What does Qalal mean?

Qalal (קָלַל, Strong's H7043) is a Hebrew word. Strong's defines it as to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.). The King James Bible translates it as abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise, (be) ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light(-en, -er, -ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), × slight(-ly), be swift(-er), (be, be more, make, re-) vile, whet.

What is the Strong's number for Qalal?

The Strong's number for Qalal (קָלַל) is H7043. It is a Hebrew word from Strong's public-domain dictionary keyed to the King James Bible.

Bible word study

Qalal (Strong’s H7043): Meaning in the Bible

Qalal (קָלַל) is the Hebrew word numbered H7043 in Strong’s concordance of the Bible. Strong’s defines it as to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.). In the King James Bible it is translated abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise.

קָלַל

qâlal · Hebrew

Strong’s H7043 · kaw-lal'

Original wordקָלַל
Transliterationqâlal
Pronunciationkaw-lal'
Part of speechverb (v)
Strong’s numberH7043
LanguageHebrew

The full Strong’s definition

to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)

Derivation. a primitive root;

How the King James Bible translates it

abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise, (be) ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light(-en, -er, -ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), × slight(-ly), be swift(-er), (be, be more, make, re-) vile, whet. (The × marks places where the word shapes the phrasing rather than being rendered by a single English word.)

Where Qalal appears in the Bible

In the King James Bible’s text tagged with Strong’s numbers, Qalal (H7043) stands behind 82 English renderings in 78 verses across 22 of the 66 books. It is most frequent in 2 Samuel (11), Genesis (6), Leviticus (6).

How the King James Bible renders Qalal, by count

curse17 of 82 (21 percent)
cursed17 of 82 (21 percent)
curseth5 of 82 (6 percent)
swifter5 of 82 (6 percent)
thing5 of 82 (6 percent)
lighter4 of 82 (5 percent)

Three places to read Qalal

Genesis 8:8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
2 Samuel 16:9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
Psalms 109:28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

Counts are made at build time from the King James text tagged with Strong’s numbers (eBible.org, public domain). Verses are read from the stored King James text, never typed.

Why the word matters

Every word the biblical writers chose carries weight. Studying Qalal in the original Hebrew lets you read the passages where it appears more carefully, closer to what the first hearers understood, so the meaning is drawn from the text itself rather than from the English alone.

The lexical data on this page comes from the public-domain Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890), a Hebrew and Greek dictionary keyed to the King James Bible. It is a reference tool, not a settled verdict: no single word decides a doctrine, and meaning is finally shaped by how a word is used in its sentences. Read the passages themselves, prayerfully, and in full.

Related words

All Bible word studies

✝

From the word to the Word

These words are worth studying, but they were never meant to stay on the page. Christians believe the meaning behind them, the love, the grace, the life, took on flesh in Jesus. Read the Word, pray, and gather with the family of God on The Living Bread. Free, with no ads, for all people.

Get the app Study more words Read the Gospel of John