← H3633 H3635 →

כָּלַל

𐤊𐤋𐤋

kâlal

H3634 verb

SILEX Entry

Root כלל to be complete, to make whole, to finish, to bring to perfection

Definition

To complete, finish, bring to a state of wholeness—often with an emphasis on reaching a state of totality or perfection, but not necessarily moral or ethical flawlessness. The verb denotes an act or process of bringing something to its full state, whether a ritual action, duration of time, or the state of an object. In certain forms, it can also mean to dedicate or to bring to fulfillment.

Semantic Range

to complete, to bring to an end, to make perfect (in sense of complete or finished), to dedicate, to consummate, to bring to wholeness, to fulfill, to finish

Root / Etymology

From the root כָּלַל (k-l-l), which conveys the idea of fullness, totality, or completeness. The derivation from the notion of totality broadens into the concept of bringing something to its entire or finished state. The root is also related to כָּל (kol, "all, entirety"), but the verb כָּלַל specifically focuses on the act of completing or perfecting rather than simply encompassing all elements.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, כָּלַל appears primarily in poetic or elevated prose, and its meaning is context-dependent: it can denote the completion of a process (ritual, time period, etc.), or the bringing of something to a full or perfect state, which in ancient perception was closely tied to the notion of wholeness rather than flawlessness. The idea of 'perfection' is thus not primarily ethical or moral, but functional or ritual. The term is used relatively rarely and tends to appear in poetic passages (e.g., Ezekiel 27:4, 11; Song of Songs 5:2) or in contexts where the completion of ritual or time is emphasized. Its use overlaps somewhat with terms such as תָּמַם (tamam, 'to be complete' or 'finished') and שָׁלֵם (shalem, 'to be whole, complete, sound'), though each carries distinct nuances: כָּלַל emphasizes the attainment of full extent or completeness, while תָּמַם can emphasize the end of a process and שָׁלֵם the holistic integrity or peace resulting from completion. Later Jewish exegetical tradition sometimes attributed additional meanings of 'cursing' to derived verb stems (e.g., Piel), but these are considered distinct homonyms. English translations often use 'perfect,' 'complete,' or 'accomplish,' which may imply moral content foreign to the Hebrew's original functional sense.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to complete; (make) perfect.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

כלל (k-l-l) — completeness, wholeness, finishing, bringing to perfection

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3557 כּוּל and whole-of
H3605 כֹּל in the entirety
H3606 כֹּל in the entirety of
H3618 כַּלָּה newly-completed bride
H3626 כׇּל־חֹזֶה entirety of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3634-01 כָּלְל֖וּ kalelu HVqp3cp have perfected they completed 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3634-01 Ezekiel 27:4 כָּלְל֖וּ kalelu HVqp3cp have perfected they completed
H3634-01 Ezekiel 27:11 כָּלְל֥וּ kalelu HVqp3cp perfected they completed
← H3633 Hebrew Lexicon H3635 →