← H7044 H7046 →

קְלָלָה

𐤒𐤋𐤋𐤄

qᵉlâlâh

H7045 noun

SILEX Entry

Root קלל to be light, to make light of, to treat lightly, to despise

Definition

An utterance or statement that invokes misfortune, harm, or divine judgment upon a person, object, or group; frequently understood as a curse or malediction. Beyond direct cursing, can refer to reproach, abuse, or the pronouncement of negative consequences, often in a legal, cultic, or prophetic context.

Semantic Range

curse, malediction, spoken invocation of harm, imprecation, verbal abuse, insult, reproach, infliction of misfortune by word

Root / Etymology

From the root קלל (q-l-l), which fundamentally means 'to be light, to lighten, to make light of.' The noun קְלָלָה (qᵉlâlâh) is derived from this root with a nominalizing suffix, indicating a state or act of making something 'light'—in this case, by despising, dishonoring, or depreciating it, and thus invoking harm or misfortune.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the patriarchal narratives through the pre-exilic period, קְלָלָה denotes the pronouncement of harm or divine punishment, often contrasted with blessing (בְּרָכָה berakhah). Such utterances could have binding power, particularly when pronounced by figures of authority (e.g., patriarchs, prophets, or deity). In legal and cultic texts (e.g., Deuteronomy, Leviticus), קְלָלָה may refer to prescribed or prohibited forms of cursing, often directed toward individuals, parents, leaders, or Israelite society as a collective, and can serve as a formula for invoking covenantal curses for disobedience. The sense of spoken reproach or insult is secondary but present, especially in poetic texts. Later, in the post-exilic and Persian periods, the word retains primarily the 'curse' sense, though in vernacular literature it may broaden slightly to include verbal abuse or recrimination. English terms like 'curse' or 'cursing' are usually accurate but may miss the formal, performative, or legalistic aspect present in many biblical usages. Not to be confused with אָרָר (H779), which more narrowly means 'to bind with a curse' or 'to ban.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from קָלַל; vilification; (ac-) curse(-d, -ing).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

קלל (q-l-l) — to be light, to make light of, to treat lightly, to despise

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7031 קַל the light one
H7032 קָל light
H7040 קַלַּי Kallai
H7043 קָלַל his despising him
H7044 קָלָל burnished bright

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7045-11 וְ/לִ/קְלָלָ֔ה veliqelalah HC/R/Ncfsa and-for-curse and for a malediction 7
H7045-04 קְלָלָ֖ה qelalah HNcfsa a curse a despising-curse 7
H7045-01 הַ/קְּלָלָ֖ה haqelalah HTd/Ncfsa the curse the despising-curse 5
H7045-10 וְ/הַ/קְּלָלָ֗ה vehaqelalah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the curse and the despising-curse 4
H7045-02 הַ/קְּלָל֥וֹת haqelalot HTd/Ncfpa the-curses the despising-maledictions 2
H7045-06 קִלְלַ֥ת qilelat HNcfsc curse curse of 2
H7045-03 לִ/קְלָלָ֔ה liqelalah HR/Ncfsa a curse a despising-utterance 2
H7045-05 קִֽלֲלַ֖ת qilalat HNcfsc curse malediction of 1
H7045-08 קִלְלָת֖/וֹ qilelato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his cursing his curse 1
H7045-09 וּ/קְלָלָֽה uqelalah HC/Ncfsa and a curse and a malediction 1

Occurrences in Scripture

33 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7045-04 Genesis 27:12 קְלָלָ֖ה qelalah HNcfsa a curse a despising-curse
H7045-07 Genesis 27:13 קִלְלָתְ/ךָ֖ qilelatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your curse your malediction
H7045-09 Deuteronomy 11:26 וּ/קְלָלָֽה uqelalah HC/Ncfsa and a curse and a malediction
H7045-10 Deuteronomy 11:28 וְ/הַ/קְּלָלָ֗ה vehaqelalah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the curse and the despising-curse
H7045-01 Deuteronomy 11:29 הַ/קְּלָלָ֖ה haqelalah HTd/Ncfsa curse the despising-curse
H7045-06 Deuteronomy 21:23 קִלְלַ֥ת qilelat HNcfsc curse of curse of
H7045-01 Deuteronomy 23:6 הַ/קְּלָלָ֖ה haqelalah HTd/Ncfsa the curse the despising-curse
H7045-01 Deuteronomy 27:13 הַ/קְּלָלָ֖ה haqelalah HTd/Ncfsa the curse the despising-curse
H7045-02 Deuteronomy 28:15 הַ/קְּלָל֥וֹת haqelalot HTd/Ncfpa these curses the despising-maledictions
H7045-02 Deuteronomy 28:45 הַ/קְּלָל֣וֹת haqelalot HTd/Ncfpa the-curses the despising-maledictions
← H7044 Hebrew Lexicon H7046 →