What does כִּלְיָה (kelayot) mean in the Bible?
כִּלְיָה (kelayot): Kidneys as seat of inner emotions and moral consciousness, especially in covenantal loyalty and divine testing.
Hebrew · H3629
כִּלְיָה
A kidney (as an essential organ ); figuratively, the mind (as the interior self)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
כִּלְיָה H3629
Pronunciation kelayot
What does כִּלְיָה (kelayot) mean in the Bible?
כִּלְיָה (kelayot): Kidneys as seat of inner emotions and moral consciousness, especially in covenantal loyalty and divine testing.
Full entry for כִּלְיָה (H3629) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3629?
The BSB source-word alignment has 31 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include kidneys (9), the kidneys (6), my inmost being (2), my kidneys (2), the heart (2).
Where does כִּלְיָה (kelayot) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 29:13. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (14), Psalms (5), Jeremiah (4), Exodus (2).
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 kidneys 9× Exodus 29:13, Exodus 29:22, Leviticus 3:4, Leviticus 3:10
the kidneys 6× Leviticus 3:4, Leviticus 3:10, Leviticus 3:15, Leviticus 4:9
my inmost being 2× Psalms 139:13, Proverbs 23:16
my kidneys 2× Job 16:13, Lamentations 3:13
the heart 2× Jeremiah 11:20, Jeremiah 20:12
and minds 1× Psalms 7:9
from their hearts 1× Jeremiah 12:2
grains 1× Deuteronomy 32:14
How my heart 1× Job 19:27
my conscience 1× Psalms 16:7
my heart 1× Psalms 26:2
of the kidneys 1× Isaiah 34:6
the entrails, the kidneys 1× Leviticus 9:19
the mind 1× Jeremiah 17:10
within 1× Psalms 73:21
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 29:13 הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת to kidneys Article | Noun - feminine plural Exodus 29:22 הַכְּלָיֹ֗ת to kidneys Article | Noun - feminine plural Leviticus 3:4 הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת to kidneys Article | Noun - feminine plural Leviticus 3:4 הַכְּלָי֖וֹת to the kidneys Article | Noun - feminine plural Leviticus 3:10 הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת to kidneys Article | Noun - feminine plural Leviticus 3:10 הַכְּלָיֹ֖ת to the kidneys Article | Noun - feminine plural Leviticus 3:15 הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת to kidneys Article | Noun - feminine plural Leviticus 3:15 הַכְּלָיֹ֖ת to the kidneys Article | Noun - feminine plural Leviticus 4:9 הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת to kidneys Article | Noun - feminine plural Leviticus 4:9 הַכְּלָי֖וֹת to the kidneys Article | Noun - feminine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 29:13
Aligned rows 31
Books represented 9
Exodus 2 Leviticus 14 Deuteronomy 1 Job 2 Psalms 5 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 4 Lamentations 1
Source forms
הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת 6x hak·kə·lā·yōṯ Exodus 29:13, Leviticus 3:4, Leviticus 3:10, Leviticus 3:15
הַכְּלָיֹ֖ת 5x hak·kə·lā·yōṯ Leviticus 3:10, Leviticus 3:15, Leviticus 7:4, Leviticus 8:16
הַכְּלָי֖וֹת 2x hak·kə·lā·yō·wṯ Leviticus 3:4, Leviticus 4:9
כִּלְי֣וֹת 2x kil·yō·wṯ Deuteronomy 32:14, Isaiah 34:6
בְּכִלְיוֹתָ֔י 1x bə·ḵil·yō·w·ṯāy Lamentations 3:13
הַכְּלָיֹ֗ת 1x hak·kə·lā·yōṯ Exodus 29:22
הַכְּלָיֹ֜ת 1x hak·kə·lā·yōṯ Leviticus 9:10
וְהַכְּלָיֹ֔ת 1x wə·hak·kə·lā·yōṯ Leviticus 9:19
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - feminine plural 15x Exodus 29:13, Exodus 29:22, Leviticus 3:4, Leviticus 3:10
Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular 6x Job 16:13, Job 19:27, Psalms 16:7, Psalms 26:2
Noun - feminine plural 3x Jeremiah 11:20, Jeremiah 17:10, Jeremiah 20:12
Noun - feminine plural construct 2x Deuteronomy 32:14, Isaiah 34:6
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural 1x Psalms 7:9
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular 1x Psalms 73:21
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine plural 1x Leviticus 9:19
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular 1x Lamentations 3:13
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Kidneys as seat of inner emotions and moral consciousness, especially in covenantal loyalty and divine testing.
Source Gloss
a kidney (as an essential organ ); figuratively, the mind (as the interior self)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Kidneys as seat of inner emotions and moral consciousness, especially in covenantal loyalty and divine testing.
a kidney (as an essential organ); figuratively, the mind (as the interior self) BDB: kidneys Usage: kidneys, reins.
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.
Old Testament Witnesses
My kidneys; the seat of emotions, conscience, and the inmost being
Reins, kidneys; the seat of deep emotions and hidden thoughts
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 31 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כִּלְיָה is built from this root:
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