קָלַל qâlal — to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)
Translated in the KJV as abate, make bright, bring into contempt, curse, despise, ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a.
a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.).
qâlal in each stem
Pi'el
Imperfect (yiqtol) 11Participle (active) 9Wayyiqtol 7Infinitive construct 5Perfect (qatal) 4Jussive 2Imperative 1Sequential perfect (weqatal) 1
And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
Hiph'il
Imperative 7Perfect (qatal) 3Infinitive construct 2Imperfect (yiqtol) 1
And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
Qal (Pa'al)
Perfect (qatal) 9Wayyiqtol 2Imperfect (yiqtol) 1
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
Niph'al
Perfect (qatal) 4Participle (active) 2Sequential perfect (weqatal) 2Participle (passive) 2Imperfect (yiqtol) 1
And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.
And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
Pu'al
Imperfect (yiqtol) 2Participle (passive) 1
He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.
For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
Pilpel
Perfect (qatal) 2
If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.
Hitpalpel
Perfect (qatal) 1
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
What the stems mean
A Hebrew verb is its root letters set into a pattern. The pattern — the binyan — is the grammar's way of saying three things at once: whether the action is simple, intensive or causative, and whether its subject is active, passive or reflexive. That is why one Hebrew word can need six English ones. All seven binyanim, explained ›