What does כָּלָא (kālāʾ) mean in the Bible?
כָּלָא (kālāʾ): Restricts through both physical constraint and verbal prohibition; emphasizes active prevention or containment.
Hebrew · H3607
כָּלָא
To restrict , by act ( hold back or in ) or word ( prohibit )
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כָּלָא H3607
Pronunciation kālāʾ
What does כָּלָא (kālāʾ) mean in the Bible?
כָּלָא (kālāʾ): Restricts through both physical constraint and verbal prohibition; emphasizes active prevention or containment.
Full entry for כָּלָא (H3607) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3607?
The BSB source-word alignment has 17 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include were restrained (2), and penned up (1), had imprisoned him (1), has withheld (1), have withheld (1).
Where does כָּלָא (kālāʾ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 8:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (4), 1 Samuel (2), Genesis (2), Haggai (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It were restrained 2× Exodus 36:6, Ezekiel 31:15
and penned up 1× 1 Samuel 6:10
had imprisoned him 1× Jeremiah 32:3
has withheld 1× Haggai 1:10
have withheld 1× Haggai 1:10
hold them back 1× Isaiah 43:6
I am confined 1× Psalms 88:8
I have kept 1× Psalms 119:101
imprisoned 1× Jeremiah 32:2
seal 1× Psalms 40:9
stop them 1× Numbers 11:28
to contain 1× Ecclesiastes 8:8
was restrained 1× Genesis 8:2
will withhold 1× Genesis 23:6
withhold 1× Psalms 40:11
you kept me 1× 1 Samuel 25:33
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 8:2 וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א to was restrained Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 23:6 יִכְלֶ֥ה to will withhold Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 36:6 וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א to were restrained Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 11:28 כְּלָאֵֽם׃ to stop them Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine plural 1 Samuel 6:10 כָּל֥וּ to and penned up Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 1 Samuel 25:33 כְּלִתִ֜נִי to you kept me Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular | first person common singular Psalms 40:9 אֶכְלָ֑א to seal Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Psalms 40:11 תִכְלָ֣א to withhold Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Psalms 88:8 כָּ֝לֻ֗א to I am confined Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Psalms 119:101 כָּלִ֣אתִי to I have kept Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 8:2
Aligned rows 17
Books represented 10
Genesis 2 Exodus 1 Numbers 1 1 Samuel 2 Psalms 4 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 1 Haggai 2
Source forms
וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א 2x way·yik·kā·lê Genesis 8:2, Exodus 36:6
אֶכְלָ֑א 1x ’eḵ·lā Psalms 40:9
וַיִּכָּלְא֖וּ 1x way·yik·kā·lə·’ū Ezekiel 31:15
יִכְלֶ֥ה 1x yiḵ·leh Genesis 23:6
כָּ֝לֻ֗א 1x kā·lu Psalms 88:8
כָּלְאָ֥ה 1x kā·lə·’āh Haggai 1:10
כְּלָא֔וֹ 1x kə·lā·’ōw Jeremiah 32:3
כָּלְא֥וּ 1x kā·lə·’ū Haggai 1:10
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Genesis 8:2, Exodus 36:6
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 2x 1 Samuel 6:10, Haggai 1:10
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular 2x Psalms 88:8, Jeremiah 32:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Ezekiel 31:15
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 1x Ecclesiastes 8:8
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine plural 1x Numbers 11:28
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular 1x Psalms 40:9
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular 1x Isaiah 43:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Restricts through both physical constraint and verbal prohibition; emphasizes active prevention or containment.
Strong's H3607
Lexical occurrences 18 verses Word forms 1 form 10 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 8:1-5 Source Gloss
to restrict , by act ( hold back or in ) or word ( prohibit )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Restricts through both physical constraint and verbal prohibition; emphasizes active prevention or containment.
to restrict, by act (hold back or in) or word (prohibit) BDB: shut up Usage: finish, forbid, keep (back), refrain, restrain, retain, shut up, be stayed, withhold.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 10
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 10×
Perfect 1Sam 6:10 · Hag 1:10 · Ps 119:101 4×
Imperfect Gen 23:6 · Ps 40:10 · Ps 40:12 3×
Participle passive Jer 32:2 · Ps 88:9 2×
Jussive Isa 43:6 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God actively holds back or restrains the waters of the flood
Showing 1 selected witness from 18 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כָּלָא is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain