3608. kele

Lexicon

kele: Prison, confinement, enclosure

Original Word: כֶּלֶא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: kele'
Pronunciation: keh'-leh
Phonetic Spelling: (keh'-leh)
Definition: Prison, confinement, enclosure
Meaning: a prison

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

prison

From kala'; a prison -- prison. Compare kil'ayim, kliy'.

see HEBREW kala'

see HEBREW kil'ayim

see HEBREW kliy'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from kala
Definition
confinement, restraint, imprisonment
NASB Translation
prison (2), prison* (7), prisons (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

כֶּ֫לֶא noun [masculine] confinement, restraint, imprisonment; — absolute ׳כ 1 Kings 22:27 6t.; suffix כִּלְאוֺ 2 Kings 25:29; Jeremiah 52:33; plural כְּלָאִים Isaiah 42:22; — confinement, in combination ׳בֵּית (ה)כ (compare Assyrian bit kili, prison, Dl^{HWB 328}) 1 Kings 22:27 2Chronicles 18:26; 2 Kings 17:4; Jeremiah 37:15,18; Isaiah 42:7; בָּֽתֵּי כְלָאִים Isaiah 42:22 (compare בַּיִת

1 (ε) (2) p. 109 above; see also כלוא below); בִּנְדֵי כִלְאוֺ 2 Kings 25:29 = Jeremiah 52:33 garments of imprisonment = prison-garb.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root verb כָּלָא (kala'), meaning "to shut up" or "to restrain."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The corresponding Greek term in the New Testament is φυλακή (phylakē), Strong's Greek Number G5438. This term similarly denotes a place of confinement or a guard post. It is used in various New Testament passages to describe physical prisons, such as in Acts 12:4, where Peter is imprisoned: "After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover." (BSB).

In summary, כֶּלֶא (kele') in the Hebrew Bible is a term that encapsulates the concept of imprisonment, both as a physical reality and a metaphorical state, reflecting the broader themes of justice, punishment, and redemption within the biblical narrative.

Usage: The term כֶּלֶא (kele') is used in the Hebrew Bible to denote a physical place where individuals are confined or imprisoned. It is often used in contexts involving legal or punitive detention.

Context: The Hebrew word כֶּלֶא (kele') appears in several Old Testament passages, signifying a place of imprisonment or confinement. It is used to describe both literal and metaphorical prisons. In the ancient Near Eastern context, prisons were often rudimentary, sometimes consisting of pits or fortified rooms within a larger structure.

In 1 Kings 22:27, Micaiah is ordered to be put in prison by King Ahab: "and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’" (BSB). This illustrates the use of כֶּלֶא as a place of punitive detention.

In 2 Chronicles 18:26, a similar account is given, reinforcing the notion of prison as a place of punishment and deprivation: "and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’" (BSB).

Jeremiah 37:15 provides another example, where the prophet Jeremiah is cast into prison: "The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison." (BSB). This highlights the use of private homes as makeshift prisons during times of political unrest.

The concept of prison in the Hebrew Bible often carries a negative connotation, associated with suffering, injustice, and divine testing. However, it also serves as a backdrop for divine deliverance and prophetic witness, as seen in the narratives of Joseph and Jeremiah.

Forms and Transliterations

הַכֶּ֑לֶא הַכֶּֽלֶא׃ הכלא הכלא׃ כְלָאִ֖ים כִלְא֑וֹ כֶּ֖לֶא כֶּֽלֶא׃ כלא כלא׃ כלאו כלאים chelaIm chilO hak·ke·le hakkele ḵə·lā·’îm ke·le ḵəlā’îm kele ḵil’ōw ḵil·’ōw

Englishman's Concordance

1 Kings 22:27
HEB: זֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית הַכֶּ֑לֶא וְהַאֲכִילֻ֨הוּ לֶ֤חֶם
INT: this court prison and feed bread

2 Kings 17:4
HEB: וַיַּאַסְרֵ֖הוּ בֵּ֥ית כֶּֽלֶא׃
INT: and bound court prison

2 Kings 25:27
HEB: יְהוּדָ֖ה מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּֽלֶא׃
INT: of Judah court prison

2 Kings 25:29
HEB: אֵ֖ת בִּגְדֵ֣י כִלְא֑וֹ וְאָכַ֨ל לֶ֧חֶם
NAS: Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes
KJV: And changed his prison garments:
INT: changed clothes his prison and had his meals

2 Chronicles 18:26
HEB: זֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית הַכֶּ֑לֶא וְהַאֲכִלֻ֜הוּ לֶ֤חֶם
INT: this court prison and feed bread

Isaiah 42:7
HEB: אַסִּ֔יר מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
KJV: in darkness out of the prison house.
INT: prisoners house of the prison dwell darkness

Isaiah 42:22
HEB: כֻּלָּ֔ם וּבְבָתֵּ֥י כְלָאִ֖ים הָחְבָּ֑אוּ הָי֤וּ
NAS: Or are hidden away in prisons; They have become
KJV: and they are hid in prison houses:
INT: All houses prisons are hidden have become

Jeremiah 37:15
HEB: עָשׂ֖וּ לְבֵ֥ית הַכֶּֽלֶא׃
KJV: for they had made that the prison.
INT: had made the house the prison

Jeremiah 37:18
HEB: אֶל־ בֵּ֥ית הַכֶּֽלֶא׃
INT: about court prison

Jeremiah 52:33
HEB: אֵ֖ת בִּגְדֵ֣י כִלְא֑וֹ וְאָכַ֨ל לֶ֧חֶם
NAS: So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes,
KJV: And changed his prison garments:
INT: and changed clothes his prison and had his meals

10 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3608
10 Occurrences

ḵə·lā·’îm — 1 Occ.
ḵil·’ōw — 2 Occ.
hak·ke·le — 4 Occ.
ke·le — 3 Occ.