What does סָקַל (sāqal) mean in the Bible?
סָקַל (sāqal): To stone to death; paradoxically derived from "weight" but never conveys heaviness literally.
Hebrew · H5619
סָקַל
Properly, to be weighty ; but used only in the sense of lapidation or its contrary (as if a de lapidation)
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סָקַל H5619
Pronunciation sāqal
What does סָקַל (sāqal) mean in the Bible?
סָקַל (sāqal): To stone to death; paradoxically derived from "weight" but never conveys heaviness literally.
Full entry for סָקַל (H5619) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5619?
The BSB source-word alignment has 22 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (2), must be stoned (2), and cleared the stones (1), and stone (1), and stone him (1).
Where does סָקַל (sāqal) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 8:26. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (8), 1 Kings (4), Deuteronomy (4), 2 Samuel (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 . . . 2× Exodus 19:13, Exodus 21:28
must be stoned 2× Exodus 21:29, Exodus 21:32
and cleared the stones 1× Isaiah 5:2
and stone 1× Deuteronomy 22:24
and stone him 1× 1 Kings 21:10
and stoned him 1× 1 Kings 21:13
and they will stone me 1× Exodus 17:4
and you must stone that person 1× Deuteronomy 17:5
clear away 1× Isaiah 62:10
had been stoned 1× 1 Kings 21:15
has been stoned 1× 1 Kings 21:14
he shall surely be stoned 1× Exodus 19:13
He threw stones 1× 2 Samuel 16:6
must surely be stoned 1× Exodus 21:28
of stoning him 1× 1 Samuel 30:6
Stone him 1× Deuteronomy 13:10
stone us 1× Exodus 8:26
Then they stoned [the others] 1× Joshua 7:25
threw stones 1× 2 Samuel 16:13
will stone her 1× Deuteronomy 22:21
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 8:26 יִסְקְלֻֽנוּ׃ to stone us Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common plural Exodus 17:4 וּסְקָלֻֽנִי׃ to and they will stone me Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular Exodus 19:13 סָק֤וֹל to he shall surely be stoned Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Exodus 19:13 יִסָּקֵל֙ to . . . Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 21:28 סָק֨וֹל to must surely be stoned Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Exodus 21:28 יִסָּקֵ֜ל to . . . Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 21:29 יִסָּקֵ֔ל to must be stoned Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 21:32 יִסָּקֵֽל׃ס to must be stoned Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 13:10 וּסְקַלְתּ֥וֹ to Stone him Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 17:5 וּסְקַלְתָּ֥ם to and you must stone that person Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 8:26
Aligned rows 22
Books represented 7
Exodus 8 Deuteronomy 4 Joshua 1 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 2 1 Kings 4 Isaiah 2
Source forms
וַיְסַקֵּ֤ל 2x way·saq·qêl 2 Samuel 16:6, 2 Samuel 16:13
סֻקַּ֥ל 2x suq·qal 1 Kings 21:14, 1 Kings 21:15
וַֽיְסַקְּלֵ֗הוּ 1x way·saq·qə·lê·hū Isaiah 5:2
וַיִּסְקְלֻ֥הוּ 1x way·yis·qə·lu·hū 1 Kings 21:13
וַיִּסְקְל֥וּ 1x way·yis·qə·lū Joshua 7:25
וְסִקְלֻ֖הוּ 1x wə·siq·lu·hū 1 Kings 21:10
וּסְקָלוּהָ֩ 1x ū·sə·qā·lū·hā Deuteronomy 22:21
וּסְקָלֻֽנִי׃ 1x ū·sə·qā·lu·nî Exodus 17:4
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Exodus 19:13, Exodus 21:28, Exodus 21:29, Exodus 21:32
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x 2 Samuel 16:6, 2 Samuel 16:13
Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular 2x 1 Kings 21:14, 1 Kings 21:15
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute 2x Exodus 19:13, Exodus 21:28
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular 1x Isaiah 5:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural 1x Deuteronomy 22:24
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural 1x Deuteronomy 17:5
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 13:10
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. To stone to death; paradoxically derived from "weight" but never conveys heaviness literally.
Source Gloss
properly, to be weighty ; but used only in the sense of lapidation or its contrary (as if a de lapidation)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
To stone to death; paradoxically derived from "weight" but never conveys heaviness literally.
properly, to be weighty; but used only in the sense of lapidation or its contrary (as if a delapidation) BDB: stone Usage: (cast, gather out, throw) stone(-s), × surely.
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 4 Aligned forms 9
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 4×
Imperfect Exod 19:13 · Exod 21:28 · Exod 21:29 · Exod 21:32 4×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 2×
Perfect 1Kgs 21:14 · 1Kgs 21:15 2×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 2×
Infinitive absolute Exod 19:13 · Exod 21:28 2×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Sequential imperfect Isa 62:10 1×
Word Origins
סָקַל is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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