Qabbalah
/ˌkɑːbəˈlɑː/noun
A Jewish mystical tradition concerned with the nature of God, creation, and the hidden meanings of scripture.
Did you know?The name comes from the Hebrew root *q-b-l*, “to receive,” because the teaching was understood as an inherited transmission of esoteric knowledge, not a book of spells.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
qābal
“to receive, accept”
Late Hebrew / Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
qabbālāh
“received tradition, transmission”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
qabbālāh
“Jewish mystical tradition”
12th–13th Century
Old French / Medieval Latin
cabale
“secret doctrine, esoteric lore”
Modern English
English
Kabbalah
“Jewish mystical system or tradition”