קָלַל

From the study of Isaiah 49:6

Range of meaning

From qalal, 'to be light (in weight)'. It stretches to 'be swift', 'be trifling or insignificant', and in another stem 'to treat lightly, curse'. The form naqel means 'it is a light/easy/slight thing' (2 Kings 3:18, 'this is a light thing in the eyes of the LORD'; 2 Kings 20:10; Proverbs 14:6, 'knowledge is easy for the discerning').

Against the English

KJV/WEB 'a light thing' is accurate but archaic. NIV/NASB-type 'too small a thing' and BSB 'not enough' bring out the comparison carried by the following 'than'.

How it drifted

In KJV English 'a light thing' sits right beside 'a light to the Gentiles', and readers may hear a link. Hebrew uses two unrelated words (naqel 'slight' and ʾor 'light, brightness'). The English pun is an accident.

Used elsewhere in the period

The same idiom with min ('than') appears in 1 Kings 16:31 ('as if it were a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam') and Ezekiel 8:17 ('is it too light a thing… that they…?'). In each case the phrase means 'not enough, so more follows'.

From the study of Isaiah 9:1

Range of meaning

The root qalal means 'to be light, slight, swift'. In the causative form used here (hiphil, 'to make something be X') it means 'to make light' (lighten a load, 1 Kgs 12:4, 9–10), and from there 'to treat as light', i.e. to disdain, dishonour, bring into contempt (2 Sam 19:43). The related piel form means 'to curse', literally to declare someone worthless.

Against the English

BSB and NIV have 'humbled', ESV 'brought into contempt', NASB 'treated … with contempt', WEB 'brought into contempt'. The KJV's 'lightly afflicted' takes 'light' as 'mildly', a light blow before a heavier one. That is a possible reading of 'lighten', but the word itself is about weightlessness and loss of standing, not mildness.

How it drifted

The KJV followed the Latin Vulgate ('alleviata', 'lightened'). To modern ears 'lightly afflicted' means 'only slightly afflicted', which removes the honour-shame sense.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Samuel 2:30 is the key parallel: 'those who honour (kabed) me I will honour, and those who despise me shall be made light (qalal)'. The two roots form a standard opposing pair in Hebrew. Rehoboam's elders ask him to 'lighten' the yoke (hiphil qalal, 1 Kgs 12:9–10) and he answers that his father 'made it heavy' (hiphil kabed). That is the same pair in its burden sense.

From the study of Ecclesiastes 10:20

Range of meaning

The basic root means "to be light, slight, trivial". In the intensive form used here it means to make someone light: treat them with contempt, belittle, revile, speak abusively of, and in many contexts call down harm on them. It is the opposite of kābēd, "heavy", the root of the Hebrew word for honour. To curse someone is to take away their weight.

Against the English

English "curse" (BSB, KJV, WEB, ESV) suggests either swearing at someone or a formal spoken hex. "Revile" (YLT, and NIV for the first verb) and "make light of" (NLT) bring out the contempt better. The Hebrew covers the whole range, from scornful talk to imprecation. Here, in a private bedroom setting, mocking and running down the ruler is most likely in view, although wishing him harm is not excluded.

How it drifted

Modern English "curse" has narrowed toward profanity ("to curse" = to swear) or toward magic. The Hebrew picture of "making light" as the opposite of "giving weight" is lost.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 22:28 (Heb. 22:27): "You shall not revile (qillēl) God, nor curse (ʾārar) a ruler of your people". This is the closest legal background, though Qoheleth gives a practical reason and not a law. Shimei's qillēl of David (2 Sam 16:5–13) shows how dangerous it was to revile a king, as do the later reckoning in 1 Kgs 2:8–9, 44–46 and the false charge against Naboth in 1 Kgs 21:10. The cursing of parents is in Exod 21:17 and Lev 20:9. The Septuagint translates with kataraomai, "to curse".