מָלֵא
to fill
‘to fill’ is one of 3 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Piel verb in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
- Adjective
- A word that describes or qualifies a noun.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘be full’
- Piel
- An intensive or resultative active stem. Here: ‘fill’
- Niphal
- Usually the simple passive or reflexive of the Qal (“he was written”). Here: ‘be filled’
- Pual
- The passive counterpart of the Piel. Here: ‘filled’
- Hithpael
- The reflexive or reciprocal stem (the subject acts on itself).
Form
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Infinitive Construct
- A bound verbal noun, frequently with prepositions (“to write / in writing”).
- Sequential Imperfect
- An imperfect with prefixed waw — the standard past-narrative form (waw-consecutive imperfect).
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
- Sequential Perfect
- A perfect with prefixed waw continuing a preceding imperfect or command (waw-consecutive perfect).
- Imperative
- A direct command (“write!”).
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
- Cohortative
- A first-person volitional form expressing wish or resolve (“let me / let us write”).
- Participle Passive
- A verbal adjective expressing action received (“written”).
- Jussive
- A third- or second-person volitional form expressing wish or command (“let him write”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 2nd Person
- The one addressed (“you”).
- 1st Person
- The speaker (“I / we”).
Gender
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
- Singular
- One.
98 distinct verses where H4390 appears in the Qal stem, across 26 books. Filtered view — show all forms. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Genesis 7 verses
- Genesis 1:22 וּ/מִלְא֤וּ conj + Qal impv 2mp God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
- Genesis 1:28 וּ/מִלְא֥וּ conj + Qal impv 2mp God blessed them. God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
- Genesis 6:13 מָלְאָ֥ה Qal pf 3fs God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
- Genesis 9:1 וּ/מִלְא֥וּ conj + Qal impv 2mp God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
- Genesis 25:24 וַ/יִּמְלְא֥וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
- Genesis 29:21 מָלְא֖וּ Qal pf 3cp Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her."
- Genesis 50:3 וַ/יִּמְלְאוּ יִמְלְא֖וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp Qal juss 3mp Forty days were fulfilled for him, for that is how many the days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians wept for him for seventy days.
Exodus 6 verses
- Exodus 8:21 וּ/מָ֨לְא֜וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp Else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and into your houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.
- Exodus 10:6 וּ/מָלְא֨וּ conj + Qal pf 3cp Your houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.'" He turned, and went out from Pharaoh.
- Exodus 15:9 תִּמְלָאֵ֣/מוֹ Qal impf 3fs + sfx pers 3mp The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'
- Exodus 32:29 מִלְא֨וּ Qal impv 2mp Moses said, "Consecrate yourselves today to Yahweh, yes, every man against his son, and against his brother; that he may bestow on you a blessing this day."
- Exodus 40:34 מָלֵ֖א Qal pf 3ms Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of Yahweh filled the tent.
- Exodus 40:35 מָלֵ֖א Qal pf 3ms Moses wasn't able to enter into the tent of meeting, because the cloud stayed on it, and Yahweh's glory filled the tent.
Leviticus 5 verses
- Leviticus 8:33 מְלֹ֔את יְמַלֵּ֖א Qal inf.cs Piel impf 3ms You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting seven days, until the days of your consecration are fulfilled: for he shall consecrate you seven days.
- Leviticus 12:4 מְלֹ֖את Qal inf.cs She shall continue in the blood of purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.
- Leviticus 12:6 וּ/בִ/מְלֹ֣את conj + prep + Qal inf.cs "'When the days of her purification are completed, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the door of the Tent of Meeting, a year old lamb for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering:
- Leviticus 19:29 וּ/מָלְאָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3fs Don't profane your daughter, to make her a prostitute; lest the land fall to prostitution, and the land become full of wickedness.
- Leviticus 25:30 מְלֹ֣את Qal inf.cs If it isn't redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be made sure in perpetuity to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee.
Numbers 2 verses
- Numbers 6:5 מְלֹ֨את Qal inf.cs "All the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to Yahweh. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
- Numbers 6:13 מְלֹאת֙ Qal inf.cs "This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting,
Joshua 1 verse
Judges 1 verse
1 Samuel 1 verse
2 Samuel 1 verse
1 Kings 3 verses
- 1 Kings 8:10 מָלֵ֖א Qal pf 3ms It came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of Yahweh,
- 1 Kings 8:11 מָלֵ֥א Qal pf 3ms so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.
- 1 Kings 18:33 מִלְא֨וּ Qal impv 2mp He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood.
2 Kings 2 verses
- 2 Kings 4:6 כִּ/מְלֹ֣את prep + Qal inf.cs It happened, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. He said to her, There isn't another vessel. The oil stayed.
- 2 Kings 6:17 מָלֵ֨א Qal ptcp.act ms Elisha prayed, and said, Yahweh, Please open his eyes, that he may see. Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
1 Chronicles 1 verse
2 Chronicles 4 verses
- 2 Chronicles 5:13 מָלֵ֥א Qal pf 3ms it happened, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahweh; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Yahweh, [saying], For he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Yahweh,
- 2 Chronicles 5:14 מָלֵ֥א Qal pf 3ms so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of God.
- 2 Chronicles 7:1 מָלֵ֥א Qal pf 3ms Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Yahweh filled the house.
- 2 Chronicles 7:2 מָלֵ֥א Qal pf 3ms The priests could not enter into the house of Yahweh, because the glory of Yahweh filled Yahweh's house.
Esther 3 verses
- Esther 1:5 וּ/בִ/מְל֣וֹאת conj + prep + Qal inf.cs When these days were fulfilled, the king made a feast to all the people who were present in Shushan the palace, both great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.
- Esther 2:12 יִמְלְא֖וּ Qal impf 3mp Now when the turn of every maiden was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after it had been done to her as prescribed for the women twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, [to wit], six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with the things for the purifying of the women),
- Esther 7:5 מְלָא֥/וֹ Qal pf 3ms + sfx pers 3ms Then spoke the king Ahasuerus and said to Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that dared presume in his heart to do so?
Job 6 verses
- Job 20:11 מָלְא֣וּ Qal pf 3cp His bones are full of his youth, But youth shall lie down with him in the dust.
- Job 20:22 בִּ/מְלֹ֣אות prep + Qal inf.cs In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress shall overtake him: The hand of everyone who is in misery shall come on him.
- Job 21:24 מָלְא֣וּ Qal pf 3cp His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.
- Job 32:18 מָלֵ֣תִי Qal pf 1cs For I am full of words. The spirit within me constrains me.
- Job 36:16 מָ֣לֵא Qal pf 3ms Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, Into a broad place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.
- Job 36:17 מָלֵ֑אתָ Qal pf 2ms "But you are full of the judgment of the wicked. Judgment and justice take hold of you.
Psalms 10 verses
- Psalms 10:7 מָ֭לֵא Qal pf 3ms His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
- Psalms 26:10 מָ֣לְאָה Qal pf 3fs In whose hands is wickedness, Their right hand is full of bribes.
- Psalms 33:5 מָלְאָ֥ה Qal pf 3fs He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the loving kindness of Yahweh.
- Psalms 38:7 מָלְא֣וּ Qal pf 3cp For my loins are filled with burning. There is no soundness in my flesh.
- Psalms 48:10 מָלְאָ֥ה Qal pf 3fs As is your name, God, So is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness.
- Psalms 65:9 מָ֣לֵא Qal pf 3ms You visit the earth, and water it. You greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water. You provide them grain, for so you have ordained it.
- Psalms 74:20 מָלְא֥וּ Qal pf 3cp Honor your covenant, For haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.
- Psalms 104:24 מָלְאָ֥ה Qal pf 3fs Yahweh, how many are your works! In wisdom have you made them all. The earth is full of your riches.
- Psalms 110:6 מָלֵ֣א Qal pf 3ms He will judge among the nations. He will heap up dead bodies. He will crush the ruler of the whole earth.
- Psalms 119:64 מָלְאָ֥ה Qal pf 3fs The earth is full of your loving kindness, Yahweh. Teach me your statutes.
Proverbs 1 verse
Ecclesiastes 2 verses
- Ecclesiastes 8:11 מָלֵ֞א Qal pf 3ms Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
- Ecclesiastes 9:3 מָלֵא Qal pf 3ms This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
Isaiah 14 verses
- Isaiah 1:15 מָלֵֽאוּ Qal pf 3cp When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.
- Isaiah 2:6 מָלְאוּ֙ Qal pf 3cp For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled from the east, With those who practice divination like the Philistines, And they clasp hands with the children of foreigners.
- Isaiah 6:1 מְלֵאִ֥ים Qal ptcp.act mp In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.
- Isaiah 11:9 מָלְאָ֣ה Qal pf 3fs They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.
- Isaiah 13:21 וּ/מָלְא֥וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp But wild animals of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and wild goats shall dance there.
- Isaiah 14:21 וּ/מָלְא֥וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up, and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities.
- Isaiah 15:9 מָ֣לְאוּ Qal pf 3cp For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more on Dimon, a lion on them of Moab that escape, and on the remnant of the land.
- Isaiah 21:3 מָלְא֤וּ Qal pf 3cp Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold on me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I can't hear; I am dismayed so that I can't see.
- Isaiah 22:7 מָ֣לְאוּ Qal pf 3cp It happened that your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.
- Isaiah 27:6 וּ/מָלְא֥וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp In days to come shall Jacob take root; Israel shall blossom and bud; and they shall fill the surface of the world with fruit.
- Isaiah 28:8 מָלְא֖וּ Qal pf 3cp For all tables are full of vomit [and] filthiness, [so that there is] no place [clean].
- Isaiah 30:27 מָ֣לְאוּ Qal pf 3cp Behold, the name of Yahweh comes from far, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue is as a devouring fire;
- Isaiah 34:6 מָלְאָ֥ה Qal pf 3fs The sword of Yahweh is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for Yahweh has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
- Isaiah 40:2 מָֽלְאָה֙ Qal pf 3fs Speak comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry to her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of Yahweh's hand double for all her sins.
Jeremiah 10 verses
- Jeremiah 16:18 מָלְא֖וּ Qal pf 3cp First I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable things, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.
- Jeremiah 19:4 וּ/מָֽלְא֛וּ conj + Qal pf 3cp Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it to other gods, that they didn't know, they and their fathers and the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents,
- Jeremiah 23:10 מָלְאָ֣ה Qal pf 3fs For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right;
- Jeremiah 23:24 מָלֵ֖א Qal ptcp.act ms Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? says Yahweh. Don't I fill heaven and earth? says Yahweh.
- Jeremiah 25:12 כִ/מְלֹ֣אות prep + Qal inf.cs It shall happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says Yahweh, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate forever.
- Jeremiah 25:34 מָלְא֥וּ Qal pf 3cp Wail, you shepherds, and cry; and wallow [in ashes], you principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are fully come, and you shall fall like a goodly vessel.
- Jeremiah 29:10 מְלֹ֧את Qal inf.cs For thus says Yahweh, After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
- Jeremiah 46:12 מָלְאָ֣ה Qal pf 3fs The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry; for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty, they are fallen both of them together.
- Jeremiah 51:5 מָלְאָ֣ה Qal pf 3fs For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, of his God, of Yahweh of Hosts; though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.
- Jeremiah 51:11 מִלְא֣וּ Qal impv 2mp Make sharp the arrows; hold firm the shields: Yahweh has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes; because his purpose is against Babylon, to destroy it: for it is the vengeance of Yahweh, the vengeance of his temple.
Lamentations 1 verse
Ezekiel 10 verses
- Ezekiel 5:2 כִּ/מְלֹ֖את prep + Qal inf.cs A third part shall you burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and you shall take a third part, and strike with the sword round about it; and a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
- Ezekiel 7:23 מָֽלְאָה֙ מָלְאָ֥ה Qal pf 3fs Qal pf 3fs Make the chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.
- Ezekiel 8:17 מָלְא֨וּ Qal pf 3cp Then he said to me, Have you seen [this], son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger: and, behold, they put the branch to their nose.
- Ezekiel 9:9 וַ/תִּמָּלֵ֤א מָלְאָ֣ה conj + Niphal wimpf 3fs Qal pf 3fs Then said he to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of wrestling [of judgment]: for they say, Yahweh has forsaken the land, and Yahweh doesn't see.
- Ezekiel 10:3 מָלֵ֔א Qal pf 3ms Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
- Ezekiel 10:4 וַ/יִּמָּלֵ֤א מָֽלְאָ֔ה conj + Niphal wimpf 3ms Qal pf 3fs The glory of Yahweh mounted up from the cherub, [and stood] over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Yahweh's glory.
