs.)
f. be able, followed by perfect consecutive, only very late, וְרָאִיתִי אוּכַל Est 8:6 (twice in verse), literally how shall I be able and see? — Also in various combinations where English idiom would make it an auxiliary to another verb:
g. able to gain, accomplish: followed by acc נִקָּיוֺן יוּכְלוּ לֹא Hos 8:5 how long will they be unable (to gain) innocence? תּוּכָ֑ל כִּיכֹֿל יָדַעְתִּ֯ Job 42:2 I know that thou art able (to do) all things; דָּבָר אֶתְכֶם יוּכַל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵין Jer 38:5 the king is not (one who is) able (to do) anything with (אֶתְכם for אִתְּכֶם see Gf, i.e. against) you.
h. able to endure: וַעֲצָרָה אָוֶן אוּכַל לֹא Isa 1:13 I cannot endure iniquity and (with) a solemn assembly, Psa 101:5.
i. able to reach, followed by לְ, Psa 139:6 it is high, לָהּ אוּכַל לֹא I cannot (reach) to it.
2 prevail:
a. absolute prevail, overcome, be victor Gen 30:8 (E), Gen 32:29 (J), Hos 12:5; 1Sa 26:25; 1Ki 22:22 2Ch 18:21; Jer 20:7, Jer 20:11; of waves Jer 5:22; succeed Isa 16:12; Jer 3:5 (VB hast had they way).
b. followed by לְ person, prevail against, over Gen 32:26 (J), Num 13:30 (JE), Jdg 16:5; 1Sa 17:9; Jer 1:19; Jer 15:20; Jer 20:10; Jer 38:22; Obadiah 7; Psa 129:2; Est 6:13.
c. once with suffix, יְכָלְתִּיו Psa 13:5 I have prevailed over him, + Zec 9:15 (where read וְיָכְלוּם for וְאָֽכְלוּ with ᵑ7 ᵐ5 KloThLZ 1879. 564 StaZAW 1881, 18).
3 absolute have ability, strength, only negative אוּכָ֑ל לֹא מִשְּׂאֵתוֺ Job 31:23 because of his loftiness I have no ability, am inadequate (to anything).

Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain

Topical studies with this word 3 entries

Able158 occurrences Patient5 occurrences Succeed26 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0