hand'-fool: There are five words in Hebrew used to indicate what may be held in the hand, either closed or open.
⇒See a list of verses on HAND in the Bible.
(1) chophen, chophnayim. The fist or closed hand occurs in the dual in Ex 9:8, where it signifies what can be taken in the two hands conjoined, a double handful.
(2) kaph, "hollow of the hand," the palm; an open handful (Le 9:17; 1Ki 17:12; Ec 4:6).
⇒See the definition of handful in the KJV Dictionary
(3) `amir, "sheaf or bundle." It signifies the quantity of grain a gleaner may gather in his hand (Jer 9:22 (Hebrew 21)).
(4) qomets, "the closed handful" (Ge 41:47; Le 2:2; 5:12; 6:15 (Heb 6:8); Nu 5:26).
⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
(5) sho`al, "the hollow of the hand," or what can be held in it (1Ki 20:10; Eze 13:19). In Isa 40:12 it signifies "measure."
(6) piccah (Ps 72:16) is rendered "handful" by the King James Version, but is properly "abundance" as in the Revised Version (British and American).
H. Porter