- Ezekiel 28:16 מָל֧וּ Qal pf 3cp By the abundance of your traffic they filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I have cast you as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed you, covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
- Ezekiel 30:11 וּ/מָלְא֥וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land; and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.
- Ezekiel 43:5 מָלֵ֥א Qal pf 3ms The Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of Yahweh filled the house.
- Ezekiel 44:4 מָלֵ֥א Qal pf 3ms Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the house; and I looked, and, behold, the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh: and I fell on my face.
Daniel 1 verse
Joel 2 verses
Micah 2 verses
- Micah 3:8 מָלֵ֤אתִי Qal pf 1cs But as for me, I am full of power by the Spirit of Yahweh, And of judgment, and of might, To declare to Jacob his disobedience, And to Israel his sin.
- Micah 6:12 מָלְא֣וּ Qal pf 3cp Her rich men are full of violence, Her inhabitants speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their speech.
Habakkuk 1 verse
Zechariah 1 verse
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
The Hebrew verb מלא centers on the idea of “to fill.” The verb spans 5 stems, from Qal to Niphal. The Hebrew Bible uses it across 242 verses — common. First canonically at Genesis 1:22, it enters the text early. Related forms include מלא, מלא and מלא. Dig into 242-verse concordance and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H4390 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 242
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 242 distinct verses.
- 32 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 32 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #193
- by frequency
- Top 250 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 193 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 242 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 242 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 112 verses · 46%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 75 verses · 31%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 55 verses · 23%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 2 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Filled 21×, Fill 18×, Is full 16×
- American Standard Version†: Filled 24×, Fill 18×, Is full 15×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Filled 20×, Fill 19×, Is full of 12×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Fill 25×, Filled 24×, And 16×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H4390 across 248† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 85 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H4390 across 245† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 95 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H4390 across 242† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 93 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 4 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H4390 across 286† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 79 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
