Bible Encyclopedias
Handful

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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).

Bibliography Information
McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Handful'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​tce/​h/handful.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.