What does קָלַל (qālal) mean in the Bible?
קָלַל (qālal): Core semantic shift from physical lightness to moral degradation; cursing involves making someone light or worthless.
Hebrew · H7043
קָלַל
To be (causatively, make ) light , literally ( swift , small , sharp , etc.) or figuratively ( easy , trifling , vile , etc.)
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קָלַל H7043
Pronunciation qālal
What does קָלַל (qālal) mean in the Bible?
קָלַל (qālal): Core semantic shift from physical lightness to moral degradation; cursing involves making someone light or worthless.
Full entry for קָלַל (H7043) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7043?
The BSB source-word alignment has 82 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include curse (6), are swifter (4), curses (2), had receded (2), he yelled curses (2).
Where does קָלַל (qālal) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 8:8. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Samuel (11), Leviticus (7), Genesis (6), Isaiah (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 curse 6× Leviticus 19:14, 2 Samuel 16:9, 2 Samuel 16:10, Psalms 109:28
are swifter 4× Job 7:6, Job 9:25, Jeremiah 4:13, Habakkuk 1:8
curses 2× Leviticus 20:9, Leviticus 24:15
had receded 2× Genesis 8:8, Genesis 8:11
he yelled curses 2× 2 Samuel 16:7, 2 Samuel 16:13
Lighten 2× 1 Kings 12:9, 2 Chronicles 10:9
must make it lighter 2× 1 Kings 12:10, 2 Chronicles 10:10
the blasphemer 2× Leviticus 24:14, Leviticus 24:23
to curse you 2× Deuteronomy 23:4, Joshua 24:9
with very little care 2× Jeremiah 6:14, Jeremiah 8:11
and called down a curse on them 1× 2 Kings 2:24
and called down curses on them 1× Nehemiah 13:25
and cursed 1× Job 3:1
and I will humiliate 1× 2 Samuel 6:22
and let him curse me 1× 2 Samuel 16:11
Anyone who curses 1× Exodus 21:17
are treated with contempt 1× Ezekiel 22:7
blaspheme 1× Exodus 22:28
blasphemed God 1× 1 Samuel 3:13
but inwardly they curse 1× Psalms 62:4
but the cursed 1× Psalms 37:22
comes easily 1× Proverbs 14:6
cursed 1× 1 Samuel 17:43
curses against me 1× 1 Kings 2:8
curses me 1× Jeremiah 15:10
cursing you 1× Ecclesiastes 7:21
Does it seem trivial 1× 1 Samuel 18:23
have cursed 1× Ecclesiastes 7:22
he cursed 1× 2 Samuel 19:21
he curses me 1× 2 Samuel 16:10
He has cursed 1× Leviticus 20:9
He humbled 1× Isaiah 9:1
he kept yelling out curses 1× 2 Samuel 16:5
He shakes 1× Ezekiel 21:21
he will curse you 1× Proverbs 30:10
He will lift 1× 1 Samuel 6:5
I am insignificant 1× Job 40:4
is a simple matter 1× 2 Kings 3:18
is cursed 1× Job 24:18
Is it not enough 1× Ezekiel 8:17
It is easy 1× 2 Kings 20:10
It is not enough 1× Isaiah 49:6
must lighten 1× 1 Kings 12:4
not enough 1× 1 Kings 16:31
of those who curse 1× Proverbs 30:11
she began to despise 1× Genesis 16:4
she has treated me with contempt 1× Genesis 16:5
so that your load may be lightened 1× Exodus 18:22
then do you despise us 1× 2 Samuel 19:43
they cursed 1× Judges 9:27
They were swifter 1× 2 Samuel 1:23
they will curse 1× Isaiah 8:21
those who curse you 1× Genesis 12:3
to call down a curse 1× Nehemiah 13:2
to disgrace 1× Isaiah 23:9
to lighten 1× Jonah 1:5
unsharpened 1× Ecclesiastes 10:10
were swaying 1× Jeremiah 4:24
Whoever curses 1× Proverbs 20:20
will be considered accursed 1× Isaiah 65:20
will be disdained 1× 1 Samuel 2:30
will be faster 1× Isaiah 30:16
will I curse 1× Genesis 8:21
with a curse 1× Leviticus 24:11
you are contemptible 1× Nahum 1:14
you must lighten 1× 2 Chronicles 10:4
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 8:8 הֲקַ֣לּוּ to had receded Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Genesis 8:11 קַ֥לּוּ to had receded Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Genesis 8:21 לְקַלֵּ֨ל to will I curse Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Genesis 12:3 וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ to those who curse you Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Genesis 16:4 וַתֵּקַ֥ל to she began to despise Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Genesis 16:5 וָאֵקַ֖ל to she has treated me with contempt Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular Exodus 18:22 וְהָקֵל֙ to so that your load may be lightened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular Exodus 21:17 וּמְקַלֵּ֥ל to Anyone who curses Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular Exodus 22:28 תְקַלֵּ֑ל to blaspheme Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Leviticus 19:14 תְקַלֵּ֣ל to curse Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 8:8
Aligned rows 82
Books represented 22
Genesis 6 Exodus 3 Leviticus 7 Deuteronomy 1 Joshua 1 Judges 1 1 Samuel 5 2 Samuel 11 1 Kings 5 2 Kings 3 2 Chronicles 3 Nehemiah 2 Job 5 Psalms 3 Proverbs 4 Ecclesiastes 5 Isaiah 6 Jeremiah 5 Ezekiel 3 Jonah 1 Nahum 1 Habakkuk 1
Source forms
הַֽמְקַלֵּ֗ל 2x ham·qal·lêl Leviticus 24:14, Leviticus 24:23
הָקֵל֩ 2x hā·qêl 1 Kings 12:4, 2 Chronicles 10:4
הָקֵל֙ 2x hā·qêl 1 Kings 12:9, 2 Chronicles 10:9
הָקֵ֣ל 2x hā·qêl 1 Kings 12:10, 2 Chronicles 10:10
וַיְקַלֵּ֔ל 2x way·qal·lêl Leviticus 24:11, 2 Samuel 16:13
לְהָקֵ֖ל 2x lə·hā·qêl Isaiah 23:9, Jonah 1:5
נְקַלָּ֔ה 2x nə·qal·lāh Jeremiah 6:14, Jeremiah 8:11
קַ֭לּוּ 2x qal·lū Job 7:6, Job 9:25
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular 6x 1 Kings 12:4, 1 Kings 12:9, 1 Kings 12:10, 2 Chronicles 10:4
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 6x Genesis 8:8, Genesis 8:11, 2 Samuel 1:23, Job 7:6
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 5x 1 Kings 16:31, 2 Kings 20:10, Proverbs 14:6, Isaiah 49:6
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 5x Leviticus 20:9, Leviticus 24:15, 2 Samuel 16:9, 2 Samuel 16:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Leviticus 24:11, 1 Samuel 17:43, 2 Samuel 16:13, Job 3:1
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 4x Exodus 22:28, Leviticus 19:14, Ecclesiastes 10:20
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular 4x Leviticus 20:9, 2 Samuel 19:21, Ecclesiastes 10:10, Ezekiel 21:21
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular 3x 1 Samuel 18:23, Jeremiah 6:14, Jeremiah 8:11
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Core semantic shift from physical lightness to moral degradation; cursing involves making someone light or worthless.
Strong's H7043
Lexical occurrences 82 verses Word forms 7 forms 45 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 16:1-6 Source Gloss
to be (causatively, make ) light , literally ( swift , small , sharp , etc.) or figuratively ( easy , trifling , vile , etc.)
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 7 Aligned forms 45
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 9×
Sequential imperfect 1Kgs 12:4 · 1Kgs 12:9 · 1Kgs 12:10 · 2Chr 10:4 · 2Chr 10:9 · 2Chr 10:10 6×
Perfect Ezek 22:7 · Isa 8:23 2×
Imperfect 1Sam 6:5 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 8×
Perfect 2Sam 1:23 · Gen 8:11 · Jer 4:13 · Job 7:6 · Job 9:25 · Job 40:4 · Nah 1:14 7×
Imperfect 1Sam 2:30 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 17×
Imperfect 2Sam 16:9 · 2Sam 16:10 · Lev 20:9 · Lev 24:15 · Prov 30:11 · Exod 22:27 · Lev 19:14 · Ps 62:5 · Ps 109:28 9×
Perfect 2Sam 19:22 · Lev 20:9 · Eccl 7:22 3×
Participle active 1Sam 3:13 · Prov 20:20 2×
Jussive Eccl 10:20 2×
Sequential imperfect 2Sam 16:10 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 6×
Perfect 2Kgs 20:10 · Isa 49:6 2×
Participle passive Jer 6:14 · Jer 8:11 2×
Imperfect Isa 30:16 1×
Participle active Prov 14:6 1×
Pilpel 2×
Perfect Eccl 10:10 · Ezek 21:26 2×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 2×
Imperfect Isa 65:20 · Job 24:18 2×
Pealal 1×
Perfect Jer 4:24 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
to be held in contempt or low regard, figurative sense of vile
to speak ill of or bring into contempt, figurative sense of vile
to speak disrespectfully toward parents, bringing them into contempt
to be spoken against or brought into contempt by others
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 82 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
קָלַל 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