Lexical Summary
qal: Light, swift, agile
Original Word:קָל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:qal
Pronunciation:kahl
Phonetic Spelling:(kawl)
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH6963 (קוֹל - voice)]
1. sound, voice
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sound, voice
(Aramaic) corresponding toqowl -- sound, voice.
see HEBREWqowl
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Dan 4:28 ( Syriac); — absolute
Daniel 4:28;
Daniel 6:21; construct
sound of words
Daniel 7:11, instrumental
Daniel 3:5,7,10,15.
Topical Lexicon
Qal (קָל) – Voice, SoundOccurrences in Daniel
1.Daniel 3:5 – The call to worship the golden image: “As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music…”
2.Daniel 3:7 – Nations respond to the same “sound.”
3.Daniel 3:10 – The decree is rehearsed before Nebuchadnezzar.
4.Daniel 3:15 – Nebuchadnezzar threatens the furnace at the next “sound.”
5.Daniel 4:31 – A heavenly declaration: “a voice came from heaven.”
6.Daniel 6:20 – Darius cries out “in a voice of anguish.”
7.Daniel 7:11 – The “sound of the boastful words” of the little horn.
Contours of Meaning
Qal gathers every nuance of audible expression in the Aramaic chapters of Daniel—music that summons, a royal proclamation, the anguished cry of a repentant monarch, and the arrogant rhetoric of a final adversary. The term is elastic enough to cover instrumental music, spoken speech, or even heavenly pronouncement, yet unified by the single idea of a compelling, attention-grabbing sound.
Contrasting Voices: Idolatry and Revelation
•Daniel 3 places Qal at the center of an empire’s idolatrous liturgy. The orchestrated “sound” is a manufactured substitute for divine revelation, calculated to bind every nation and language to a golden image.
• By dramatic contrast,Daniel 4:31 records the only Qal that descends from heaven. Here the true Sovereign interrupts human pride: “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared that the kingdom has departed from you.” The heavenly voice overrides the imperial voice, exposing the limits of earthly power.
• InDaniel 6:20, Darius’s “voice of anguish” underscores human frailty. Even kings tremble when confronted with the living God’s faithfulness to His servant.
•Daniel 7:11 pushes the contrast into eschatology. The “sound of the boastful words” of the little horn epitomizes end-time rebellion, a final echo of the idolatrous music of chapter 3, soon silenced by divine judgment: “I kept looking until the beast was slain.”
Prophetic and Eschatological Implications
Qal marks a progression from the forced worship of chapter 3, through divine intervention in chapters 4 and 6, to the climactic judgment of chapter 7. The pattern anticipates New Testament teaching that “faith comes by hearing” (Romans 10:17) while warning that not every voice is worthy of obedience. Scripture’s consistency is evident: the same God who spoke from heaven in Daniel later declares from heaven inMatthew 3:17 and ultimately shakes heaven and earth inHebrews 12:26.
Applications for Faith and Ministry
1. Discernment: Believers must distinguish between the attractive “sound” of cultural idolatry and the authentic voice of God recorded in Scripture.
2. Worship: True worship is a response to divine revelation, not to human orchestration. Churches may employ music, but music must never replace the Word that commands it.
3. Courage: Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Christians today may face coercive “sounds” that demand compromise. Their stand encourages unwavering fidelity.
4. Humility: Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling reminds leaders that authority is derivative. Ministry that listens for heaven’s voice will avoid the pride that precipitates downfall.
5. Hope: The silencing of the little horn assures the church that every arrogant voice will be muted when Christ returns “with a loud command” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Key Theological Themes
• Revelation versus manipulation
• Sovereignty of God over human authorities
• The moral weight of speech (Proverbs 18:21;James 3:5-6)
• Eschatological victory of God’s Kingdom
Qal’s sevenfold appearance in Daniel therefore functions as an audible thread that ties together persecution, revelation, repentance, deliverance, and ultimate judgment—each “voice” serving the overarching purpose of magnifying the One whose word endures forever.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּקָ֥ל בקל קָ֖ל קָ֣ל קָל֙ קל bə·qāl beKal bəqāl kal qāl
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