15 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each. This entry also uses Pual (the passive of Piel) and Hithpael (reflexive or reciprocal).
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 15 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
מלא I be full, fill (NH id. (Pi. trans.)
Qal
- Pf. מ׳ Ex 40:34 +; sf. מְלָאוֹ Est 7:5; מָלֵאתָ Jb 36:17; מָלֵאתִי Mi 3:8 Je 6:11; מָלֵ֫תִי Jb 32:18; מָֽלְאוּ Gn 29:21 +; מָלוּ Ez 28:16 (מָלֵאתָ 𝔊 𝔖 Co); מָלֵ֑אוּ Is 1:15, etc.; Impf. 3 fs. sf. תִּמְלָאֵ֣מוֹ Ex 15:9; יִמְלְאוּ Gn 50:3 + 2 times; וַיִּמְלְאוּ Gn 25:24; 50:3; Imv. מִלְאוּ Gn 1:22 + 5 times; Inf. cstr. מְלאֹת (מְלֹאות) Lv 8:33 + 12 times; Pt. מָלֵא Je 23:24; מְלֵאִים Is 6:1; (cf. also sub מָלֵא adj.);— e.g. Exodus 40:34
- 1. be full, usually c. acc. material:
- a. lit. subj. houses Ex 8:17; 10:6 (both J) Ju 16:27 Is 13:21 2 Ch 5:13, cf. Ez 10:4 (del. Co); winepress Jo 4:13; threshing-floor Jo 2:24; vessel 2 K 4:6 Jb 21:24, etc.; Jb 20:22 מְלֹאות (cf. מְלֹא), i.e. fulness, abundance. e.g. Exodus 8:17
- b. fig., earth full of violence Gn 6:13, cf. Lv 19:29 (both P), Mi 6:12 Is 1:15 Je 23:10; 51:5 ψ 26:10 Ez 7:23(×2) Ec 9:3, etc.; earth full of glory, mercy, goodness, knowledge, of י׳ ψ 33:5; 119:64 Is 11:9 Hb 3:3; cf. also ψ 48:11; 104:24, etc.; subj. נֶפֶשׁ = desire be satisfied (full) c. sf. Ex 15:9; וְדִין רָשָׁע מ׳ Jb 36:17 and of judgment on the wicked art thou full (hast thou thy fill), cf. Di Du; מָלֵא לֵב לַעֲשׂוֹת רָ֑ע Ec 8:11; especially of days, years, be full, accomplished, ended, Gn 25:24; 29:21; 50:3(×2) (JE); Lv 8:33; 12:4, 6; 25:30 Nu 6:5, 13 (P); 1 S 18:26 2 S 7:12; Je 25:12; 29:10 La 4:18 Ez 5:2 1 Ch 17:11 Est 1:5; 2:12 Dn 10:3; cf. also with other subj. (lit.) Je 25:34 Is 40:2. e.g. Genesis 6:13
- 2. trans. fill, of populating sea and earth Gn 1:22, 28; 9:1 (all P); consecrate מִלְאוּ יֶדְכֶם ליהוה; (lit. fill the hand) Ex 32:29 (cf. infr.); especially of glory of י׳ filling tabern. and temple; Ex 40:34, 35 (P) 1 K 8:10, 11, cf. Is 6:1; v. also Je 23:24, especially lit. Ez 10:3; 43:5; 44:4 2 Ch 5:14; 7:1, 2; sq. 2 acc. fill jars (with) water 1 K 18:34; abs. overflow מ׳ עַל־כָּל־גְּדוֹתָיו Jos 3:15 (cf. 1 Ch 12:16 Pi.); fig. fill land with sin Je 16:18, cf. 19:4 Ez 8:17; 28:16, cf. 30:11; מְלָאוֹ לִבּוֹ לֵעֲשׂוֹת־כֵּן Est 7:5 (cf. Ec 8:11 supr.); מִלְאוּ הַשְּׁלָטִים Je 51:11 meaning obscure, v. [שֶׁלֶט]; Gie proposes מִדְטוּ הַשּׁ׳ polish. e.g. Genesis 1:22
Niphal
- Pf. נִמְלָא־ Ct 5:2; Impf. יִמָּלֵא 2 S 23:7 + 9 times; וַיִּמָּלֵא Ex 7:25 + 5 times; יִמָּֽלְא֫וּ Pr 3:10 + 2 times; יִמָּֽלֵא֑וּ Pr 24:4; יִמָּֽלְאוּן Ez 32:6;— e.g. Song of Solomon 5:2
