Kidneys Inmost Being

† [כִּלְיָה] 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: 1. lit., as physical organ, a. 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. b. 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. 2. 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.

νεφρ-ός, ὁ, in plural, kidneys, Refs 5th c.BC+: rarely in singular, LXX+4th c.BC+. (Cf. OHG. nioro 'kidney', Praenest. nefrones, Lanuv. nebrundines 'kidneys', 'testicles'.)