What does כֶּלֶב (keleb) mean in the Bible?
כֶּלֶב (keleb): Domestic animal carrying strong negative connotations; metaphorically applied to shameful human conduct and spiritual unfaithfulness
Hebrew · H3611
כֶּלֶב
A dog ; hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute
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כֶּלֶב H3611
Pronunciation keleb
What does כֶּלֶב (keleb) mean in the Bible?
כֶּלֶב (keleb): Domestic animal carrying strong negative connotations; metaphorically applied to shameful human conduct and spiritual unfaithfulness
Full entry for כֶּלֶב (H3611) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3611?
The BSB source-word alignment has 32 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the dogs (5), dog (4), a dog (3), by dogs (3), dogs (3).
Where does כֶּלֶב (keleb) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 11:7. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Kings (7), Psalms (5), 2 Kings (3), 2 Samuel (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the dogs 5× 1 Kings 21:19, 1 Kings 21:23, 2 Kings 9:10, 2 Kings 9:36
dog 4× 1 Samuel 24:14, 2 Samuel 9:8, 2 Samuel 16:9, Ecclesiastes 9:4
a dog 3× Judges 7:5, 1 Samuel 17:43, Proverbs 26:17
by dogs 3× 1 Kings 14:11, 1 Kings 16:4, 1 Kings 21:24
dogs 3× Job 30:1, Psalms 22:16, Isaiah 56:10
like dogs 2× Psalms 59:6, Psalms 59:14
[is like] one who breaks a dog’s 1× Isaiah 66:3
[there also] the dogs 1× 1 Kings 21:19
a mere dog 1× 2 Kings 8:13
and the dogs 1× 1 Kings 22:38
As a dog 1× Proverbs 26:11
even a dog 1× Exodus 11:7
Like ravenous dogs 1× Isaiah 56:11
of a dog 1× 2 Samuel 3:8
of wild dogs 1× Psalms 22:20
of your dogs 1× Psalms 68:23
or male 1× Deuteronomy 23:18
to the dogs 1× Exodus 22:31
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 11:7 כֶּ֙לֶב֙ to even a dog Noun - masculine singular Exodus 22:31 לַכֶּ֖לֶב to to the dogs Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 23:18 כֶּ֗לֶב to or male Noun - masculine singular Judges 7:5 הַכֶּ֗לֶב to a dog Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 17:43 הֲכֶ֣לֶב to a dog Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 24:14 כֶּ֣לֶב to dog Noun - masculine singular 2 Samuel 3:8 כֶּ֥לֶב to of a dog Noun - masculine singular 2 Samuel 9:8 הַכֶּ֥לֶב to dog Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Samuel 16:9 הַכֶּ֤לֶב to dog Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 14:11 הַכְּלָבִ֔ים to by dogs Article | Noun - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 11:7
Aligned rows 32
Books represented 13
Exodus 2 Deuteronomy 1 Judges 1 1 Samuel 2 2 Samuel 3 1 Kings 7 2 Kings 3 Job 1 Psalms 5 Proverbs 2 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 1
Source forms
הַכְּלָבִ֛ים 3x hak·kə·lā·ḇîm 1 Kings 21:19, 1 Kings 21:23, 2 Kings 9:10
הַכְּלָבִ֑ים 2x hak·kə·lā·ḇîm 1 Kings 16:4, 1 Kings 21:24
הַכְּלָבִים֙ 2x hak·kə·lā·ḇîm 1 Kings 21:19, 1 Kings 22:38
הַכְּלָבִ֖ים 2x hak·kə·lā·ḇîm 2 Kings 9:36, Jeremiah 15:3
כַכָּ֗לֶב 2x ḵak·kā·leḇ Psalms 59:6, Psalms 59:14
הֲכֶ֣לֶב 1x hă·ḵe·leḇ 1 Samuel 17:43
הַכֶּ֗לֶב 1x hak·ke·leḇ Judges 7:5
הַכֶּ֥לֶב 1x hak·ke·leḇ 2 Samuel 9:8
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine plural 10x 1 Kings 14:11, 1 Kings 16:4, 1 Kings 21:19, 1 Kings 21:23
Noun - masculine singular 7x Exodus 11:7, Deuteronomy 23:18, 1 Samuel 24:14, 2 Samuel 3:8
Article | Noun - masculine singular 5x Judges 7:5, 1 Samuel 17:43, 2 Samuel 9:8, 2 Samuel 16:9
Noun - masculine plural 2x Psalms 22:16, Isaiah 56:10
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 2x Psalms 59:6, Psalms 59:14
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural 1x Isaiah 56:11
Noun - masculine plural construct 1x Job 30:1
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 1x Psalms 68:23
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Domestic animal carrying strong negative connotations; metaphorically applied to shameful human conduct and spiritual unfaithfulness
Source Gloss
a dog ; hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Domestic animal carrying strong negative connotations; metaphorically applied to shameful human conduct and spiritual unfaithfulness
a dog; hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute BDB: dog Usage: dog.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Animal that returns to its vomit, illustrating foolish repetition
Animal seized by ears, metaphor for meddling in others' disputes
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 32 lexical occurrence verses.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain