What does כֶּסֶל (kesiluth) mean in the Bible?
כֶּסֶל (kesiluth): Physical seat of vitality (loins/viscera) extends metaphorically to both foolish presumption and grounded confidence
Hebrew · H3689
כֶּסֶל
Properly, fatness , i.e. by implication (literally) the loin (as the seat of the leaf fat) or (generally) the viscera ; also (figuratively) silliness or (in a good sense) trust
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כֶּסֶל H3689
Pronunciation kesiluth
What does כֶּסֶל (kesiluth) mean in the Bible?
כֶּסֶל (kesiluth): Physical seat of vitality (loins/viscera) extends metaphorically to both foolish presumption and grounded confidence
Full entry for כֶּסֶל (H3689) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3689?
The BSB source-word alignment has 13 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the loins (5), and his waistline (1), confidence (1), my loins (1), my trust (1).
Where does כֶּסֶל (kesiluth) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 3:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (5), Job (3), Psalms (3), Ecclesiastes (1).
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 loins 5× Leviticus 3:4, Leviticus 3:10, Leviticus 3:15, Leviticus 4:9
and his waistline 1× Job 15:27
confidence 1× Job 8:14
my loins 1× Psalms 38:7
my trust 1× Job 31:24
of the foolish 1× Psalms 49:13
the stupidity 1× Ecclesiastes 7:25
their confidence 1× Psalms 78:7
your confidence 1× Proverbs 3:26
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 3:4 הַכְּסָלִ֑ים to the loins Article | Noun - masculine plural Leviticus 3:10 הַכְּסָלִ֑ים to the loins Article | Noun - masculine plural Leviticus 3:15 הַכְּסָלִ֑ים to the loins Article | Noun - masculine plural Leviticus 4:9 הַכְּסָלִ֑ים to the loins Article | Noun - masculine plural Leviticus 7:4 הַכְּסָלִ֑ים to the loins Article | Noun - masculine plural Job 8:14 כִּסְל֑וֹ to confidence Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Job 15:27 כָֽסֶל׃ to and his waistline Noun - masculine singular Job 31:24 כִּסְלִ֑י to my trust Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Psalms 38:7 כְ֭סָלַי to my loins Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Psalms 49:13 כֵּ֣סֶל to of the foolish Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Leviticus 3:4
Aligned rows 13
Books represented 5
Leviticus 5 Job 3 Psalms 3 Proverbs 1 Ecclesiastes 1
Source forms
הַכְּסָלִ֑ים 5x hak·kə·sā·lîm Leviticus 3:4, Leviticus 3:10, Leviticus 3:15, Leviticus 4:9
בְכִסְלֶ֑ךָ 1x ḇə·ḵis·le·ḵā Proverbs 3:26
כֵּ֣סֶל 1x kê·sel Psalms 49:13
כֶּ֔סֶל 1x ke·sel Ecclesiastes 7:25
כָֽסֶל׃ 1x ḵā·sel Job 15:27
כִּסְל֑וֹ 1x kis·lōw Job 8:14
כְ֭סָלַי 1x ḵə·sā·lay Psalms 38:7
כִּסְלִ֑י 1x kis·lî Job 31:24
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine plural 5x Leviticus 3:4, Leviticus 3:10, Leviticus 3:15, Leviticus 4:9
Noun - masculine singular 3x Job 15:27, Psalms 49:13, Ecclesiastes 7:25
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 1x Psalms 38:7
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular 1x Job 31:24
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 1x Psalms 78:7
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Job 8:14
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular 1x Proverbs 3:26
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Physical seat of vitality (loins/viscera) extends metaphorically to both foolish presumption and grounded confidence
Source Gloss
properly, fatness , i.e. by implication (literally) the loin (as the seat of the leaf fat) or (generally) the viscera ; also (figuratively) silliness or (in a good sense) trust
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Physical seat of vitality (loins/viscera) extends metaphorically to both foolish presumption and grounded confidence
properly, fatness, i.e. by implication (literally) the loin (as the seat of the leaf fat) or (generally) the viscera; also (figuratively) silliness or (in a good sense) trust BDB: loins Usage: confidence, flank, folly, hope, loin.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
moral foolishness that rejects wisdom and discipline
Showing 1 selected witness from 13 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כֶּסֶל is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Folly represents a moral orientation that rejects God's wisdom. Proverbs 9:13-18
Canonical Themes
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