ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA HEBREA
Qôl (קוֹל) — Voice in the Bible
Hebrew qôl (קוֹל) is the standard word for a voice or sound, used for human speech, animal cries, and thunder.
Significado de la palabra
Qôl (קוֹל) is defined as 'a voice or sound.' It is one of the most common nouns in the Hebrew Old Testament, appearing 338 times across 283 distinct verses.
The KJV translates it in many ways depending on context: voice, sound, noise, cry, thunder, proclamation, fame, yell, and even the lowing of cattle or crackling of a fire. The breadth of glosses shows that qôl refers less to a specific acoustic quality and more to the fact that something is audibly heard.
The word can describe divine speech, human speech, animal cries, and natural phenomena. It emphasizes the audibility of an event rather than the content of what is said.
Uso en las Escrituras
Qôl appears immediately in the early chapters of Genesis. In Genesis 3:8-10 Adam and Eve hear the voice (qôl) of Jehovah God walking in the garden, and Adam admits he heard God's voice and was afraid. The same noun is used in Genesis 4:10, where the 'voice of thy brother's blood crieth' from the ground, treating spilled blood as a vocal witness before God.
Throughout the patriarchal narratives qôl marks the channel of divine-human communication. God tells Abraham, 'hearken unto her voice' (Genesis 21:12), and obedience is repeatedly described as heeding God's voice (Genesis 22:18; 26:5). The noun also covers emotional outbursts such as Hagar lifting up her voice and weeping (Genesis 21:16) and the cry of the lad that God hears (Genesis 21:17). In these passages qôl functions as both literal vocal sound and as a metaphor for obedient listening.
La palabra en detalle
- H6963 Qôl (קוֹל) is a masculine noun glossed 'a voice or sound.' It is extremely flexible in translation: KJV renders it as voice, sound, noise, cry, thunder, proclamation, fame, yell, lowing, and crackling. Its core idea is simply that something is heard audibly.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Genesis 3:8 The first occurrence of qôl in Scripture: Adam and Eve hear the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden. The word marks the audible presence of God.
- Genesis 4:10 'The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.' Qôl personifies Abel's blood as a vocal witness calling for justice before God.
- Genesis 21:17 'God heard the voice of the lad.' Qôl denotes a child's cry that reaches heaven and prompts divine intervention.
- Genesis 26:5 Obedience to God is summarized as Abraham having 'obeyed my voice.' Qôl becomes shorthand for the full weight of divine command.
Preguntas frecuentes
What does qôl literally mean?
The lexicon defines qôl (H6963) as 'a voice or sound.' It is a general term for anything that is heard audibly, from a human voice to thunder.
Why does KJV translate qôl in so many different ways?
KJV lists over a dozen English renderings—voice, sound, cry, thunder, noise, fame, yell, lowing, crackling—because qôl covers any audible event. Translators choose the word that best fits each context.
Is qôl only used for human speech?
No. Qôl is used for God's voice, human speech, animal cries, weeping, and thunder. In Genesis 4:10 even spilled blood is said to have a voice crying out.