קֶטֶל
𐤒𐤈𐤋
qeṭel
H6993 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A violent death, typically by killing; slaughter. Refers specifically to the act or outcome of being slain, emphasizing the result (the event or instance of death through violence) rather than the act of killing itself. Used rarely in the Hebrew Bible to denote the occurrence of violent demise, often with forensic or descriptive nuance distinguishing the fact of being killed from the agency behind it.
Semantic Range
violent death, slaughter, slain (as in the victims of killings), the occurrence of being killed, casualties of battle, outcome of violence
Root / Etymology
From the root קָטַל (qṭl), meaning 'to kill, slay.' The noun form קֶטֶל (qeṭel) derives directly from this root and designates the state or event resulting from the act of killing, i.e., a violent death or slaughter.
Historical & Contextual Notes
קֶטֶל is an uncommon noun in biblical Hebrew, only attested in poetic or later texts (e.g., Nahum 3:3). While its core meaning aligns with words like חֶרֶב (ḥerev, 'sword') referring to instruments of death, קֶטֶל focuses on the occurrence or state of violent death rather than weapon or action. Related terms—like שָׁחָט (shāḥaṭ) 'to slaughter' (especially in sacrificial contexts) or נָכָה (nākhāh) 'to strike'—have broader or different semantic ranges. In Akkadian and Aramaic cognates, similar roots yield meanings related to killing, but the noun form for the state of death is rarely used in biblical Hebrew, possibly reflecting limited idiomatic space. Later rabbinic or post-biblical Hebrew broadens the usage to include general death by violence. Standard English translations (‘slaughter’ or ‘violent death’) capture the word’s primary sense but may obscure nuances of the event’s aftermath present in Hebrew usage. There are no significant theological or cultic connotations attached to this term beyond its neutral descriptive sense of homicide or battlefield death.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from קָטַל; a violent death; slaughter.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קטל (q-ṭ-l) — to kill, to slay, to put to death, to strike down
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6993-01 |
מִ/קָּֽטֶל | miqatel | HR/Ncmsa |
by-slaughter | from violent death | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6993-01 |
Obadiah 1:9 | מִ/קָּֽטֶל | miqatel | HR/Ncmsa |
by-slaughter | from violent death |