- 1. be filled, usually c. acc. mat. (c. מִן of source Ec 1:8, cf. Ez 32:6; c. לְ Hb 2:14); land, with people Ex 1:7; cf. 2 K 3:17, 20 Is 2:7(×2), 8; house with smoke Is 6:4, cf. Ez 10:4; v. also Pr 3:10; 24:4 Je 13:12(×2) Zc 8:5 Ct 5:2 Ec 11:3 2 K 10:21 Ez 32:6; = be armed 2 S 23:7 (lit. be filled or full himself, i.e. his hand, with weapon, cf. Pi. 2); be satisfied, subj. נֶפֶשׁ = appetite Ec 6:7; subj. אֹזֶן Ec 1:8; fig. earth filled with violence (cf. Qal) Gn 6:11, cf. Ez 9:9; 23:33; with glory and knowledge of י׳ Nu 14:21 Hb 2:14 ψ 72:19; v. also 1 K 7:14 ψ 71:8; 126:2 Est 3:5; 5:9 Pr 20:17; abs. Ez 26:2 (but Co sub מָלֵא adj., so 𝔊 𝔗) 27:25. e.g. Ecclesiastes 1:8
- 2. be accomplished, ended, subj. days Ex 7:25; of an exchange, requital, Jb 15:32. e.g. Exodus 7:25
Piel
- Pf. מִלֵּא Ex 35:35 +; מִלָּא Je 51:34; מִלֵּאתָ Dt 6:11 +; מִלְאוּ Nu 32:11 +, etc.; Impf. יְמַלֵּא Lv 8:33 +; יְמַלֵּה Jb 8:21; וַיְמַלְאוּ Gn 42:25 Ex 39:10; יְמַלֵּ֑אוּ Ez 7:19, etc.; Imv. מַלֵּא Gn 29:27 + 5 times; מַלְאוּ Je 4:5 Ez 9:7; Inf. cstr. מַלֵּא Ex 29:29 + 5 times; מַלְּאוֹת (-אֹת) Ex 31:5 + 5 times; sf. מַלְּאָם Je 33:5; Pt. מְמַלֵּא Je 13:13 1 Ch 12:15; pl. מְמַלְאִים Is 65:11 + 2 times;— e.g. Exodus 35:35
- 1. fill (often c. 2 acc.; lit., c. בְּ 2 K 9:24 Ezr 9:11 Jb 40:31; c. מִן Je 51:34 ψ 127:5): Gn 21:19; 24:16; 26:15; 42:25; 44:1 Ex 2:16 Dt 6:11 Jos 9:13 1 K 18:35; 20:27 2 K 3:25; 23:14 Is 23:2 Jb 3:15; 22:18 Je 41:9 Ez 3:3; 7:19; 9:7; 10:2; 24:4 Na 2:13 Hg 2:7 ψ 129:7 2 Ch 16:14, etc. (indef. subj.); fill (cup) with drink for libation Is 65:11; fig. fill with spirit Ex 28:3; 31:3; 35:31 cf. v 35, ψ 107:9 Is 33:5 Je 15:17; fill (with blood) 2 K 21:16; with abominations Ezr 9:11 (c. בְּ). e.g. 2 Kings 9:24
- 2. special uses are: satisfy appetite Jb 38:39 ψ 17:14 Pr 6:30 Jb 20:23 Je 51:14 (fig.); take a handful of מ׳ כַּפּוֹ מִן Lv 9:17; grasp מ׳ יָדוֹ בְּ 2 K 9:24, cf. (of laying arrow on bow) fig. מ׳ קֶשֶׁת … אֶפְרַיִם Zc 9:13; overflow מְמַלֵּא עַל־כָּל־גְּד֯יֹתָיו 1 Ch 12:16 (cf. Jos 3:15 Qal); give in full וַיְמַלְאוּם לַמֶּלֶךְ 1 S 18:27 (read וַיְמַלְּאֵם A 𝔊L 𝔙 We Dr Kit Bu); מִלֵּא יַד פּ׳ fig. for institute to a priestly office, consecrate Ex 28:41; 29:9, 29, 33, 35; 32:29 Lv 8:33; 16:32; 21:10 Nu 3:3 Ju 17:5, 12 1 K 13:33 Ez 43:26 (altar), 1 Ch 29:5; 2 Ch 13:9; 29:31 (cf. Assyrian qāta … mullû, confer upon, DlHWB 409); מ׳ אַהֲרֵי wholly follow י׳ Nu 14:24; 32:11, 12 Dt 1:36 Jos 14:8, 9, 14 1 K 11:6; fill in, i.e. set precious stones Ex 28:17 (מ׳ בּוֹ מִלֻּאַת אֶבֶן) cf. 31:5; 35:33; 39:10 (all P); etc. e.g. Job 38:39
- 3. fulfil, accomplish, complete, obj. week, year, day, Gn 29:27, 28 Ex 23:26 Is 65:20 Jb 39:2 2 Ch 36:21 Dn 9:2; obj. word, promise, etc.; subj. י׳ 1 K 8:15, 24 2 Ch 6:4, 15 ψ 20:5, 6; subj. men 1 K 2:27 Je 44:25 2 Ch 36:21. e.g. Genesis 29:27
- 4. confirm words 1 K 1:14. e.g. 1 Kings 1:14
Pual
- Pt. filled, i.e. set with jewels מְמֻלָּאִים בַּתַּרְשִׁישׁ Ct 5:14. e.g. Song of Solomon 5:14
Hithpael
- Impf. עָלַי יִתְמַלָּא֑וּן Jb 16:10, mass themselves against me; perhaps denom. from מְלֹא 2. e.g. Job 16:10
מלא II full
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. vb. be full, fill (NH id. (Pi. trans.); Zinj. מלא (Pi. trans.) DHMSendsch. 60; Assyrian malû (trans. and intrans.) DlHWB 409; Arabic مَلَأَ (trans.) مَلُؤَ, مَلِىَٔ (intrans.); Ethiopic መልአ: (trans. and intrans.); Aramaic ܡܠܴܐ (trans.), מְלָא (intrans. and trans.), Palm. n.pr. מלא = plenitude, VogPalm. 7, 2 al.; Sab. מלא Os 14 Levy-OsZMG xix. 1865, 211 f. DHMZMG xxix, 1875, 595);—
II. adj. full;—מ׳ Gn 23:9 + 15 times; cstr. מְלֵא Je 6:11; f. מְלֵאָה Nu 7:14 + 20 times; cstr. מְלֵאֲתִי Is 1:21 cf. Ges§ 90, 3 a.; pl. מְלֵאִים Nu 7:13 + 18 times; f. מְלֵאוֹת (-אֹת) Gn 41:7 + 4 times;—full, abs. of ears of corn Gn 41:7, 22; of value, price, Gn 23:9 1 Ch 21:22, 24; of wind (= strong) Je 4:12 sq. acc. mat., bowls of fine flour (סֹלָת) Nu 7:13, 19, 25, 31, 37, 43, 49, 55, 61, 67, 73, 79; spoons of incense Nu 7:14, 20, 26, 32, 38, 44, 50, 56, 62, 68, 74, 80, 86; bowls of wine Je 35:5, cf. fig. ψ 75:9; houses, of contents Dt 6:11 Ne 9:25 cf. Pr 17:1; cage, of birds Je 5:27 (in sim., v. infr.); cart, of sheaves Am 2:13 (in sim.) 1 Ch 11:13 2 K 7:15; Ez 1:18; 10:12; 17:3; 36:38; 37:1; as pred., of storehouses ψ 144;13; cf. fig. of Naomi Ru 1:21; of sea Ec 1:7; with art., of full vessel 2 K 4:4; מְלֵאָה pregnant woman Ec 11:5; fig. full of blessing Dt 33:23; wisdom 34:9; justice Is 1:21; commotion 22:2; fury 51:20; lies, etc. Na 3:1; wisdom Ez 28:12 (del. A BCo); only twice in cstr. before that with which a thing is filled Is 1:21 מ׳ מִשְׁפָּט; Je 6:11 מְלֵא יָמִים (as subst.); as subst. in genit. (Ges§ 128 n) ψ 73:10 מֵי מָלֵא; as adv. = fully Na 1:10 Je 12:6 (loudly, cf. 4:5).
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive root
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
מִלָּא
- , v. מִלְּתָא a. מִלָּה.
מָלֵא I
- (b. h.) to be full, v. מָלֵא II.—Tosef. Dem. V, 24 היאך מְלָאֲךָ ליבך how could thy heart be so full of thyself, i.e. how daredst thou?
- to fill, to draw (water). Erub. VIII, 6 אין מְמַלְּאִין וכ׳ (Y. ed. מְמַלִּין) you must not draw water out of it on the Sabbath. B. Bath. 162ᵇ מִילְּאֵהוּ בקרובים if he filled the vacant space on the document with the signatures of relatives; Gitt. 87ᵇ. Hor. 11ᵇ ממלא מקום אבותיו הוה he was filling his ancestors’ place, was a direct successor; a. fr.
- to be filled. Ber. 3ᵇ; 59ᵃ אין הבור מִתְמַלֵּא וכ׳, v. חוּלְיָא I. Y. Succ. III, end, 54ᵃ עד שיִתְמַלֵּא זקנו until he has a full beard. Y. Ber. IX, 13ᵈ bot. הִתְמַלְּאִי דינרי זהב be full of gold denars; והיתה מתְמַלְּאָה and it became filled with &c. Gen. R. s. 33 הִתְסַלְּאוּ רחמים אלו על אלו be merciful to one another. Ib. ראיתי … והִתְמַלֵּאתִי עליה רחמים I saw her in distress and was filled with pity for her; a. fr.
