What does כָּלָה (kālāh) mean in the Bible?
כָּלָה (kālāh): Completion that consumes utterly; the word carries both fulfillment and destructive finality in its semantic range.
Hebrew · H3617
כָּלָה
A completion ; adverb, completely ; also destruction
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כָּלָה H3617
Pronunciation kālāh
What does כָּלָה (kālāh) mean in the Bible?
כָּלָה (kālāh): Completion that consumes utterly; the word carries both fulfillment and destructive finality in its semantic range.
Full entry for כָּלָה (H3617) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3617?
The BSB source-word alignment has 21 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (4), destroy (2), to an end (2), a full end (1), an end (1).
Where does כָּלָה (kālāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 18:21. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (7), Ezekiel (3), Daniel (2), Isaiah (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 . . . 4× 2 Chronicles 12:12, Nehemiah 9:31, Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28
destroy 2× Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28
to an end 2× Ezekiel 20:17, Nahum 1:9
a full end 1× Jeremiah 5:18
an end 1× Nahum 1:8
completely 1× Exodus 11:1
destruction 1× Daniel 9:27
end 1× Zephaniah 1:18
finish its destruction 1× Jeremiah 4:27
finish them off 1× Jeremiah 5:10
fully 1× Genesis 18:21
of destruction 1× Isaiah 28:22
the destruction 1× Isaiah 10:23
to a complete end 1× Ezekiel 11:13
with destruction 1× Daniel 11:16
with destructive 1× Ezekiel 13:13
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 18:21 כָּלָ֑ה to fully Adverb Exodus 11:1 כָּלָ֕ה to completely Adverb 2 Chronicles 12:12 לְכָלָ֑ה to . . . Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular Nehemiah 9:31 כָּלָ֖ה to . . . Noun - feminine singular Isaiah 10:23 כָלָ֖ה to the destruction Noun - feminine singular Isaiah 28:22 כָלָ֨ה to of destruction Noun - feminine singular Jeremiah 4:27 וְכָלָ֖ה to finish its destruction Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular Jeremiah 5:10 וְכָלָ֖ה to finish them off Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular Jeremiah 5:18 כָּלָֽה׃ to a full end Noun - masculine singular Jeremiah 30:11 כָלָ֜ה to destroy Noun - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 18:21
Aligned rows 21
Books represented 10
Genesis 1 Exodus 1 2 Chronicles 1 Nehemiah 1 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 7 Ezekiel 3 Daniel 2 Nahum 2 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
כָּלָ֖ה 4x kā·lāh Nehemiah 9:31, Ezekiel 20:17, Nahum 1:8, Nahum 1:9
וְכָלָ֖ה 2x wə·ḵā·lāh Jeremiah 4:27, Jeremiah 5:10
כָלָ֜ה 2x ḵā·lāh Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28
כָלָ֔ה 2x ḵā·lāh Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28
כָּלָה֙ 2x kā·lāh Ezekiel 11:13, Daniel 9:27
וְכָלָ֥ה 1x wə·ḵā·lāh Daniel 11:16
כָלָ֖ה 1x ḵā·lāh Isaiah 10:23
כָלָ֨ה 1x ḵā·lāh Isaiah 28:22
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular 13x Nehemiah 9:31, Isaiah 10:23, Isaiah 28:22, Jeremiah 30:11
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular 3x Jeremiah 4:27, Jeremiah 5:10, Daniel 11:16
Adverb 2x Genesis 18:21, Exodus 11:1
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular 2x 2 Chronicles 12:12, Ezekiel 13:13
Noun - masculine singular 1x Jeremiah 5:18
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Completion that consumes utterly; the word carries both fulfillment and destructive finality in its semantic range.
Source Gloss
a completion ; adverb, completely ; also destruction
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Completion that consumes utterly; the word carries both fulfillment and destructive finality in its semantic range.
a completion; adverb, completely; also destruction BDB: completion Usage: altogether, (be, utterly) consume(-d), consummation(-ption), was determined, (full, utter) end, riddance.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Completion or determined end.
Showing 1 selected witness from 21 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כָּלָה is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
The decreed destruction underscores the certainty and righteousness of God’s sovereign plan. Isaiah 10:20-23
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
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