What does קְלָלָה (qĕlālāh) mean in the Bible?
קְלָלָה (qĕlālāh): Curse as divine judgment invoked against covenant-breakers; moves from spoken vilification to enacted supernatural harm
Hebrew · H7045
קְלָלָה
Vilification
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קְלָלָהH7045
Pronunciationqĕlālāh
What does קְלָלָה (qĕlālāh) mean in the Bible?
קְלָלָה (qĕlālāh): Curse as divine judgment invoked against covenant-breakers; moves from spoken vilification to enacted supernatural harm
Full entry for קְלָלָה (H7045) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7045?
The BSB source-word alignment has 33 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and a curse (3), and cursing (3), curse (3), a curse (2), an object of cursing (2).
Where does קְלָלָה (qĕlālāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 27:12. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (11), Jeremiah (9), Genesis (2), Proverbs (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 Itand a curse3×Deuteronomy 11:26, 2 Kings 22:19, Jeremiah 49:13
and cursing3×Deuteronomy 30:19, Jeremiah 24:9, Jeremiah 25:18
curse3×Deuteronomy 21:23, Deuteronomy 29:27, Proverbs 26:2
a curse2×Genesis 27:12, Zechariah 8:13
an object of cursing2×Jeremiah 26:6, Jeremiah 44:8
curses2×Deuteronomy 28:15, Deuteronomy 28:45
of vilification2×Jeremiah 42:18, Jeremiah 44:12
the curse2×Deuteronomy 23:5, Nehemiah 13:2
The cursing [that]2×Psalms 109:17, Psalms 109:18
. . .1×1 Kings 2:8
and an object of cursing1×Jeremiah 44:22
and curses1×Deuteronomy 30:1
and the curse1×Deuteronomy 11:29
and the curses1×Joshua 8:34
as a curse1×Proverbs 27:14
but a curse1×Deuteronomy 11:28
deliver the curse1×Deuteronomy 27:13
So the curse1×Judges 9:57
the cursing [I receive]1×2 Samuel 16:12
will use this curse1×Jeremiah 29:22
Your curse1×Genesis 27:13
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 27:12קְלָלָ֖הtoa curseNoun - feminine singularGenesis 27:13קִלְלָתְךָ֖toYour curseNoun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularDeuteronomy 11:26וּקְלָלָֽה׃toand a curseConjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularDeuteronomy 11:28וְהַקְּלָלָ֗הtobut a curseConjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singularDeuteronomy 11:29הַקְּלָלָ֖הtoand the curseArticle | Noun - feminine singularDeuteronomy 21:23קִלְלַ֥תtocurseNoun - feminine singular constructDeuteronomy 23:5הַקְּלָלָ֖הtothe curseArticle | Noun - feminine singularDeuteronomy 27:13הַקְּלָלָ֖הtodeliver the curseArticle | Noun - feminine singularDeuteronomy 28:15הַקְּלָל֥וֹתtocursesArticle | Noun - feminine pluralDeuteronomy 28:45הַקְּלָל֣וֹתtocursesArticle | Noun - feminine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 27:12
Aligned rows33
Books represented12
Genesis2Deuteronomy11Joshua1Judges12 Samuel11 Kings12 Kings1Nehemiah1Psalms2Proverbs2Jeremiah9Zechariah1
Source forms
הַקְּלָלָ֖ה4xhaq·qə·lā·lāhDeuteronomy 11:29, Deuteronomy 23:5, Deuteronomy 27:13, Nehemiah 13:2
וְלִקְלָלָ֖ה3xwə·liq·lā·lāhJeremiah 25:18, Jeremiah 44:12, Jeremiah 49:13
וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה2xwə·haq·qə·lā·lāhDeuteronomy 30:19, Joshua 8:34
וְלִקְלָלָ֔ה2xwə·liq·lā·lāh2 Kings 22:19, Jeremiah 24:9
הַקְּלָלָ֔ה1xhaq·qə·lā·lāhDeuteronomy 29:27
הַקְּלָל֥וֹת1xhaq·qə·lā·lō·wṯDeuteronomy 28:15
הַקְּלָל֣וֹת1xhaq·qə·lā·lō·wṯDeuteronomy 28:45
וְהַקְּלָלָ֗ה1xwə·haq·qə·lā·lāhDeuteronomy 11:28
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular7x2 Kings 22:19, Jeremiah 24:9, Jeremiah 25:18, Jeremiah 42:18
Noun - feminine singular7xGenesis 27:12, 1 Kings 2:8, Psalms 109:17, Psalms 109:18
Article | Noun - feminine singular5xDeuteronomy 11:29, Deuteronomy 23:5, Deuteronomy 27:13, Deuteronomy 29:27
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular4xDeuteronomy 11:28, Deuteronomy 30:1, Deuteronomy 30:19, Joshua 8:34
Noun - feminine singular construct3xDeuteronomy 21:23, Judges 9:57, Proverbs 26:2
Article | Noun - feminine plural2xDeuteronomy 28:15, Deuteronomy 28:45
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular2xJeremiah 26:6, Jeremiah 44:8
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular1xDeuteronomy 11:26
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Curse as divine judgment invoked against covenant-breakers; moves from spoken vilification to enacted supernatural harm
Source Gloss
vilification
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Curse as divine judgment invoked against covenant-breakers; moves from spoken vilification to enacted supernatural harm
vilification BDB: curse Usage: (ac-) curse(-d, -ing).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
A vilification or curse that comes without cause and will not land on its target
A vilification or loud blessing given early in the morning that is perceived as a curse by the recipient
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 33 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
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.