מְלָא
- v. מְלֵי
מָלֵא II
- (b. h.) full. Ab. IV, 20 יש … מ׳ ישן many a new vessel is full of old wine (many a young man is full of wisdom). Meg. 6ᵃ (ref. to Ez. XXVI, 2) אם מ׳ זו חרבה זו when one (of the two cities, Jerusalem and Caesarea) is full, the other is waste; a. fr.—Esp. a full month, of thirty days. Bekh. 58ᵃ זימנין מ׳ וכ׳ at times (in some years) it is full, at times defective, v. חָסֵר; a. fr.—Pl. מְלֵאִים, מְלֵאִין, מְלֵי׳; f. מְלֵאוֹת, מְלֵי׳. Ber. 57ᵃ; Erub. 19ᵃ, a. e. מ׳ מצות כרמון are full of good deeds as a pomegranate (is full of seeds); a. fr.—[מְלֵאָה as a noun, v. מְלֵיאָה.] e.g. Ezekiel 26:2
מְלֹא
- ch., v. מְלוֹא
מְלוֹא
- fulness, contents. Mikv. III, 1, sq. עד שיצא ממנו מְלוֹאוֹ ועוד until a quantity equal to its original contents and something besides have run off. Y. Succ. I, 51ᵈ top אכסדרה שנפרצה במְלוֹאָהּ וכ׳ an exedra which is (on one side) entirely open towards the public road. Ib. bot. כמְלוֹאוֹ של דלי as far as the bucket is let down into the water (for filling it). Ḥull. II, 3 אם יש בסכין מְלֹא צואר if the slaughtering knife has the length of the width of the neck. Kidd. 33ᵃ מ׳ עיניו as far as his eye can reach. Sabb. 30ᵃ, a. e. כמ׳ נימא as much as a hair’s breadth. Sifré Num. 160 (expl. אבן יד, Num. XXXV, 17) מ׳ יד as large as the grasp of the hand; a. fr.—[Tosef. Ohol. XVII, 3 מ׳ טימיא, v. לָטוֹמְיָא.] e.g. Numbers 35:17
מְלוֹא ²
- Targ. Y. Num. XXXV, 17. Targ. O. Deut. XXXIII, 16 (Y. ומַלְיָהּ, v. מַלְיָא II); a. e.—Ab. Zar. 29ᵃ מ׳ חמש אצבעתיה as much as one can pinch with five fingers; מ׳ אצבעיה … ומ׳ וכ׳ as much as one can pinch with thumb and little finger; a. e.
מְלֵי
- 1. to be full. Targ. Josh. III, 15; a. fr.; v. next art. Ab. Zar. 28ᵃ דלא מָלוּ תִילתא, v. תִּילְתָּא; a. e.
- 2. to fill. Targ. Gen. I, 22. Targ. Deut. VI, 11 (O. ed. Vienna מַלֵּ׳ Pa.); a. fr.—Part. מָלֵי; f. מַלְּיָא; pl. מָלָן; מַלְיָאתָא, מַלְיָיתָא. Ib. O. XXIX, 10. Targ. Josh. IX, 21 (ed. Wil. מְלָן). Targ. Gen. XXIV, 11; a. fr.
- 1. to fill. Targ. Jer. XIII, 13; a. fr.—Lev. R. s. 21 מַלּוֹי קולתיך fill thy vessel; Pesik. Aḥăré, p. 176ᵇ; Yalk. Lev. 571 מלתי (read: מַלְּאִי); Keth. 62ᵇ מַלִּי. Ab. Zar. 29ᵃ ומַלְּיֵיה מיא and fill it with water. Taan. 29ᵃ; Shebu. 10ᵃ; Pes. 77ᵃ תמוז … מַלּוּיֵי מַלְּיוּהָ they made the Tammuz of that year a full month (of thirty days); a. e.
- 2. to complement, compensate, replace. Targ. O. Gen. II, 21 ומַלִי ed. Berl. (ed. Amst. ומְ׳, corr. acc.).—B. Mets. 105ᵃ טרח ומַלְּיֵיה he took pains to make up for the loss. Ib. טרחת ומַלְּיָיתֵיה וכ׳ Ms. M. (ed. למַלָּיוּתֵיה) thou didst take pains to make up &c.; a. e.—[
- 3. מ׳ על לבא to comfort. Targ. O. Gen. XXXIV, 3 ed. Berl. (v. Berl. Mass., p. 27); v., however, Kidd. 50ᵃ, quot. s. v. מְלַל II.]
- to be filled, full. Targ. Gen. VI, 13. Targ. Ex. XL, 34 א׳ ית וכ׳ (filled); a. fr.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 178 distinct written forms H4390 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that stem’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 118 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H4390, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derived from this word
- מלא mᵉlâʼ H4391 to fill
- מלא mâlêʼ H4392 full
- מלא mᵉlôʼ H4393 fulness
- מלא milluʼ H4394 installation
- מלאת millêʼth H4402 fulness
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 8 — not the complete family. 2 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 231 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 242 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 1:22
- Exodus 1:7
- Leviticus 8:33
- Numbers 3:3
- Deuteronomy 1:36
- Joshua 3:15
- Judges 16:27
- 1 Samuel 16:1
- 2 Samuel 7:12
- 1 Kings 1:14
- 2 Kings 3:17
- 1 Chronicles 12:15
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
