כָּלָא (ka.la)
ka.la
to restrain
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 12 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb kala means to hold back or keep within bounds, carrying the sense of restricting access or withholding something from being released. It appears twelve times in the Old Testament, with a notable concentration in Jeremiah, where it often describes God’s deliberate decision to withhold judgment or refrain from acting immediately. The word suggests a conscious act of containment, whether that involves shutting up a force, restraining an impulse, or keeping back a resource.
Its usage ranges from physical confinement to abstract restraint. In I Samuel, the term can describe holding back a hand from violence, while in Haggai it relates to stopping or finishing an action. The lexical data highlights a distinction between simply stopping and actively keeping something contained within limits. This nuance is important for understanding passages where divine patience is depicted not as inaction, but as a powerful restraint of potential judgment.
Translators typically render kala as "restrain," "withhold," or "shut up," depending on the context. The word’s theological weight lies in its implication of control; it is not passive waiting but active holding back. This understanding helps clarify texts where God’s mercy is described as a deliberate choice to limit the full expression of wrath, offering a window into the tension between justice and compassion in biblical narrative.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word kala describes an active holding back. It is not passive waiting but a deliberate choice to contain something powerful. In Scripture, this often refers to God restraining judgment or withholding resources like rain and dew. This reveals a divine patience that holds back consequences, offering space for repentance and grace.
We see this restraint in human actions too. When David’s hand is stayed from violence, or when people are told not to bring more offerings, the word marks a boundary set by wisdom or authority. It reminds us that self-control and divine mercy are forms of strength, not weakness. God’s decision to hold back wrath is an act of love, giving time for healing.
For your faith, this means you can trust in a God who does not rush to punish but chooses to restrain His power. This active mercy provides room for growth and restoration. It invites us to practice similar restraint in our own lives, holding back anger or haste, and trusting that God’s timing is perfect.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 12 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ it was restrained2×
- you withhold1×
- you have restrained/ me1×
- to/ restrain1×
- they shut up1×
- they have withheld1×
- shut up1×
- restrain/ them1×
- it has withheld1×
- he will withhold1×
- he had shut up/ him1×
- I have restrained1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וַ/יִּכָּלֵ֥א2×
- תִּכְלָ֑אִי1×
- לִ/כְל֣וֹא1×
- כָּלִ֣אתִי1×
- כָּלְאָ֥ה1×
- כָּלְא֥וּ1×
- כָּל֥וּ1×
- כְּלָאֵֽ/ם\׃1×
- כְּלָא֔/וֹ1×
- כְּלִתִ֜/נִי1×
- כָלוּא֙1×
- יִכְלֶ֥ה1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 8:2
The deep’s fountains and the sky’s windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained.
This verse shows the physical restraint of natural forces as part of the flood narrative, illustrating God's control over creation.
-
I Samuel 25:33
Blessed is your discretion, and blessed are you, who have kept me today from blood guiltiness, and from avenging myself with my own hand.
Here the word describes David being kept from blood guiltiness, highlighting how divine intervention can restrain human violence through wise counsel.
-
Jeremiah 32:3
For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, “Why do you prophesy, and say, ‘Yahweh says, “Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it;
This occurrence depicts Zedekiah actively shutting up Jeremiah, showing the word's use for physical confinement and legal restriction.
-
Haggai 1:10
Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.
The heavens and earth are described as withholding dew and fruit, linking divine restraint directly to covenant obedience and its consequences.