כָּלָה
𐤊𐤋𐤄
kâlâh
H3615 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To bring to completion or fulfillment; to finish, come to an end, or consume. The root כָּלָה expresses the reaching or accomplishing of a limit or an intended purpose, and hence also ending, ceasing, or perishing. Intransitively, it refers to being completed, finished, or exhausted; transitively, to completing, bringing to an end, consuming, or destroying. It can also carry the sense of longing or pining away, as of a soul reaching its limit. The word's semantic range thus includes both neutral senses of completion and negative senses of complete destruction or consumption.
Semantic Range
to finish, to complete, to accomplish, to bring to an end, to cease, to perish, to be exhausted, to consume, to destroy utterly, to fail, to long for, to pine away, to faint, to spend, to be fulfilled
Root / Etymology
Root: כ-ל-ה. Root meaning: to end, to complete, to finish. The word derives from the root כָּלָה, which conveys the sense of reaching the limit of something, whether a process, resource, or life. Its concrete origin is related to being finished or exhausted, leading to the derived verbal, nominal, and adjectival forms meaning completion, end, or consumption.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, כָּלָה is used widely in both prose and poetry. In legal, narrative, and prophetic contexts, it can describe the conclusion of activities, tasks, or periods ('the work was finished'), the complete consumption of resources ('food was spent'), the exhaustion or perishing of individuals or peoples ('my soul longs for you', 'they perished'), or the decisive destruction of entities ('cities were utterly destroyed'). The verb is often paired with objects: to complete a task, to finish a sacrifice, or to consume an offering. The nuance shifts from neutral or positive completion (as in building the tabernacle) to negative completion (utter destruction). In poetic texts, it can also express the deepest longing or pining of the soul or body, a metaphorical 'coming to an end' from deep desire. The term distinguishes itself from שָׁלֵם (shalem, 'to be whole, complete in well-being') in emphasizing the act or process of bringing to a close rather than the state of completeness or wholeness. In late biblical Hebrew, some senses of utter destruction become more common, especially in exilic and post-exilic prophetic literature. English translations vary in rendering, sometimes as 'consume,' 'finish,' 'destroy,' or 'complete,' but rarely capture the full breadth between positive accomplishment and irreversible ending.
Translation Consistency
"Finish" is the most natural, broadly applicable English verb that captures the primary senses of כָּלָה: bring to completion, come to an end, be exhausted, or be consumed. It is the most frequent rendering in the P2 data and can be inflected to represent both neutral completion (finish/finished) and contextually negative outcomes (be finished/consumed/destroyed) without sounding awkward. Using "finish" ensures consistent, natural translations across the varied uses of this root.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume); accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine, destroy (utterly), be (when... were) done, (be an) end (of), expire, (cause to) fail, faint, finish, fulfil, [idiom] fully, [idiom] have, leave (off), long, bring to pass, wholly reap, make clean riddance, spend, quite take away, waste.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
כלה (Keluhay) — to complete, bring to an end, consume, finish
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3616 | כָּלֶה | and wasting-away ones |
| H3617 | כָּלָה | completion |
| H3622 | כְּלוּהַי | Yah Completes |
| H3623 | כְּלוּלָה | your bridehood-completions |
| H3627 | כְּלִי | in the prepared implement |
