כָּלָא
to restrict, by act (hold back or in) or word (prohibit)
Definition
The Hebrew verb כָּלָא (kâlâʼ) fundamentally means to restrict, hold back, or prevent. This action can be physical, such as holding back water (Genesis 8:2) or shutting up a city (1 Samuel 6:10). It can also be verbal or social, meaning to forbid or restrain someone from an action, as when Moses was asked to forbid the prophesying of Eldad and Medad (Numbers 11:28). In a few instances, it carries the sense of finishing or completing a task, as seen when the people were told to stop bringing offerings for the tabernacle because the work was sufficient (Exodus 36:6).
Biblical Usage
כָּלָא is used 17 times across narrative, poetic, and legal texts. It frequently appears in stories of divine or human restraint, such as God holding back the floodwaters (Genesis 8:2) or Abigail restraining David from bloodshed (1 Samuel 25:33). In Psalms, it describes the psalmist's inability to restrain himself from declaring God's praise (Psalm 40:9) or God's act of withholding mercy (Psalm 40:11). The usage in Genesis 23:6, where the Hittites tell Abraham no one will 'withhold' a burial site, shows a social-legal application of the word.
Etymology
כָּלָא is a primitive root. Its core meaning relates to confinement or restriction. Cognates exist in other Semitic languages, like Akkadian 'kalû,' meaning to detain or hold back, reinforcing the idea of prevention or hindrance.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it often highlights God's sovereign control over creation and human affairs, such as His restraint of natural forces (Genesis 8:2). It also touches on human moral responsibility, depicting the struggle to restrain oneself from sin or the duty to restrain others from wrongdoing (1 Samuel 25:33). Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by clarifying scenes of divine intervention, social conflict, and personal conviction.
In its ancient Near Eastern context, the act of 'withholding' or 'restraining' had strong social and legal dimensions. For instance, withholding a burial site (Genesis 23:6) or refusing someone passage was a serious matter of honor and covenant relationship. The concept of communal restraint, as seen when the people are told to stop bringing offerings (Exodus 36:6), reflects a collective responsibility to obey and not exceed divinely appointed limits.
עָצַר (ʿāṣar, H6113) — to restrain, hold back; often used for physical detention or stopping a process. מָנַע (mānaʿ, H4513) — to withhold, keep back; focuses more on refusing to give something that is due or desired.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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