3611. keleb

Strong's Lexicon

keleb: Dog

Original Word: כֶּלֶב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: keleb
Pronunciation: keh'-leb
Phonetic Spelling: (keh'-leb)
Definition: Dog
Meaning: a dog, a male prostitute

Word Origin: Derived from an unused root meaning to yelp or to attack

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G2965 (κύων, kuōn): This Greek word is used in the New Testament with a similar connotation, often referring to dogs in a derogatory sense, as seen in Philippians 3:2 and Revelation 22:15.

Usage: The Hebrew word "keleb" primarily refers to a dog. In the Biblical context, dogs were often seen as unclean animals, scavengers that roamed the streets and fields. The term is sometimes used metaphorically to describe people of low status or those considered impure or contemptible. In some instances, "keleb" is used to denote male prostitutes in pagan worship practices, as seen in Deuteronomy 23:18.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Israel, dogs were not typically kept as pets as they are in many cultures today. They were more commonly associated with wild or semi-wild animals that lived on the fringes of human settlements. Dogs were often seen as symbols of impurity and were associated with negative traits such as greed and aggression. This cultural perception is reflected in various Biblical passages where dogs are used as metaphors for undesirable characteristics or people.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a dog
NASB Translation
dog (14), dog's (2), dogs (16).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

כֶּ֫לֶב noun masculine^{1Sam 24:15} dog (Late Hebrew id.; Phoenician כלב; Aramaic כַּלְבָּא, , Arabic ; Ethiopic Assyrian kalbu Dl^{HWB 328}) — absolute ׳כ Judges 7:5 16t., כָּ֑לֶב Psalm 59:7; Psalm 59:15; plural כְּלָבִים 1 Kings 14:11 12t.; construct כַּלְבֵי Job 30:1; suffix כְּלָבֶיךָ Psalm 68:24; — dog:

a. literal 1 Kings 14:11; 1 Kings 16:4; 1 Kings 21:19 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 21:23,24; 1 Kings 22:38; 2 Kings 9:10,36 (all of fierce, hungry dogs, devouring dead bodies and licking blood); compare Jeremiah 15:3 and (לְשׁוֺן כְּלָבֶיךָ) Psalm 68:24; eating torn flesh, Exodus 22:30 (E), כַּלְבֵי צאֹנִי = my sheep-dogs, only Job 30:1 (in both these with implied inferiority); dog-sacrifice was a heathen rite Isaiah 66:3 (Di and others); see especially RS^{Semitic i, 273} (291), 325 (343); invarious simile Judges 7:5; Proverbs 26:11,17; Psalm 59:7; Psalm 59:15; in proverbial sayings: לֹא לִשֹׁנוֺ ׳יֶחֱרַץכֿ Exodus 11:7 (see I. חרץ); מֵת טוֺב מִןֿ ׳לְכ הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת Ecclesiastes 9:4.

b. applied, figurative, to men, in contempt 1 Samuel 17:43, so of psalmist's enemies Psalm 22:17; Psalm 22:21, or in excessive humility 2 Kings 8:13; still more emphatically מֵת ׳כ a dead dog, הַמֵּת ׳הַכּ 2 Samuel 9:8; 2 Samuel 16:9; also ׳ראֹשׁ כ 2 Samuel 3:8; כְּלָבִים אִלְּמִים Isaiah 56:10 (of misleading prophets), עַזֵּי נֶפֶשׁ ׳הַכּ Isaiah 56:11 (id.); ׳כ was name given to male temple-prostitutes Deuteronomy 23:19 (see Dr; compare קָדֵשׁ).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

dog

From an unused root means. To yelp, or else to attack; a dog; hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute -- dog.

Forms and Transliterations

הֲכֶ֣לֶב הַכְּלָבִ֑ים הַכְּלָבִ֔ים הַכְּלָבִ֖ים הַכְּלָבִ֛ים הַכְּלָבִים֙ הַכֶּ֔לֶב הַכֶּ֗לֶב הַכֶּ֤לֶב הַכֶּ֥לֶב הכלב הכלבים וְהַכְּלָבִ֣ים והכלבים כְּ֭כֶלֶב כְּלָ֫בִ֥ים כְּלָבִ֣ים כְּלָבֶ֑יךָ כֶּ֔לֶב כֶּ֗לֶב כֶּ֙לֶב֙ כֶּ֝֗לֶב כֶּ֣לֶב כֶּ֥לֶב כַּלְבֵ֥י כַכָּ֗לֶב כָ֑לֶב ככלב כלב כלבי כלביך כלבים לְכֶ֤לֶב לַכֶּ֖לֶב לכלב chakKalev Chalev hă·ḵe·leḇ haChelev hak·kə·lā·ḇîm hak·ke·leḇ hăḵeleḇ hakkəlāḇîm hakkelaVim hakkeleḇ hakKelev ḵā·leḇ ḵak·kā·leḇ ḵakkāleḇ kal·ḇê kalḇê ḵāleḇ kalVei kə·ḵe·leḇ kə·lā·ḇe·ḵā kə·lā·ḇîm ke·leḇ Kechelev kəḵeleḇ kəlāḇeḵā kəlāḇîm kelaVeicha keLaVim keleḇ kelev lak·ke·leḇ lakkeleḇ lakKelev lə·ḵe·leḇ leChelev ləḵeleḇ vehakkelaVim wə·hak·kə·lā·ḇîm wəhakkəlāḇîm

Englishman's Concordance

Exodus 11:7
HEB: לֹ֤א יֶֽחֱרַץ־ כֶּ֙לֶב֙ לְשֹׁנ֔וֹ לְמֵאִ֖ישׁ
NAS: of Israel a dog will not [even] bark,
KJV: of Israel shall not a dog move
INT: not move A dog his tongue man

Exodus 22:31
HEB: לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ לַכֶּ֖לֶב תַּשְׁלִכ֥וּן אֹתֽוֹ׃
NAS: you shall throw it to the dogs.
KJV: ye shall cast it to the dogs.
INT: shall not eat to the dogs shall throw

Deuteronomy 23:18
HEB: זוֹנָ֜ה וּמְחִ֣יר כֶּ֗לֶב בֵּ֛ית יְהוָ֥ה
NAS: or the wages of a dog into the house
KJV: or the price of a dog, into the house
INT: of a harlot the wages of a dog the house of the LORD

Judges 7:5
HEB: כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר יָלֹ֣ק הַכֶּ֗לֶב תַּצִּ֤יג אוֹתוֹ֙
NAS: with his tongue as a dog laps,
KJV: with his tongue, as a dog lappeth,
INT: who laps A dog set shall separate

1 Samuel 17:43
HEB: אֶל־ דָּוִ֔ד הֲכֶ֣לֶב אָנֹ֔כִי כִּֽי־
NAS: to David, Am I a dog, that you come
KJV: unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest
INT: to David A dog I for

1 Samuel 24:14
HEB: רֹדֵ֑ף אַֽחֲרֵי֙ כֶּ֣לֶב מֵ֔ת אַחֲרֵ֖י
NAS: A dead dog, a single
KJV: after a dead dog, after a
INT: pursue After dog A dead After

2 Samuel 3:8
HEB: וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הֲרֹ֨אשׁ כֶּ֥לֶב אָנֹ֘כִי֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר
NAS: and said, Am I a dog's head
KJV: and said, [Am] I a dog's head,
INT: and said head A dog's I which

2 Samuel 9:8
HEB: פָנִ֔יתָ אֶל־ הַכֶּ֥לֶב הַמֵּ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר
NAS: a dead dog like
KJV: upon such a dead dog as I [am]?
INT: regard about dog A dead after

2 Samuel 16:9
HEB: לָ֣מָּה יְקַלֵּ֞ל הַכֶּ֤לֶב הַמֵּת֙ הַזֶּ֔ה
NAS: should this dead dog curse my lord
KJV: Why should this dead dog curse
INT: Why curse dog dead this

1 Kings 14:11
HEB: בָּעִיר֙ יֹאכְל֣וּ הַכְּלָבִ֔ים וְהַמֵּת֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה
NAS: in the city the dogs will eat.
KJV: in the city shall the dogs eat;
INT: the city will eat the dogs dies the field

1 Kings 16:4
HEB: בָּעִ֔יר יֹֽאכְל֖וּ הַכְּלָבִ֑ים וְהַמֵּ֥ת לוֹ֙
NAS: in the city the dogs will eat,
KJV: in the city shall the dogs eat;
INT: the city will eat the dogs dies the field

1 Kings 21:19
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֨ר לָקְק֤וּ הַכְּלָבִים֙ אֶת־ דַּ֣ם
NAS: where the dogs licked
KJV: In the place where dogs licked
INT: where licked the dogs the blood of Naboth

1 Kings 21:19
HEB: נָב֔וֹת יָלֹ֧קּוּ הַכְּלָבִ֛ים אֶת־ דָּמְךָ֖
NAS: of Naboth the dogs will lick
KJV: of Naboth shall dogs lick
INT: of Naboth will lick the dogs your blood even

1 Kings 21:23
HEB: יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הַכְּלָבִ֛ים יֹאכְל֥וּ אֶת־
NAS: saying, The dogs will eat
KJV: saying, The dogs shall eat
INT: has the LORD saying the dogs will eat Jezebel

1 Kings 21:24
HEB: בָּעִ֔יר יֹאכְל֖וּ הַכְּלָבִ֑ים וְהַמֵּת֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה
NAS: in the city, the dogs will eat,
KJV: in the city the dogs shall eat;
INT: the city will eat the dogs dies the field

1 Kings 22:38
HEB: שֹׁמְר֗וֹן וַיָּלֹ֤קּוּ הַכְּלָבִים֙ אֶת־ דָּמ֔וֹ
NAS: of Samaria, and the dogs licked
KJV: of Samaria; and the dogs licked up
INT: of Samaria licked and the dogs his blood his armour

2 Kings 8:13
HEB: מָ֤ה עַבְדְּךָ֙ הַכֶּ֔לֶב כִּ֣י יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה
NAS: is your servant, [who is but] a dog, that he should do
KJV: But what, [is] thy servant a dog, that he should do
INT: what is your servant a dog should do

2 Kings 9:10
HEB: אִיזֶ֜בֶל יֹאכְל֧וּ הַכְּלָבִ֛ים בְּחֵ֥לֶק יִזְרְעֶ֖אל
NAS: The dogs shall eat Jezebel
KJV: And the dogs shall eat Jezebel
INT: Jezebel shall eat the dogs the territory of Jezreel

2 Kings 9:36
HEB: יִזְרְעֶ֔אל יֹאכְל֥וּ הַכְּלָבִ֖ים אֶת־ בְּשַׂ֥ר
NAS: of Jezreel the dogs shall eat
KJV: of Jezreel shall dogs eat
INT: of Jezreel shall eat the dogs the flesh of Jezebel

Job 30:1
HEB: לָ֝שִׁ֗ית עִם־ כַּלְבֵ֥י צֹאנִֽי׃
NAS: to put with the dogs of my flock.
KJV: to have set with the dogs of my flock.
INT: to put with the dogs of my flock

Psalm 22:16
HEB: כִּ֥י סְבָב֗וּנִי כְּלָ֫בִ֥ים עֲדַ֣ת מְ֭רֵעִים
NAS: For dogs have surrounded me; A band
KJV: For dogs have compassed
INT: for have surrounded dogs A band of evildoers

Psalm 22:20
HEB: נַפְשִׁ֑י מִיַּד־ כֶּ֝֗לֶב יְחִידָתִֽי׃
NAS: [life] from the power of the dog.
KJV: my darling from the power of the dog.
INT: my soul the power of the dog my only

Psalm 59:6
HEB: לָ֭עֶרֶב יֶהֱמ֥וּ כַכָּ֗לֶב וִיס֥וֹבְבוּ עִֽיר׃
NAS: they howl like a dog, And go around
KJV: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about
INT: evening howl A dog and go the city

Psalm 59:14
HEB: לָ֭עֶרֶב יֶהֱמ֥וּ כַכָּ֗לֶב וִיס֥וֹבְבוּ עִֽיר׃
NAS: they howl like a dog, And go around
KJV: [and] let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about
INT: evening howl A dog and go the city

Psalm 68:23
HEB: בְּ֫דָ֥ם לְשׁ֥וֹן כְּלָבֶ֑יךָ מֵאֹיְבִ֥ים מִנֵּֽהוּ׃
NAS: The tongue of your dogs [may have] its portion
KJV: [and] the tongue of thy dogs in the same.
INT: blood the tongue of your dogs of enemies They

32 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3611
32 Occurrences

ḵak·kā·leḇ — 2 Occ.
ḵā·leḇ — 1 Occ.
hă·ḵe·leḇ — 1 Occ.
hak·kə·lā·ḇîm — 10 Occ.
hak·ke·leḇ — 4 Occ.
kal·ḇê — 1 Occ.
kə·ḵe·leḇ — 1 Occ.
kə·lā·ḇe·ḵā — 1 Occ.
kə·lā·ḇîm — 2 Occ.
ke·leḇ — 6 Occ.
lak·ke·leḇ — 1 Occ.
lə·ḵe·leḇ — 1 Occ.
wə·hak·kə·lā·ḇîm — 1 Occ.