Word Forms
84 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3615-64 |
וַ/יְכַ֣ל | vayekhal | HC/Vpw3ms |
and finished | and he brought to completion | and he finished | 14 |
H3615-15 |
כַּלּ֤וּ | kalu | HVpv2mp |
fail | Bring to complete end! | they are finished | 10 |
H3615-07 |
כָּלָ֣ה | kalah | HVqp3ms |
completion | completed woman | finish | 9 |
H3615-16 |
כְּ/כַלּ֣וֹת | kekhalot | HR/Vpc |
when finishing | as bringing to completion | as finishing | 9 |
H3615-36 |
כִּלָּה֙ | kilah | HVpp3ms |
he had finished | he brought to completion | he finished | 9 |
H3615-18 |
כְּ/כַלֹּת/וֹ֙ | kekhaloto | HR/Vpc/Sp3ms |
when he had finished | as his completing | as he finished | 7 |
H3615-41 |
כִּלּ֣וּ | kilu | HVpp3cp |
had finished | they brought to completion | they finished | 7 |
H3615-11 |
כַּלֹּתָֽ/ם | kalotam | HVpc/Sp3mp |
they are consumed | their bringing-to-an-end | their finishing | 6 |
H3615-72 |
וְ/כִלָּ֗ה | vekhilah | HC/Vpp3ms |
and-consume | and he brought to completion | and it finished | 6 |
H3615-08 |
כַּלֵּֽה | kaleh | HVpa |
consume | to utterly complete | to utterly finish | 5 |
Occurrences in Scripture
205 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3615-68 |
Genesis 2:1 | וַ/יְכֻלּ֛וּ | vayekhulu | HC/VPw3mp |
were finished | and they were completed | and they were completed |
H3615-64 |
Genesis 2:2 | וַ/יְכַ֤ל | vayekhal | HC/Vpw3ms |
finished | and he brought to completion | and he finished |
H3615-50 |
Genesis 6:16 | תְּכַלֶ֣/נָּה | tekhalenah | HVpi2ms/Sp3fs |
you shall finish it | you will bring her to completion | you shall finish it |
H3615-64 |
Genesis 17:22 | וַ/יְכַ֖ל | vayekhal | HC/Vpw3ms |
And he finished | and he brought to completion | and he finished |
H3615-36 |
Genesis 18:33 | כִּלָּ֔ה | kilah | HVpp3ms |
he had finished | he brought to completion | he finished |
H3615-69 |
Genesis 21:15 | וַ/יִּכְל֥וּ | vayikhelu | HC/Vqw3mp |
was gone | and they came to an end | and they finished |
H3615-36 |
Genesis 24:15 | כִּלָּ֣ה | kilah | HVpp3ms |
he had finished | he brought to completion | he finished |
H3615-61 |
Genesis 24:19 | וַ/תְּכַ֖ל | vatekhal | HC/Vpw3fs |
and she finished | she brought to completion | and she finished |
H3615-41 |
Genesis 24:19 | כִּלּ֖וּ | kilu | HVpp3cp |
they have finished | they brought to completion | they have finished |
H3615-41 |
Genesis 24:22 | כִּלּ֤וּ | kilu | HVpp3cp |
had finished | they brought to completion | they finished |
H3615-01 |
Genesis 24:45 | אֲכַלֶּ֜ה | akhaleh | HVpi1cs |
had finished | I will bring to completion | I finished |
H3615-36 |
Genesis 27:30 | כִּלָּ֣ה | kilah | HVpp3ms |
he had finished | he brought to completion | he finished |
H3615-72 |
Genesis 41:30 | וְ/כִלָּ֥ה | vekhilah | HC/Vpq3ms |
and will consume | and he brought to completion | and will consume |
H3615-63 |
Genesis 41:53 | וַ/תִּכְלֶ֕ינָה | vatikheleynah | HC/Vqw3fp |
came to an end | and they were finished | and they came to an end |
H3615-41 |
Genesis 43:2 | כִּלּוּ֙ | kilu | HVpp3cp |
they had finished | they brought to completion | they finished |
H3615-36 |
Genesis 44:12 | כִּלָּ֑ה | kilah | HVpp3ms |
ending | he brought to completion | he finished |
H3615-64 |
Genesis 49:33 | וַ/יְכַ֤ל | vayekhal | HC/Vpw3ms |
And he finished | and he brought to completion | and he finished |
H3615-15 |
Exodus 5:13 | כַּלּ֤וּ | kalu | HVpv2mp |
Complete | Bring to complete end! | Finish, you (plural)! |
H3615-32 |
Exodus 5:14 | כִלִּיתֶ֨ם | khilitem | HVpp2mp |
have you completed | you have brought to completion | you have brought to completion |
H3615-18 |
Exodus 31:18 | כְּ/כַלֹּת/וֹ֙ | kekhaloto | HR/Vpc/Sp3ms |
when he had finished | as his completing | as he finished |
H3615-60 |
Exodus 32:10 | וַ/אֲכַלֵּ֑/ם | vaakhalem | HC/Vph1cs/Sp3mp |
and that I may consume them | let me utterly consume them | and consume them |
