כְּלִמָּה
𐤊𐤋𐤌𐤄
kᵉlimmâh
H3639 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state or experience of disgrace, dishonor, or shame resulting from public humiliation, insult, or defeat; encompasses both subjective internal experience (shame, mortification) and external status or social standing (disgrace, ignominy), often as a result of exposure, rebuke, or the reversal of fortune. In legal, prophetic, and poetic contexts, may denote the loss of respect, worth, or social standing.
Semantic Range
disgrace, dishonor, shame, public humiliation, reproach, ignominy, social contempt, mortification, loss of standing
Root / Etymology
From the root כָּלַם (k-l-m), meaning 'to disgrace, insult, shame, humiliate.' כְּלִמָּה is a feminine noun form, signifying the abstract state or condition resulting from acts of humiliating, shaming, or disgracing someone.
Historical & Contextual Notes
כְּלִמָּה is used in biblical Hebrew prose and poetry to denote the result of personal or collective dishonor, as experienced by individuals, families, or the nation of Israel. Common in prophetic literature, where it refers both to the shame of defeat in battle (e.g., Psalm 44:16), national humiliation by enemies (e.g., Jeremiah 20:8), and personal disgrace (e.g., Job 16:10). In legal and wisdom contexts, the term can describe the outcome of folly or moral failing. כְּלִמָּה is more intense than the related noun בֹּשֶׁת (boshet), often implying disgrace tied to public exposure or ridicule, not only internal feelings. Certain post-exilic and later texts adapt the term for communal or theological shame, while earlier usage emphasizes social standing and honor culture. English translation tends to use 'shame' or 'disgrace,' which only partly capture the public and communal implications in ancient contexts. Later Greek and Latin translations likewise used broader terms for disgrace or shame, while much later English use of 'reproach' and 'dishonor' sometimes narrows the sense to insult or blame, missing the full range of social consequence.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from כָּלַם; disgrace; confusion, dishonour, reproach, shame.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כלם (k-l-m) — to disgrace, to insult, to shame, to humiliate
Word Forms
15 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3639-13 |
וּ/כְלִמָּ֖ה | ukhelimah | HC/Ncfsa |
and dishonor | and public disgrace | 4 |
H3639-02 |
כְּלִמַּ֥ת | kelimat | HNcfsc |
the shame | disgrace of | 4 |
H3639-03 |
כְּלִמָּתָ֥/ם | kelimatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their-disgrace | their disgrace | 3 |
H3639-10 |
כְלִמָּתֵ֗/ךְ | khelimatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your shame | your disgrace | 3 |
H3639-09 |
כְלִמָּתָ֖/ם | khelimatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their shame | their disgrace | 3 |
H3639-06 |
כְּלִמָּתִ֣/י | kelimati | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my dishonor | my disgrace | 2 |
H3639-08 |
כְלִמָּ֖ה | khelimah | HNcfsa |
shame | disgrace | 2 |
H3639-11 |
לִ/כְלִמָּֽה | likhelimah | HR/Ncfsa |
for humiliation | for disgrace | 2 |
H3639-04 |
כְּלִמָּתֵ֑/ךְ | kelimatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your shame | your disgrace | 1 |
H3639-14 |
וּ/כְלִמָּתִ֑/י | ukhelimati | HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs |
and my disgrace | and my disgrace | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
30 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3639-11 |
Isaiah 30:3 | לִ/כְלִמָּֽה | likhelimah | HR/Ncfsa |
for humiliation | for disgrace |
H3639-15 |
Isaiah 45:16 | בַ/כְּלִמָּ֔ה | vakelimah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in humiliation | in the disgrace |
H3639-12 |
Isaiah 50:6 | מִ/כְּלִמּ֖וֹת | mikelimot | HR/Ncfpa |
from humiliation | from humiliations |
H3639-13 |
Isaiah 61:7 | וּ/כְלִמָּ֖ה | ukhelimah | HC/Ncfsa |
and humiliation | and public disgrace |
H3639-05 |
Jeremiah 3:25 | כְּלִמָּתֵ/נוּ֒ | kelimatenu | HNcfsc/Sp1cp |
our disgrace | our disgrace |
H3639-02 |
Jeremiah 20:11 | כְּלִמַּ֥ת | kelimat | HNcfsc |
dishonor | disgrace of |
H3639-08 |
Jeremiah 51:51 | כְלִמָּ֖ה | khelimah | HNcfsa |
shame | disgrace |
H3639-10 |
Ezekiel 16:52 | כְלִמָּתֵ֗/ךְ | khelimatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your shame | your disgrace |
H3639-10 |
Ezekiel 16:52 | כְלִמָּתֵ֔/ךְ | khelimatekhe-2 | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your shame | your disgrace |
H3639-10 |
Ezekiel 16:54 | כְלִמָּתֵ֔/ךְ | khelimatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your disgrace | your disgrace |