H6963b H6963b
lightness, frivolity, or moral shallowness (or possibly 'voice' as a variant)
A difficult noun in Jeremiah 3:9, where God condemns Israel for the 'lightness of her whoredom.' Most interpreters understand it as denoting frivolity or casual attitude—Israel treated spiritual adultery lightly, without seriousness. The phrase suggests moral shallowness: Israel's infidelity was thoughtless, almost recreational. Some scholars propose reading it as 'voice' (qol) instead, but the Versions support 'lightness,' which better fits Jeremiah's accusation of brazen, unashamed idolatry.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Lightness, frivolity, or lack of seriousness in moral matters, particularly Israel's casual approach to idolatry in Jeremiah 3:9. The prophet condemns not just the sin but the attitude: 'because of the lightness of her whoredom' suggests Israel committed spiritual adultery thoughtlessly, without gravity or shame. Spanish renders this as 'ligereza' (lightness), capturing the moral carelessness. Some translations struggle with the phrase, leaving it untransliterated, but the sense is clear: Israel's sin was compounded by treating it trivially. 1×
AR["مِنْ-خِفَّةِ"]·ben["হালকাভাবে-থেকে"]·DE["[מקל]"]·EN["from-the-lightness"]·FR["[מקל]"]·heb["מ-קול"]·HI["से-हल्केपन"]·ID["dari-suara"]·IT["[מקל]"]·jav["saking-entheng"]·KO["에-소리로-인해"]·PT["por-leveza-de"]·RU["от-лёгкости"]·ES["por-la-ligereza-de"]·SW["kutokana-na-urahisi-wa"]·TR["hafifliğinden-"]·urd["ہلکےپن-سے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† קֹל n.[m.] lightness, frivolity (so Vrss Ki Gie; Gf thinks = קָלוֹן; > = voice);—מִקֹּל זְנוּתָהּ Je 3:9.—קֹל voice, v. קוֹל.