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 recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
כלם (kâlam) — to shame, disgrace, humiliate
Word Forms
15 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3639-02 |
כְּלִמַּ֥ת | kelimat | HNcfsc |
the shame | disgrace of | disgrace of | 4 |
H3639-13 |
וּ/כְלִמָּ֖ה | ukhelimah | HC/Ncfsa |
and dishonor | and public disgrace | and dishonor | 4 |
H3639-03 |
כְּלִמָּתָ֥/ם | kelimatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their-disgrace | their disgrace | their disgrace | 3 |
H3639-09 |
כְלִמָּתָ֖/ם | khelimatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their shame | their disgrace | their shame | 3 |
H3639-10 |
כְלִמָּתֵ֗/ךְ | khelimatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your shame | your disgrace | your shame | 3 |
H3639-06 |
כְּלִמָּתִ֣/י | kelimati | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my dishonor | my disgrace | my disgrace | 2 |
H3639-08 |
כְלִמָּ֖ה | khelimah | HNcfsa |
shame | disgrace | disgrace | 2 |
H3639-11 |
לִ/כְלִמָּֽה | likhelimah | HR/Ncfsa |
for humiliation | for disgrace | for disgrace | 2 |
H3639-01 |
כְּלִמָּ֑ה | kelimah | HNcfsa |
with dishonor | disgrace | with disgrace | 1 |
H3639-04 |
כְּלִמָּתֵ֑/ךְ | kelimatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your shame | your disgrace | your disgrace | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
30 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3639-11 |
Isaiah 30:3 | לִ/כְלִמָּֽה | likhelimah | HR/Ncfsa |
for humiliation | for disgrace | for disgrace |
H3639-15 |
Isaiah 45:16 | בַ/כְּלִמָּ֔ה | vakelimah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in humiliation | in the disgrace | in disgrace |
H3639-12 |
Isaiah 50:6 | מִ/כְּלִמּ֖וֹת | mikelimot | HR/Ncfpa |
from humiliation | from humiliations | from humiliation |
H3639-13 |
Isaiah 61:7 | וּ/כְלִמָּ֖ה | ukhelimah | HC/Ncfsa |
and humiliation | and public disgrace | and humiliation |
H3639-05 |
Jeremiah 3:25 | כְּלִמָּתֵ/נוּ֒ | kelimatenu | HNcfsc/Sp1cp |
our disgrace | our disgrace | our disgrace |
H3639-02 |
Jeremiah 20:11 | כְּלִמַּ֥ת | kelimat | HNcfsc |
dishonor | disgrace of | disgrace of |
H3639-08 |
Jeremiah 51:51 | כְלִמָּ֖ה | khelimah | HNcfsa |
shame | disgrace | disgrace |
H3639-10 |
Ezekiel 16:52 | כְלִמָּתֵ֗/ךְ | khelimatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your shame | your disgrace | your shame |
H3639-10 |
Ezekiel 16:52 | כְלִמָּתֵ֔/ךְ | khelimatekhe-2 | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your shame | your disgrace | your shame |
H3639-10 |
Ezekiel 16:54 | כְלִמָּתֵ֔/ךְ | khelimatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your disgrace | your disgrace | your disgrace |
H3639-04 |
Ezekiel 16:63 | כְּלִמָּתֵ֑/ךְ | kelimatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your shame | your disgrace | your disgrace |
H3639-09 |
Ezekiel 32:24 | כְלִמָּתָ֖/ם | khelimatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their-shame | their disgrace | their disgrace |
H3639-09 |
Ezekiel 32:25 | כְלִמָּתָ/ם֙ | khelimatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their shame | their disgrace | their shame |
H3639-09 |
Ezekiel 32:30 | כְלִמָּתָ֖/ם | khelimatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their shame | their disgrace | their shame |
H3639-02 |
Ezekiel 34:29 | כְּלִמַּ֥ת | kelimat | HNcfsc |
the shame | disgrace of | disgrace of |
H3639-02 |
Ezekiel 36:6 | כְּלִמַּ֥ת | kelimat | HNcfsc |
shame of | disgrace of | shame of |
H3639-03 |
Ezekiel 36:7 | כְּלִמָּתָ֥/ם | kelimatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their shame | their disgrace | their shame |
H3639-02 |
Ezekiel 36:15 | כְּלִמַּ֣ת | kelimat | HNcfsc |
shame | disgrace of | disgrace of |
H3639-03 |
Ezekiel 39:26 | כְּלִמָּתָ֔/ם | kelimatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their-disgrace | their disgrace | their disgrace |
H3639-03 |
Ezekiel 44:13 | כְּלִמָּתָ֔/ם | kelimatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their-shame | their disgrace | their disgrace |
H3639-07 |
Micah 2:6 | כְּלִמּֽוֹת | kelimot | HNcfpa |
shame | disgraces | disgraces |
H3639-11 |
Psalms 4:3 | לִ֭/כְלִמָּה | likhelimah | HR/Ncfsa |
into shame | for disgrace | for disgrace |
H3639-13 |
Psalms 35:26 | וּ/כְלִמָּ֑ה | ukhelimah | HC/Ncfsa |
and dishonor | and public disgrace | and dishonor |
H3639-06 |
Psalms 44:16 | כְּלִמָּתִ֣/י | kelimati | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my dishonor | my disgrace | my disgrace |
H3639-08 |
Psalms 69:8 | כְלִמָּ֣ה | khelimah | HNcfsa |
shame | disgrace | shame |
H3639-14 |
Psalms 69:20 | וּ/כְלִמָּתִ֑/י | ukhelimati | HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs |
and my disgrace | and my disgrace | and my disgrace |
H3639-13 |
Psalms 71:13 | וּ/כְלִמָּ֑ה | ukhelimah | HC/Ncfsa |
and dishonor | and public disgrace | and public disgrace |
H3639-01 |
Psalms 109:29 | כְּלִמָּ֑ה | kelimah | HNcfsa |
with dishonor | disgrace | with disgrace |
H3639-13 |
Proverbs 18:13 | וּ/כְלִמָּֽה | ukhelimah | HC/Ncfsa |
and shame | and public disgrace | and shame |
H3639-06 |
Job 20:3 | כְּלִמָּתִ֣/י | kelimati | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
of my reproach | my disgrace | my disgrace |