קְטַל
𐤒𐤈𐤋
qᵉṭal
H6992 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
(Aramaic) To kill, slay, put to death. The verb denotes the act of causing the death of a person or, more rarely, an animal. In biblical Aramaic passages, it is used for both judicial and non-judicial acts of killing, including execution, murder, or slaying in battle. The term strictly refers to the act of taking life and does not inherently convey moral or legal evaluation of the act.
Semantic Range
to kill, slay, put to death, execute, murder, kill in battle
Root / Etymology
Root/Etymology: Derived from the root קטל, which in both Hebrew and Aramaic bears the core meaning 'to kill' or 'to slay.' In Hebrew, the verb קטַל does not occur in the biblical corpus, but is common in post-biblical and cognate Semitic languages (Ugaritic, Akkadian, Arabic qtl). The Aramaic form קְטַל appears as the standard verb for 'to kill' in biblical Aramaic sections (e.g., Ezra, Daniel).
Historical & Contextual Notes
Historical & Contextual Notes: The verb קְטַל is the primary term for 'to kill' in the Imperial Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel 2:13; Ezra 6:12). Unlike Hebrew verbs such as הרג (harag, 'to kill by violence') or מות (mut, 'to die, be put to death'), קְטַל is a neutral term without built-in reference to the means or justification of killing. Its use does not distinguish between judicial execution, homicide, or killing in battle unless specified by context. In later Jewish Aramaic and Syriac, the verb continues as the standard term for 'to kill.' English translations render it as 'kill' or 'slay,' but should be sensitive to context, as the term lacks the idiomatic and sometimes ritual connotations of certain Hebrew equivalents. The Greek Septuagint typically renders it with ἀποκτείνω ('to kill').
Translation Consistency
Most natural and general English verb covering the full semantic range (to kill, slay, put to death, execute, murder, kill in battle). Neutral with respect to judgment, matches the Aramaic usage which denotes the act of causing death rather than assessment of morality, and will read naturally in all inflected forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to קָטַל; to kill; slay.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
קטל (qâṭal) — to kill, slay, cause death
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6992-01 |
לְ/הִתְקְטָלָֽה | lehiteqetalah | AR/VMc |
to-be-put-to-death | to be killed | to be put to death | 1 |
H6992-02 |
לְ/קַטָּלָ֔ה | leqatalah | AR/Vpc |
to slay | to slay | to slay | 1 |
H6992-03 |
מִֽתְקַטְּלִ֑ין | miteqatelin | AVMrmpa |
[were]-being-put-to-death | the ones killing themselves | were being put to death | 1 |
H6992-04 |
קָטֵ֗ל | qatel | AVqrmsa |
killing | killing one | he wished | 1 |
H6992-05 |
קַטִּ֣ל | qatil | AVpp3ms |
killed | he killed | killed | 1 |
H6992-06 |
קְטִ֕יל | qetil | AVQp3ms |
was killed | he killed | was killed | 1 |
H6992-07 |
קְטִילַ֤ת | qetilat | AVQp3fs |
was slain | she killed | was slain | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6992-03 |
Daniel 2:13 | מִֽתְקַטְּלִ֑ין | miteqatelin | AVMrmpa |
[were]-being-put-to-death | the ones killing themselves | were being put to death |
H6992-01 |
Daniel 2:13 | לְ/הִתְקְטָלָֽה | lehiteqetalah | AR/VMc |
to-be-put-to-death | to be killed | to be put to death |
H6992-02 |
Daniel 2:14 | לְ/קַטָּלָ֔ה | leqatalah | AR/Vpc |
to slay | to slay | to slay |
H6992-05 |
Daniel 3:22 | קַטִּ֣ל | qatil | AVpp3ms |
killed | he killed | killed |
H6992-04 |
Daniel 5:19 | קָטֵ֗ל | qatel | AVqrmsa |
killing | killing one | he wished |
H6992-06 |
Daniel 5:30 | קְטִ֕יל | qetil | AVQp3ms |
was killed | he killed | was killed |
H6992-07 |
Daniel 7:11 | קְטִילַ֤ת | qetilat | AVQp3fs |
was slain | she killed | was slain |