Lexical Summary
qalon: Shame, disgrace, dishonor
Original Word:קָלוֹן
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:qalown
Pronunciation:kah-LOHN
Phonetic Spelling:(kaw-lone')
KJV: confusion, dishonour, ignominy, reproach, shame
NASB:dishonor, shame, disgrace
Word Origin:[fromH7034 (קָלָה - degraded)]
1. disgrace
2. (by implication) the pudenda
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
confusion, dishonor, ignominy, reproach, shame
Fromqalah; disgrace; (by implication) the pudenda -- confusion, dishonour, ignominy, reproach, shame.
see HEBREWqalah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
qalahDefinitionignominy, dishonor
NASB Translationdisgrace (4), dishonor (7), shame (6).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Proverbs 11:2 ; — absolute
Hosea 4:7 +; construct
Isaiah 22:18; suffix
Jeremiah 13:26 +; —
ignominyHosea 4:7,18 (dubious Line, see Che Now),Jeremiah 46:12 (read probably , so Gie Co Hpt),Habakkuk 2:16;Psalm 83:17; of nation under figure of woman, = pudenda,Jeremiah 13:26;Nahum 3:5 ("" ).
dishonour, disgrace, of Shebna, asdisgrace to his lord's houseIsaiah 22:18(opposed to ); individual,Job 10:25;Proverbs 3:35 (opposed to ),Proverbs 6:33;Proverbs 9:7;Proverbs 11:2;Proverbs 12:16;Proverbs 13:18 (opposed to ),Proverbs 18:3;Proverbs 22:10.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Semantic Rangeקָלוֹן (qālôn) describes a state of public dishonor, reproach, or humiliation that comes when a person, household, or nation violates God-given standards of righteousness. More than an inward feeling, the word depicts visible disgrace before the watching community and, ultimately, before the Lord who accounts deeds. It stands in antithesis to “glory,” “honor,” and “wisdom,” underscoring the moral polarity that permeates biblical revelation.
Shame as Retribution for Sin
From early wisdom tradition to the final prophets, qālôn is never random; it is covenantal retribution. “When pride comes, disgrace follows” (Proverbs 11:2). Fools, adulterers, violent nations, and negligent leaders discover that sin’s wage is humiliation. In the covenant lawsuit against Judah, the Lord declares, “I will pull your skirts up over your face that your shame may be seen” (Jeremiah 13:26). Hosea intensifies the charge against apostate priests: “They exchanged their Glory for shame” (Hosea 4:7). In each case, divine justice reverses self-exaltation into public scorn.
Wisdom Literature and Character Formation
Proverbs employs qālôn to craft a theology of character:
• Discipline neglected: “Poverty and shame come to him who ignores discipline” (Proverbs 13:18).
• Mockery invited: “He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself” (Proverbs 9:7).
• Sexual sin exposed: “Wounds and dishonor will befall him” (Proverbs 6:33).
• Humility rewarded: “The wise will inherit honor, but fools will be held up in shame” (Proverbs 3:35).
The Book of Job adds the experiential voice: “I am full of shame and conscious of my affliction” (Job 10:15). Personal lament demonstrates that even the righteous may temporarily taste disgrace, yet faith anchors the sufferer to ultimate vindication.
Prophetic Use in Covenant Lawsuits
Isaiah portrays qālôn as the inevitable end of self-aggrandizing officials: “There your glorious chariots will be the shame of your master’s house” (Isaiah 22:18). Jeremiah extends the theme to Egypt: “The nations have heard of your shame” (Jeremiah 46:12). Nahum and Habakkuk apply the term to Nineveh and Babylon, empires intoxicated with power: “I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame” (Nahum 3:5); “You will be filled with shame instead of glory” (Habakkuk 2:16). The prophetic message is clear: Yahweh defrocks every rival glory.
National and Corporate Dimensions
Psalm 83 pleads, “Cover their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O LORD” (Psalm 83:16). Here qālôn serves a redemptive aim—driving hostile nations toward repentance. Likewise,Proverbs 22:10 links the expulsion of the mocker with communal peace, showing that removing shameful influence restores order among God’s people.
Eschatological Reversal and Messianic Implications
While the Old Testament records repeated cycles of shame, it also anticipates a final reversal. The Suffering Servant “despised the shame” (echoed inHebrews 12:2) and, through the cross, transformed disgrace into glory. Believers therefore “look to Him and are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame” (Psalm 34:5). Qālôn underscores the gravity of sin but, in the account line of Scripture, magnifies the grace that bears and removes disgrace.
Ministry and Pastoral Application
1. Confronting sin: Qālôn warns that hidden wrongdoing will become open reproach. Pastoral care must couple private admonition with the sober reminder of public consequences.
2. Cultivating humility: Where pride incubates disgrace, fostering servanthood guards honor. Mentoring rooted in Proverbs stabilizes families and congregations.
3. Healing the shamed: Many believers carry memories of failure. The gospel offers cleansing from defilement and restoration of dignity (compareIsaiah 61:7).
4. Shaping public witness: Congregational discipline that is both firm and restorative demonstrates to a watching world that holiness matters and grace abounds.
In sum, קָלוֹן traces the moral order God has woven into creation: glory follows righteousness, but shame dogs rebellion. The term invites sober reflection, communal vigilance, and confident hope in the Redeemer who turns disgrace into everlasting honor.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּקָל֥וֹן בקלון וְ֭קָלוֹן וְקָל֥וֹן וְקָלֽוֹן׃ וקלון וקלון׃ קְל֖וֹן קְלוֹנֵ֔ךְ קְלוֹנֵֽךְ׃ קָ֝ל֗וֹן קָל֑וֹן קָל֖וֹן קָל֣וֹן קָל֥וֹן קָלֽוֹן׃ קָלוֹן֙ קלון קלון׃ קלונך קלונך׃ bə·qā·lō·wn bekaLon bəqālōwn kaLon keLon keloNech qā·lō·wn qālōwn qə·lō·w·nêḵ qə·lō·wn qəlōwn qəlōwnêḵ vekaLon wə·qā·lō·wn wəqālōwn
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