Original Word: קָטַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: qatal
Pronunciation: kah-TAHL
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-tal')
KJV: kill, slay
NASB: slay, kills
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to cut off, i.e. (figuratively) put to death

kill, slay

A primitive root; properly, to cut off, i.e. (figuratively) put to death -- kill, slay.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to slay
NASB Translation
kills (1), slay (2).

[קָטַל] verb slay (in poetry and late) (Arabic Ethiopic Sabean קתל Hom^Chrest.126, all slay (original form with ת; changed later, after ק); Aramaic קְטַל, ; Old Aramaic קטל, כטל, קתל); —

Qal Imperfect with accusative of person, 3 masculine singular יִקְטָלֿ Job 24:14; suffix, subject God, יִקְטְלֵנִי Job 13:15; of God also 2masculine singular תִּקְטֹל Psalm 139:19.

[קְטַל] verb slay (ᵑ7 Syriac (often); see Biblical Hebrew (late, rare)); —

Pe`al Participle active קָטֵל Daniel 5:19, accusative of person

Pe`îl be slain: Perfect3masculine singular קְטִיל Daniel 5:30, 3feminine singular קְטִילַת Daniel 7:11.

Pa`el slay: Perfect3masculine singular קַטִּל Daniel 3:22 (accusative of person); Infinitive לְקַטָּלָה Daniel 2:14 (ל accusative of person).

Hithpe`el be slain: Infinitive לְהִתְקְטָלָה Daniel 2:13; Participle (= gerundive, K^{§ 76, 3}) plural מִתְקַטְלִין Daniel 2:13 were to be slain.

Semantic Range and Significance

קָטַל portrays the deliberate taking of life, whether by God or by human hands. Unlike the more common verbs for “kill,” it is confined to poetic and wisdom contexts, emphasizing the stark finality of slaying rather than the legal or military nuances found elsewhere.

Canonical Occurrences

• Job 13:15 – “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him”. The verb underscores Job’s conviction that even lethal judgment from God cannot sever covenant trust.
• Job 24:14 – “Before daybreak the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy”. Here קָטַל exposes social injustice, depicting predatory violence against the defenseless.
• Psalm 139:19 – “O that You would slay the wicked, O God—depart from me, you bloodthirsty men!”. David’s imprecatory plea appeals to divine holiness to remove evil that threatens covenant order.

Theology of Divine Sovereignty and Judgment

In Job 13:15 and Psalm 139:19 the subject of קָטַל is God. Scripture affirms His absolute right over life (Deuteronomy 32:39) and His moral prerogative to execute justice (Romans 12:19). The verb therefore functions as a sober reminder that divine judgment is neither arbitrary nor unjust; it upholds righteousness and ultimately vindicates the faithful.

Human Violence and Moral Accountability

Job 24:14 places קָטַל on the lips of Job as he catalogs the deeds of the wicked. The contrast between God’s righteous slaying and humanity’s lawless bloodshed highlights accountability (Genesis 9:6). The text invites believers to lament oppression while trusting that every act of violence will face divine reckoning (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

Wisdom Literature and the Problem of Evil

Job and Psalms wrestle with the coexistence of righteous sufferers and violent oppressors. קָטַל surfaces in these struggles, illustrating the tension between present injustice and eschatological hope. Job’s declaration of trust in the God who may “slay” him models persevering faith amid adversity, later echoed in Habakkuk 3:17-19 and 1 Peter 4:19.

Implications for Prayer and Worship

Psalm 139 demonstrates that petitions for God to “slay” wickedness can coexist with intimate worship (“Search me, O God,” Psalm 139:23-24). Imprecation, when governed by love for God’s glory and the well-being of His people, becomes an act of aligning with divine justice rather than personal vengeance.

Christological Perspective

At the cross the righteous One was “slain” (Revelation 5:6) by human hands under God’s foreordained plan (Acts 2:23). The lethal verb of judgment meets its redemptive counterpart in Christ’s atoning death, transforming the theme of slaying into the means of life for His people (Isaiah 53:10-11).

Pastoral and Missional Application

1. Suffering believers may echo Job 13:15, entrusting themselves to God’s sovereign goodness even when circumstances appear lethal.
2. Intercession should include righteous anger against oppression (Psalm 139:19) while committing final justice to the Lord.
3. Gospel proclamation offers deliverance from the judgment symbolized by קָטַל, urging sinners to flee to the One who was slain in their place (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Summary

קָטַל, though rare, concentrates profound theological truths: God’s uncontested authority over life, the moral horror of human violence, and the hope of ultimate justice. In Christ, the narrative arc moves from the fear of being slain to the assurance that the slain Lamb secures eternal life for all who believe.

יִ֭קְטְלֵנִי יִֽקְטָל־ יקטל־ יקטלני תִּקְטֹ֖ל תקטל tikTol tiq·ṭōl tiqṭōl Yikteleni yiktol yiq·ṭāl- yiq·ṭə·lê·nî yiqṭāl- yiqṭəlênîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts