What does כָּשַׁל (kāšal) mean in the Bible?
כָּשַׁל (kāšal): Physical weakness escalating to moral/spiritual failure; stumbling progresses from literal trip to complete collapse or ruin
Hebrew · H3782
כָּשַׁל
To totter or waver (through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter , stumble , faint or fall
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כָּשַׁל H3782
Pronunciation kāšal
What does כָּשַׁל (kāšal) mean in the Bible?
כָּשַׁל (kāšal): Physical weakness escalating to moral/spiritual failure; stumbling progresses from literal trip to complete collapse or ruin
Full entry for כָּשַׁל (H3782) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3782?
The BSB source-word alignment has 63 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include stumble (7), will stumble (5), they stumble (4), stumbles (3), to stumble (3).
Where does כָּשַׁל (kāšal) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 26:37. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (11), Jeremiah (11), Psalms (7), Daniel (6).
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 stumble 7× Proverbs 4:12, Proverbs 24:16, Isaiah 40:30, Isaiah 63:13
will stumble 5× Isaiah 8:15, Isaiah 31:3, Jeremiah 20:11, Jeremiah 50:32
they stumble 4× Psalms 9:3, Jeremiah 46:6, Nahum 2:5, Nahum 3:3
stumbles 3× Isaiah 5:27, Jeremiah 46:12, Hosea 5:5
to stumble 3× Jeremiah 46:16, Ezekiel 36:15, Malachi 2:8
has stumbled 2× Isaiah 3:8, Isaiah 59:14
stumbled 2× Psalms 27:2, Psalms 105:37
the feeble 2× 2 Chronicles 28:15, Isaiah 35:3
they will collapse 2× Jeremiah 6:15, Jeremiah 8:12
will fall 2× Daniel 11:35, Daniel 11:41
and [power] to overthrow 1× 2 Chronicles 25:8
and fall 1× Isaiah 40:30
are weak 1× Psalms 109:24
but he will stumble 1× Daniel 11:19
but the feeble 1× 1 Samuel 2:4
but they will fail 1× Daniel 11:14
cause him to stumble 1× Ezekiel 33:12
fails 1× Nehemiah 4:10
has broken 1× Lamentations 1:14
has drained 1× Psalms 31:10
Let them be overthrown 1× Jeremiah 18:23
makes them stumble 1× Proverbs 4:19
Now when they fall 1× Daniel 11:34
or deprive 1× Ezekiel 36:14
stagger 1× Lamentations 5:13
stumbling 1× Isaiah 28:13
that make them stumble 1× Jeremiah 18:15
the downfall 1× 2 Chronicles 28:23
the weakest 1× Zechariah 12:8
they make someone fall 1× Proverbs 4:16
they stumbled 1× Psalms 107:12
They will be made to stumble 1× Psalms 64:8
they will fall 1× Daniel 11:33
They will stumble 1× Leviticus 26:37
those who stumbled 1× Job 4:4
We stumble 1× Isaiah 59:10
when he stumbles 1× Proverbs 24:17
will be staggered 1× Jeremiah 6:21
will overthrow you 1× 2 Chronicles 25:8
you have stumbled 1× Hosea 14:1
You will stumble 1× Hosea 4:5
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 26:37 וְכָשְׁל֧וּ to They will stumble Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 1 Samuel 2:4 וְנִכְשָׁלִ֖ים to but the feeble Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural 2 Chronicles 25:8 יַכְשִֽׁילְךָ֤ to will overthrow you Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular 2 Chronicles 25:8 וּלְהַכְשִֽׁיל׃ to and [power] to overthrow Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct 2 Chronicles 28:15 כּוֹשֵׁ֔ל to the feeble Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 28:23 לְהַכְשִׁיל֖וֹ to the downfall Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular Nehemiah 4:10 כָּשַׁל֙ to fails Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Job 4:4 כּ֭וֹשֵׁל to those who stumbled Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Psalms 9:3 יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ to they stumble Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Psalms 27:2 כָשְׁל֣וּ to stumbled Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Leviticus 26:37
Aligned rows 63
Books represented 16
Leviticus 1 1 Samuel 1 2 Chronicles 4 Nehemiah 1 Job 1 Psalms 7 Proverbs 5 Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 11 Lamentations 2 Ezekiel 3 Daniel 6 Hosea 6 Nahum 2 Zechariah 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ 5x yik·kā·šə·lū Jeremiah 6:15, Jeremiah 8:12, Jeremiah 20:11, Jeremiah 31:9
וְכָשַׁ֤ל 2x wə·ḵā·šal Isaiah 31:3, Jeremiah 50:32
יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ 2x yik·kā·šə·lū Psalms 9:3, Proverbs 24:16
יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃ 2x yik·kā·šê·lū Isaiah 40:30, Isaiah 63:13
הִכְשִׁ֣יל 1x hiḵ·šîl Lamentations 1:14
הִכְשַׁלְתֶּ֥ם 1x hiḵ·šal·tem Malachi 2:8
הַנִּכְשָׁ֥ל 1x han·niḵ·šāl Zechariah 12:8
וּבְהִכָּ֣שְׁלָ֔ם 1x ū·ḇə·hik·kā·šə·lām Daniel 11:34
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 14x Psalms 9:3, Proverbs 4:19, Proverbs 24:16, Isaiah 40:30
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 6x Psalms 27:2, Psalms 107:12, Psalms 109:24, Jeremiah 46:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 5x Leviticus 26:37, Isaiah 8:15, Isaiah 28:13, Jeremiah 6:21
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 5x 2 Chronicles 28:15, Job 4:4, Psalms 105:37, Isaiah 5:27
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 3x Isaiah 31:3, Jeremiah 50:32, Hosea 4:5
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 3x Nehemiah 4:10, Psalms 31:10, Hosea 5:5
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Daniel 11:14, Daniel 11:33
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular 2x Isaiah 3:8, Isaiah 59:14
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Physical weakness escalating to moral/spiritual failure; stumbling progresses from literal trip to complete collapse or ruin
Strong's H3782
Lexical occurrences 65 verses Word forms 5 forms 44 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Hosea 14:9 Source Gloss
to totter or waver (through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter , stumble , faint or fall
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Physical weakness escalating to moral/spiritual failure; stumbling progresses from literal trip to complete collapse or ruin
to totter or waver (through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter, stumble, faint or fall BDB: stumble Usage: bereave (from the margin), cast down, be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall (down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin(-ed, of), (be) overthrown, (cause to) stumble, × utterly, be weak.
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 5 Aligned forms 44
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 17×
Imperfect Dan 11:35 · Dan 11:41 · Hos 5:5 · Hos 14:10 · Isa 40:30 · Isa 63:13 · Jer 6:15 · Jer 8:12 · Jer 20:11 · Jer 31:9 · Nah 2:6 · Nah 3:3 · Prov 4:19 · Prov 24:16 · Ps 9:4 · Ezek 33:12 17×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 21×
Perfect Jer 46:6 · Jer 46:12 · Lam 5:13 · Ps 27:2 · Ps 107:12 · Ps 109:24 · Hos 5:5 · Neh 4:4 · Ps 31:11 · Isa 3:8 · Isa 59:14 · Hos 14:2 · Isa 59:10 13×
Participle active 2Chr 28:15 · Isa 5:27 · Isa 35:3 · Jer 46:16 · Job 4:4 · Ps 105:37 6×
Infinitive absolute Isa 40:30 1×
Imperfect Prov 4:16 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Imperfect Ezek 36:14 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 4×
Imperfect Ezek 36:15 · Prov 4:16 2×
Perfect Lam 1:14 · Mal 2:8 2×
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 1×
Participle passive Jer 18:23 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to stumble
To totter or fall.
To stumble or fall due to weakness or offense.
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 65 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כָּשַׁל is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Persistent rejection results in spiritual collapse. Hosea 14:9
The term captures the moral and spiritual collapse resulting from rebellion against the Lord. Isaiah 28:7-13
Describes the fate of transgressors. Isaiah 3:1-12
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