יָכֹל
yâkôl · yaw-kole'
to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might)
Lexicon
Derivation: or (fuller) יָכוֹל; a primitive root;
to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might)
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: be able, any at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure, might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.
Letters
- יYod10
Picture: arm and closed hand
- Concrete
- hand · arm · work
- Extended
- a deed · to make · to work · to throw or worship
- כKaf20
Picture: open palm
- Concrete
- palm · open hand · sole of the foot
- Extended
- to open · to allow · to cover · to tame · like / as
- לLamed30
Picture: shepherd's staff or goad
- Concrete
- staff · goad · yoke · cattle prod
- Extended
- authority · to lead · to teach · to bind · toward
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
the hand that works › the open hand that covers › authority, the one who leads
The hand that works of the open hand that covers of authority, the one who leads.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of יָכֹל above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
194 occurrences · 194 OT · 0 NT · 106 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- could16 · 18%
- cannot9 · 10%
- i cannot7 · 8%
- can6 · 7%
- but they could5 · 6%
- if thou be able3 · 3%
- thou mayest3 · 3%
- so that they could3 · 3%
- was not able3 · 3%
- we cannot3 · 3%
- that cannot3 · 3%
- for they could2 · 2%
- can i endure2 · 2%
- they could2 · 2%
- so that he could2 · 2%
- and i cannot2 · 2%
- i may2 · 2%
- that he could2 · 2%
- and they could2 · 2%
- thou art not able2 · 2%
- able2 · 2%
- you: for he shall not be able2 · 2%
- i am not able2 · 2%
- thou canst2 · 2%
- thither; for i cannot1 · 1%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.