Hebrew word · H7036

קָלוֹן

kalon

dishonor

Disgrace, dishonor, ignominy, public contempt. It comes from qalal, "to be light, slight, insignificant," and in some forms "to treat as light, curse." It is the opposite of kavod, "honor," which literally means "weight." In Israel's honor-based world, a respected person had weight.

Appears 17 times in 17 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) shame, disgrace, dishonour, ignominy

1a) ignominy (of nation)

1b) dishonour, disgrace (personal)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Proverbs 11:2

Range of meaning

Disgrace, dishonor, ignominy, public contempt. It comes from qalal, "to be light, slight, insignificant," and in some forms "to treat as light, curse." It is the opposite of kavod, "honor," which literally means "weight." In Israel's honor-based world, a respected person had weight. A disgraced person was made light.

Against the English

KJV, WEB and YLT say "shame"; BSB and NIV say "disgrace"; some say "dishonor." Today "shame" often means an inner feeling of unworthiness. Qalon is mainly social and public: losing reputation and standing, being looked down on. Whether you feel bad about it is beside the point.

How it drifted

Modern psychology made "shame" mostly an inner emotional state. The Hebrew word describes what happens to your public standing.

Used elsewhere in the period

Proverbs 3:35: "The wise will inherit honor, but fools get qalon." Proverbs 6:33: the adulterer gets wounds and qalon. Proverbs 9:7 and 12:16 (the shrewd person ignores an insult, qalon). Proverbs 13:18 and 18:3 ("with dishonor comes reproach"). Hosea 4:7 says "I will change their glory (kavod) into qalon." Habakkuk 2:16 says "filled with qalon instead of glory." The root shows up in 1 Samuel 2:30: "those who despise me will be lightly esteemed."

From the study of Proverbs 12:16

Range of meaning

Disgrace, dishonor, contempt, ignominy. It comes from the root qll, "to be light, slight, of little account", and is the opposite of kābôd ("honor", literally "weight"). It can mean disgrace someone causes (Prov 3:35; 13:18; 22:10, where driving out the scoffer ends "strife and insult") or disgrace a person suffers.

Against the English

KJV "shame" can sound like inner guilt or embarrassment. BSB/NIV/ESV "insult" captures the social act. NASB "dishonor" keeps the honor vocabulary.

How it drifted

Modern "shame" has become mainly a private feeling. Qālôn is a public loss of standing, being "made light of" in front of others.

Used elsewhere in the period

Proverbs 22:10 pairs qālôn with strife (dîn) and contention (mādôn), the social fallout of insults. In Proverbs 9:7 the one who corrects a scoffer "gets dishonor" (qālôn).

From the study of Proverbs 9:7

Range of meaning

Disgrace, dishonor, ignominy, public contempt. From qalal, 'to be light, slight, of little account'; in the intensive form, 'to treat as light, to curse.' Its opposite is kavod, 'honor,' from a root meaning 'heavy, weighty.'

Against the English

'Shame' (BSB, KJV), 'insult(s)' (WEB, NIV, NLT), 'abuse' (ESV), 'dishonor' (NASB). Modern 'shame' suggests an inner feeling. Qalon is about public standing: being made to look small in front of others.

How it drifted

Modern English 'shame' is mostly an inner emotion. In an honor-shame society, qalon is a public loss of social weight.

Used elsewhere in the period

Prov 3:35 ('the wise inherit honor, but fools get disgrace,' qalon); 6:33 (the adulterer's 'disgrace will not be wiped away'); 11:2 ('when pride comes, then comes disgrace'); 13:18; Hos 4:7 ('I will change their glory into disgrace').

Where it appears

Job · 1

  1. Job 10:15 קָ֝ל֗וֹן shame

    If I am guilty, woe to me! And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and aware of my affliction.

    Here: Public disgrace. The root means 'light, of no weight', the opposite of kābôd, 'weight, honour, glory'. Job has become a man of no standing.