H3615-57 |
Exodus 32:12 | וּ֨/לְ/כַלֹּתָ֔/ם | ulekhalotam | HC/R/Vpc/Sp3mp |
and to annihilate them | and to fully consume them | and to annihilate them |
H3615-02 |
Exodus 33:3 | אֲכֶלְ/ךָ֖ | akhelekha | HVpi1cs/Sp2ms |
I consume you | I will completely consume you | I will completely consume you |
H3615-77 |
Exodus 33:5 | וְ/כִלִּיתִ֑י/ךָ | vekhilitikha | HC/Vpq1cs/Sp2ms |
and consume you | and I completely consume you | and I consume you |
H3615-64 |
Exodus 34:33 | וַ/יְכַ֣ל | vayekhal | HC/Vpw3ms |
and finished | and he brought to completion | and he finished |
H3615-62 |
Exodus 39:32 | וַ/תֵּ֕כֶל | vatekhel | HC/Vqw3fs |
and it was completed | and she came to an end | and it was completed |
H3615-64 |
Exodus 40:33 | וַ/יְכַ֥ל | vayekhal | HC/Vpw3ms |
and finished | and he brought to completion | and he finished |
H3615-72 |
Leviticus 16:20 | וְ/כִלָּה֙ | vekhilah | HC/Vpq3ms |
And when he has finished | and he brought to completion | and he finished |
H3615-49 |
Leviticus 19:9 | תְכַלֶּ֛ה | tekhaleh | HVpi2ms |
you shall finish | you will fully complete | you will fully finish |
H3615-49 |
Leviticus 23:22 | תְכַלֶּ֞ה | tekhaleh | HVpi2ms |
you-shall-finish | you will fully complete | you will fully finish |
H3615-48 |
Leviticus 26:16 | מְכַלּ֥וֹת | mekhalot | HVprfpa |
wasting | consuming women | consuming |
H3615-45 |
Leviticus 26:44 | לְ/כַלֹּתָ֔/ם | lekhalotam | HR/Vpc/Sp3mp |
to destroy them | to completely consume them | to completely consume them |
H3615-72 |
Numbers 4:15 | וְ/כִלָּ֣ה | vekhilah | HC/Vpq3ms |
and-when-they-have-finished | and he brought to completion | and when he has finished |
H3615-10 |
Numbers 7:1 | כַּלּ֨וֹת | kalot | HVpc |
finishing | to bring to completion | finishing |
H3615-59 |
Numbers 16:21 | וַ/אַכַלֶּ֥ה | vaakhaleh | HC/Vph1cs |
and I will consume | let me utterly end | and let me utterly finish |
H3615-18 |
Numbers 16:31 | כְּ/כַלֹּת֔/וֹ | kekhaloto | HR/Vpc/Sp3ms |
as he finished | as his completing | as he finished |
H3615-59 |
Numbers 17:10 | וַ/אֲכַלֶּ֥ה | vaakhaleh | HC/Vpi1cs |
and-I-will-consume | let me utterly end | and let me utterly finish |
H3615-58 |
Numbers 17:25 | וּ/תְכַ֧ל | utekhal | HC/Vpi2ms |
and it will end | and you will completely finish | and you will completely finish |
H3615-33 |
Numbers 25:11 | כִלִּ֥יתִי | khiliti | HVpp1cs |
I-finished | I have fully consumed | I have fully consumed |
H3615-11 |
Deuteronomy 7:22 | כַּלֹּתָ֣/ם | kalotam | HVpc/Sp3mp |
to-finish-them | their bringing-to-an-end | their finishing |
H3615-16 |
Deuteronomy 20:9 | כְּ/כַלֹּ֥ת | kekhalot | HR/Vpc |
when they finish | as bringing to completion | when they finish |
H3615-49 |
Deuteronomy 26:12 | תְכַלֶּ֞ה | tekhaleh | HVpi2ms |
you have finished | you will fully complete | you have fully completed |
H3615-14 |
Deuteronomy 28:21 | כַּלֹּת֣/וֹ | kaloto | HVpc/Sp3ms |
it consumes | his bringing-to-completion | his finishing |
H3615-16 |
Deuteronomy 31:24 | כְּ/כַלּ֣וֹת | kekhalot | HR/Vpc |
when finishing | as bringing to completion | as finishing |
H3615-01 |
Deuteronomy 32:23 | אֲכַלֶּה | akhaleh | HVpi1cs |
I will spend | I will bring to completion | I will finish |
H3615-64 |
Deuteronomy 32:45 | וַ/יְכַ֣ל | vayekhal | HC/Vpw3ms |
And Moses finished | and he brought to completion | and he finished |
H3615-16 |
Joshua 8:24 | כְּ/כַלּ֣וֹת | kekhalot | HR/Vpc |
when ... had finished | as bringing to completion | as finishing |
H3615-16 |
Joshua 10:20 | כְּ/כַלּ֨וֹת | kekhalot | HR/Vpc |
when finishing | as bringing to completion | as finishing |
H3615-66 |
Joshua 19:49 | וַ/יְכַלּ֥וּ | vayekhalu | HC/Vpw3mp |
and they finished | and they brought to completion | and they finished |
H3615-66 |
Joshua 19:51 | וַ/יְכַלּ֕וּ | vayekhalu | HC/Vpw3mp |
And they finished | and they brought to completion | and they finished |