Handful
King James Dictionary [1]
HAND'FUL, n. As much as the hand will grasp or contain.
1. As much as the arms will embrace. 2. A palm four inches. 3. A small quantity or number. A handful of men. 4. As much as can be done full employment.
In America, the phrase is,he has his hands full.
Webster's Dictionary [2]
(1):
(n.) As much as the hand will grasp or contain.
(2):
(n.) A small quantity.
(3):
(n.) A hand's breadth; four inches.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [3]
hand´fool : There are five words in Hebrew used to indicate what may be held in the hand, either closed or open.
(1) חפן , ḥōphen , חפנים , ḥophnayim ̌ . The fist or closed hand occurs in the dual in Exodus 9:8 , where it signifies what can be taken in the two hands conjoined, a double handful.
(2) כּף , kaph , "hollow of the hand," the palm; an open handful ( Leviticus 9:17; 1 Kings 17:12; Ecclesiastes 4:6 ).
(3) עמיר , ‛āmı̄r , "sheaf or bundle." It signifies the quantity of grain a gleaner may gather in his hand ( Jeremiah 9:22 (Hebrew 21)).
(4) קמץ , ḳōmec , "the closed handful" ( Genesis 41:47; Leviticus 2:2; Leviticus 5:12; Leviticus 6:15 ( Hebrews 6:8 ); Numbers 5:26 ).
(5) שׁעל , shō‛al , "the hollow of the hand," or what can be held in it ( 1 Kings 20:10; Ezekiel 13:19 ). In Isaiah 40:12 it signifies "measure."
(6) פסּה , piṣṣāh ( Psalm 72:16 ) is rendered "handful" by the King James Version, but is properly "abundance" as in the Revised Version (British and American).
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [4]
a representative in the A. Vers. of several Heb. terms and phrases; prop. מְלֵא כִ, the fill of the hand (1 Kings 17:12), or מַלֵּא כִ, to fill the hand ("take a handful," Leviticus 9:17); also קֹמֶוֹ, a fist-full (Leviticus 2:2; Leviticus 5:12; Leviticus 6:15; but sheaf in Genesis 41:47), or קָמִוֹ, to press, sc. the fist full ("take a handful," Numbers 5:26); and שֹׁעִל,. the hollow palm itself (Isaiah 40:12), hence its fill (1 Kings 20:10; Ezekiel 13:19); less prop. חָבְנִיַם (Exodus 9:8), the two fists (as rendered. Proverbs 30:4; elsewhere "hands") improp. צָמַיד . (Jeremiah 9:22), and צֶבֶת (Ruth 2:16), which denotes a sheaf (as the former is elsewhere rendered), the one as standing uncut, and the other as cut and housed; falsely פַּסָּה abundance (Psalms 72:16).