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 83:16 קָל֑וֹן shame

    Cover their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O LORD.

Proverbs · 8

  1. Proverbs 3:35 קָלֽוֹן׃ פ shame

    The wise will inherit honor, but fools are held up to shame.

  2. Proverbs 6:33 וְקָל֥וֹן and shame

    Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.

  3. Proverbs 9:7 קָל֑וֹן shame

    He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself; he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself.

    Here: Public loss of standing. It comes from a root meaning 'to be light, trifling,' the opposite of kavod, 'honor/weight.' The scoffer answers correction with ridicule that makes the corrector look small.

  4. Proverbs 11:2 קָל֑וֹן shame

    When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.

    Here: From a root meaning "light, of little weight." It is public loss of standing: being made to count for nothing in other people's eyes, the opposite of honor (kavod, literally "weight"). It also rhymes with zadon.

  5. Proverbs 12:16 קָל֣וֹן shame

    A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

    Here: Public dishonor. Here it is the slight or insult aimed at him, the loss of face that someone tried to put on him.

  6. Proverbs 13:18 וְ֭קָלוֹן and shame

    Poverty and shame come to him who ignores discipline, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

    Here: Public disgrace, from a root meaning 'to be light'. Someone with qalon has no weight in the community. Paired with poverty, it describes a person who has lost both means and standing.

  7. Proverbs 18:3 קָל֥וֹן shame

    With a wicked man comes contempt as well, and shame is accompanied by disgrace.

  8. Proverbs 22:10 וְקָלֽוֹן׃ and shame

    Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease.

    Here: "And disgrace." Literally "lightness", being treated as worthless, the opposite of honour (kābôd, "weight"). It covers both the insults the scoffer heaps on others and the shame his presence brings on the household or assembly.

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 22:18 קְל֖וֹן [will be] [the] disgrace of

    roll you into a ball, and sling you into a wide land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will remain—a disgrace to the house of your master.

Jeremiah · 2

  1. Jeremiah 13:26 קְלוֹנֵֽךְ׃ shame your

    So I will pull your skirts up over your face, that your shame may be seen.

  2. Jeremiah 46:12 קְלוֹנֵ֔ךְ shame your

    The nations have heard of your shame, and your outcry fills the earth, because warrior stumbles over warrior and both of them have fallen together.”

Hosea · 2

  1. Hosea 4:7 בְּקָל֥וֹן for shame

    The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; they exchanged their Glory for a thing of disgrace.

    Here: 'For/into disgrace.' The preposition marks what something is exchanged for. Qalon comes from a root meaning 'light, slight', so it is the exact opposite of kavod, 'heavy'. Weight is traded for lightness. In Hosea the word may also hint at idol-worship (compare 4:18).

  2. Hosea 4:18 קָל֖וֹן shame

    When their liquor is gone, they turn to prostitution; their rulers dearly love disgrace.

    Here: Public disgrace. The root means 'to be light', so this is the opposite of 'glory', which in Hebrew is literally 'weight'. It can also mean the shame of exposed nakedness (Nahum 3:5; Jeremiah 13:26), which fits the prostitution imagery. It deliberately echoes 4:7: 'I will change their glory into disgrace (qalon).'

Nahum · 1

  1. Nahum 3:5 קְלוֹנֵֽךְ׃ shame your

    “Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show your nakedness to the nations and your shame to the kingdoms.

    Here: "Your disgrace": the loss of standing and glory in public. It is the opposite of kabod, the "weight" of honour Assyria had boasted of.

Habakkuk · 1

  1. Habakkuk 2:16 קָלוֹן֙ shame

    You will be filled with shame instead of glory. You too must drink and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory.

    Here: Public disgrace, loss of standing. It comes from a root meaning 'to be light, slight, of no account,' so it is the opposite of kāḇôḏ ('weight, honor') in the next word.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.