sho.al denotes a hand-held quantity, used in measures of dust, barley, and an insufficient supply for a crowd.

The occurrences show a hand-held quantity used in measures: dust is gathered or assessed in 1 Kings 20:10 and Isaiah 40:12, while barley is given in such quantities in Ezekiel 13:19.

1. Hand-held quantity in measures · dominant

   In 1 Kings 20:10, the plural form occurs in Ben-hadad's claim that Samaria's dust would not suffice for the people at his feet; the APB renders the clause with “handfuls.” In Ezekiel 13:19, the construct plural stands with barley in a setting of profaning and deception, and Isaiah 40:12 uses the singular construct in the description of enclosing the earth's dust in a measure.

   1 Kings 20:10Ezekiel 13:19Isaiah 40:12

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB explicitly uses “handfuls” in 1 Kings 20:10 and Ezekiel 13:19; in Isaiah 40:12 it presents the wider measuring image as enclosing dust “in a measure.” The precise English correspondence in Isaiah 40:12 remains uncertain.