Original Word: קֶלַע
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qela`
Pronunciation: keh-lah'
Phonetic Spelling: (keh'-lah)
KJV: hanging, leaf, sling
Word Origin: [from H7049 (קָלַע - To sling)]

1. a sling
2. also a (door) screen (as if slung across), or the valve (of the door) itself

hanging, leaf, sling

From qala'; a sling; also a (door) screen (as if slung across), or the valve (of the door) itself -- hanging, leaf, sling.

see HEBREW qala'

I. קֶ֫לַע noun [masculine] sling; — absolute ׳ק 1 Samuel 17:50, כַּף הַקָּ֑לַע 1 Samuel 25:29 hollow of the sling (figurative); suffixקַלְעוֺ 1 Samuel 17:40; אַבְנֵיקָֿ֑לַע Job 41:20 sling-stones, so קְלָעִים ׳א2Chronicles 26:14; קֶֿלַע׳א Zechariah 9:15 is difficult: Marti^Kau ׳קֿ׳כְּא; We Now ׳בְּנֵי ק sons of — ?

II. [קֶ֫לַע]₁₅ noun [masculine] curtain, hanging (P); — plural absoluteקְעִים Exodus 27:9 7t. Exodus; construct קַעֵי Exodus 35:17 4t. Exodus; Numbers 3:26; Numbers 4:26. — 1 Kings 6:34b read צְלָעִים.

Range of Biblical Usage

The word occurs twenty-two times and is found in two principal settings:

1. Architectural elements of the tabernacle and temple courts (Exodus 27:9-16; 35:17; 38:9-19; 39:40; Numbers 3:26; 4:26; 1 Kings 6:34).
2. Weaponry, both literal and figurative, usually rendered “sling” or “slingstone” (1 Samuel 17:40, 50; 1 Samuel 25:29; 2 Chronicles 26:14; Job 41:28; Zechariah 9:15).

Constructive Purpose in Tabernacle and Temple

Exodus consistently pairs the word with “hooks” and “pillars,” describing the horizontal silver bands that linked each pillar of the court. These bands:
• Guaranteed stability for the linen hangings, symbolizing an unbroken barrier between holy and common ground.
• Unified individual pillars into a single perimeter, mirroring the covenant people’s unity around the presence of God.
• Were made of silver, the redemption metal (Exodus 30:11-16), reminding worshipers that access to God’s dwelling is secured by atonement.

“Each post had silver hooks and silver bands” (Exodus 38:17) places redemption at every point of entry. Numbers 3:26 and 4:26 assign the bands to the care of the Gershonites, highlighting the Levites’ devotion to maintaining the boundary of holiness.

When Solomon built the temple, he employed the same term for the folding leaves of the two-leaf doors (1 Kings 6:34), showing continuity between tabernacle and temple architecture and underscoring God’s unchanging design.

Military Function: Sling in Israelite Warfare

A shepherd’s weapon became a battlefield instrument. David “put five smooth stones in the pouch…and his sling was in his hand” (1 Samuel 17:40). The simplicity of the sling made it an emblem of dependence on the Lord rather than on human armament. David’s victory (1 Samuel 17:50) was celebrated as evidence that “the battle is the LORD’s” (1 Samuel 17:47).

Later monarchs recognized its tactical value: King Uzziah supplied his troops with “stones for slinging” (2 Chronicles 26:14). The sling could hurl projectiles with lethal force; yet Job 41:28 notes that even this feared weapon is useless against Leviathan, accentuating divine superiority over human strength.

Metaphorical and Prophetic Imagery

Abigail anticipates divine retribution upon David’s foes: “the lives of your enemies He will sling away as from the pocket of a sling” (1 Samuel 25:29). Here the word depicts God’s decisive rejection of the wicked.

Zechariah foresees Judah’s deliverance: “They will consume and conquer with slingstones” (Zechariah 9:15). The image evokes Davidic triumph and hints at a future victory supplied by the LORD of Hosts, ultimately fulfilled in the Messiah who disarms every foe.

Theological and Devotional Insights

1. Preservation and Protection: The bands safeguarded the sanctuary; the sling defended the covenant people. Both uses declare God as keeper of His dwelling and His flock.
2. Redemption and Judgment: Silver bands proclaim redemption; sling imagery announces judgment. Together they present a balanced portrait of God’s grace toward His own and His justice toward His enemies.
3. Weakness Transformed: A shepherd’s sling overcame a giant, encouraging believers that faith-filled weakness triumphs over worldly power (2 Corinthians 12:9).
4. Unity Around Holiness: The linking bands teach that individual believers become a holy community only when joined by the redeeming work of God (Ephesians 2:21-22).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Worship leaders can use the tabernacle imagery to stress the safeguarding of doctrinal purity while welcoming redeemed sinners into fellowship.
• Teachers may draw on David’s sling to inspire reliance on God’s sufficiency in spiritual warfare.
• Counselors can point to Abigail’s metaphor as comfort that the Lord Himself repays evil and secures His servants’ future.
• Evangelists may connect the silver bands to the redemptive price paid by Christ, inviting hearers to move from outside the court to joyful service within.

The varied appearances of קֶלַע underscore that the God who orders worship also equips warriors, binds His people together, and casts out every threat to His redemptive plan.

בַּקֶּ֣לַע בקלע הַקָּֽלַע׃ הקלע׃ וְקַלְּע֣וֹ וְקַלְעֵ֣י וקלעו וקלעי קְלָעִ֑ים קְלָעִ֕ים קְלָעִ֖ים קְלָעִ֛ים קְלָעִ֨ים קְלָעִֽים׃ קְלָעִים֙ קֶ֔לַע קַלְעֵ֣י קַלְעֵ֤י קַלְעֵ֥י קַלְעֵ֧י קַלְעֵ֨י קָֽלַע׃ קלע קלע׃ קלעי קלעים קלעים׃ bakKela baq·qe·la‘ baqqela‘ hakKala haq·qā·la‘ haqqāla‘ Kala kalEi Kela kelaIm qā·la‘ qal‘ê qal·‘ê qāla‘ qe·la‘ qə·lā·‘îm qela‘ qəlā‘îm vekalEi vekalleO wə·qal·‘ê wə·qal·lə·‘ōw wəqal‘ê wəqallə‘ōwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts