---
title: כִּלְיָה — kidneys · The Tanakh dictionary
description: כִּלְיָה (3629), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 31 times: kidneys. BDB 1906: n.f. kidneys. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# כִּלְיָה

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«כִּלְיָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **kidneys** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 31 times · **Key:** 3629 · **BDB:** כִּלְיָה

### Glosses

kidneys (28); of.\[the\].kidneys (2); \[the\].kidneys (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

kidneys [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3629/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. kidneys [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3629/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. only pl. kidneys (NH כִּלְיָה (pl.); Aramaic כּוּלְיָא or כּוֹלְיָא (only pl.), ܟܽܘܠܢܳܐ; Ethiopic ኵሊት 𝔊 οἱ νεφροί);—abs. pl. כְּלָיוֹת Je 11:20 + 5 times; כְּלָיֹת Ex 29:13 + 13 times; cstr. כִּלְיוֹת Dt 32:14 Is 34:6; sf. כִּלְיוֹתַי Jb 16:3 + 2 times; כִּלְיֹתַי Jb 19:27; כִּלְיוֹתָ֑י ψ 16:7 Pr 23:16; כִּלְיֹתָ֑י ψ 139:13 La 3:13; כִּלְיוֹתֵיהֶם Je 12:2;—kidneys: lit., as physical organ, of man, only poet., as created by י׳ ψ 139:13; as the most sensitive and vital part, in metaph. of man wounded by י׳’s arrows Jb 16:13 La 3:13. of sacrifical animals, offered as choice part to י׳ Lv 3:4, 10, 15; 4:9; 7:4; 9:10, 19; שְׁתֵּי הַכּ׳ Ex 29:13, 22 Lv 3:4, 10, 15; 4:9; 7:4; 8:16, 25 (all P); in fig. of sacrif. Edomites חֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת אֵילִים Is 34:6; transferred to wheat, חֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה Dt 32:14 kidney-fat (i.e. the choicest, richest) of wheat. fig., as seat of emotion and affection Jb 19:27 Pr 23:16 ψ 16:7; 73:21; קָרוֹב אַתָּה בְּפִיהֶם וְרָחוֹק מִכּ׳ Je 12:2 near art thou in their mouth, and far from their affections; hence, as involving character, the obj. of God’s examination, always ‖ לֵב: בֹּחֵן כ׳ וָלֵב Je 11:20 cf. ψ 7:10, חֹקֵר לֵב בֹּחֵן כ׳ Je 17:10, בֹּחֵן צַדִּיק רֹאֶה כ׳ וָלֵב 20:12, צָרְו֯פָה כ׳ וְלִבִּי ψ 26:2.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 26 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (10 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (7 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «כִּלְיָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3629/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Lamentations 3:13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/LAM.3.13/)

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הֵבִיא֙ בְּכִלְיוֹתָ֔י בְּנֵ֖י אַשְׁפָּתֽוֹ׃

*Word for word:* he.has.brought in kidneys my the.sons his.quiver his

*JPS 1917:* He hath caused the arrows of His quiver to enter into my reins.

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[Psalms 73:21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.73.21/)

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כִּ֭י יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ לְבָבִ֑י וְ֝כִלְיוֹתַ֗י אֶשְׁתּוֹנָֽן׃

*Word for word:* (dm) it.was.embittered heart my and kidneys my I.was.pierced

*JPS 1917:* For my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins.

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