Lexical Summary qal: Light, swift, agile Original Word: קָל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sound, voice (Aramaic) corresponding to qowl -- sound, voice. see HEBREW qowl Brown-Driver-Briggs קָל noun masculineDan 4:28 voice (ᵑ7 Syriac); — ׳ק 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…” 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. 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 in Matthew 3:17 and ultimately shakes heaven and earth in Hebrews 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. Key Theological Themes • Revelation versus manipulation 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 qālLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 3:5 HEB: דִּֽי־ תִשְׁמְע֡וּן קָ֣ל קַרְנָ֣א מַ֠שְׁרוֹקִיתָא NAS: you hear the sound of the horn, KJV: ye hear the sound of the cornet, INT: forasmuch hear the sound of the horn flute Daniel 3:7 Daniel 3:10 Daniel 3:15 Daniel 4:31 Daniel 6:20 Daniel 7:11 7 Occurrences |