כְּלִי324 H3627
Vessel, utensil, container; weapon, armor; implement, article, tool; goods, baggage; musical instrument
One of Hebrew's most semantically versatile nouns, covering virtually any crafted object. From sacred tabernacle vessels (Exod 27:19) to weapons of war (Gen 49:5), from David's shepherd's bag (1 Sam 17:40) to temple instruments of praise (1 Chr 15:16), keli derives its breadth from a root sense of something completed or contained. Arabic splits these functions across several words — ina' for vessels, silah for weapons, alat for instruments — revealing distinctions that Hebrew collapses into a single lexeme. Context and construct chains do the disambiguating work.
7. sense 7 — Ornamental jewelry or finery (1x at Isa 61:10): a bride adorning herself with her kelim, rendered 'jewels' in English. This metaphorical extension — from crafted object to personal adornment — fits the broader semantic logic of keli as anything fashioned with skill, here applied to the eschatological joy of Zion. 1×
AR["بِ-حُلِيِّهَا"]·ben["তার-অলংকারে"]·DE["Geraet"]·EN["her-jewels"]·FR["ustensile"]·heb["כליה"]·HI["और-जैसे"]·ID["perhiasannya"]·IT["utensile"]·jav["perhiasan-ipun"]·KO["그녀의-장식들을"]·PT["ornamentos-dela"]·RU["украшениями-своими"]·ES["con-sus-joyas"]·SW["kwa-mapambo-yake"]·TR["mucevherlerini"]·urd["اپنے-زیور"]
▼ 6 more senses below
Senses
1. vessel or container — The core and most frequent sense (206x): a receptacle or container — pot, jar, bowl, vat, or sacred vessel. Arabic ina'/aniya maps directly here. Tabernacle inventory lists (Exod 27:19; 38:3, 30) account for a large share, and the potter's vessel of Jer 18:4 became a powerful prophetic metaphor for divine sovereignty over human destiny. 206×
AR["آنِيَةُ-","آنِيَةِ","أَدَوَاتِ","هَدِيَّتَهُ"]·ben["পাত্র","পাত্রগুলি","পাত্রগুলি-","পাত্রগুলো"]·DE["Gefaesse-von","Geraete-von"]·EN["utensils-of","vessels-of"]·FR["ustensiles-de","vases-de","vessels-de"]·heb["כְּלֵי","כלי"]·HI["केली","केले","पात्र","पात्रों","बर्तन","बर्तनों","सामान"]·ID["perabotan","perkakas","perkakas-perkakas"]·IT["utensili-di","vasi-di","vessels-di"]·jav["piranti","piranti-","pirantos-","pirantos-pirantos","pirantosing","prabot","prabot-prabot"]·KO["그릿들-의","기구들","기구들-","기구들-의","기구들은","기구들을","기구들의","기물들을"]·PT["utensílios-de","utensílios-de-","utenílios-de"]·RU["сосудам","сосудов","сосуды","сосуды-"]·ES["los-utensilios-de","utensilios-de","utensilios-de-"]·SW["na-wakavileta","vya","vya-","vyombo","vyombo-vya","vyombo-vya-"]·TR["esyalarının","eşyalar","eşyaları","eşyaları-","eşyalarına","eşyalarını","eşyalarının","kapları"]·urd["برتن","برتن-","برتنوں","سامان","ظروف"]
Exod 27:19, Exod 31:7, Exod 35:22, Exod 38:3, Exod 38:30, Exod 39:40, Lev 11:32, Lev 11:33, Lev 13:49, Lev 13:52, Lev 13:53, Lev 13:57 (+38 more)
2. weapon or armor — Weapons and armor (59x): implements of warfare including swords, spears, bows, and defensive gear. Arabic silah and Swahili silaha capture this military register. Simeon and Levi's 'vessels of violence' (Gen 49:5) is the earliest attestation; the phrase kele milhamah ('weapons of war') becomes formulaic in Deuteronomy and the histories (Deut 1:41; Judg 18:11). 59×
AR["أَسْلِحَتِهِ","سِلاحَهُ","سِلاحِهِ","سِلَاحَهُ","سِلَاحِهِ"]·ben["অস্ত্রের-তার","তাঁর-অস্ত্রগুলি","তাঁর-অস্ত্রের","তার-অস্ত্রের"]·DE["Geraet","sein-weapons"]·EN["his-armor","his-weapons"]·FR["son-armes","ustensile"]·heb["כלי-ו","כליו","כליו-ו"]·HI["अपने-हथियारों-का","उसके-हथियार","उस्के-हथियअर"]·ID["senjata-senjatanya","senjatanya"]·IT["suo-armi","utensile"]·jav["gegaman-ipun","gegaman-nipun","gegamanipun","sedaya"]·KO["그의-무기들","그의-무기들-의","그의-무기를","그의-무기의"]·PT["armas-dele","armas-suas","suas-armas"]·RU["его","оружие-его","оружия-его","своему"]·ES["armas-de-él","sus-armas"]·SW["silaha-zake","ya-silaha-zake"]·TR["silahlarını","silahlarını-onun","silahlarının"]·urd["اس-کا-ہتھیار","اُس-کے-ہتھیار","اُس-کے-ہتھیار-نے","ہتھیار-اُس-کا","ہتھیار-اُس-کے","ہتھیار-اپنے","ہتھیاروں-اپنے"]
Gen 49:5, Num 35:16, Num 35:18, Deut 1:41, Judg 18:11, Judg 18:16, Judg 18:17, 1 Sam 8:12, 1 Sam 14:1, 1 Sam 14:6, 1 Sam 14:7, 1 Sam 14:12 (+38 more)
3. goods or baggage — Goods, baggage, or personal belongings (22x): portable property carried on journeys or stored in households. Arabic amti'a/mata' and Korean jim/mulgeon reflect the semantic range. Laban's search through Jacob's 'goods' (Gen 31:37) and the stolen loot hidden among Israel's kelim (Josh 7:11) exemplify possessions in narrative tension. 22×
AR["أَدَوَاتِ","أَدَوَاتِ-","أَمتِعَةً","أَمْتِعَةَ","أَمْتِعَةِ","أَمْتِعَتَكَ","أَمْتِعَتَهُ","أَمْتِعَتِهِمْ","أَمْتِعَتِي","الأمتِعَةِ","الأَمتِعَةِ","الأَمْتِعَةِ","الـ-أَمْتِعَةِ","الْأَمْتِعَةَ","في-أَمتِعَتِهِم","وَ-بِ-أدواتِ","وَأَمْتِعَةً"]·ben["-মালপত্রগুলির","আমার-জিনিস","এবং-পাত্রে","এবং-যন্ত্রে-","জিনিস","জিনিস-","জিনিসগুলি","জিনিসগুলির","তাদের-পাত্রগুলি","তাদের-পাত্রে","তার-জিনিসপত্র","তোমার-জিনিস","দ্রব্যগুলি","মালপত্রগুলি","যন্ত্রগুলি-","সমস্ত-জিনিসপত্র","সরঞ্জাম","সামগ্রীগুলির","সেই-মালপত্রের"]·DE["Gefaesse","Geraet","Geraete","Geraete-von","den-Geräten-","der-baggage","die-Geraete","implements-von-","und-equipment","und-mit-implements-von","unter-ihr-goods","wie-mir"]·EN["among-their-goods","and-equipment","and-with-implements-of","articles-of-","equipment-of","gear-of","gear-of-me","gear-of-you","goods-of-","his-equipment","implements-of-","the-baggage","the-cargo","their-vessels","vessels"]·FR["comme-à-moi","et-avec-implements-de","et-equipment","goods-de-","implements-de-","le-baggage","parmi-leur-goods","ustensile","vases"]·heb["ב-כליהם","ה-כלים","הַ-כֵּלִים","ו-ב-כלי","ו-כלים","כלי","כליהם","כליו","כליך","כלים"]·HI["अपना-सामान","उनके-सामान","और-बर्तनों-से","वखेलीम","सअमअन","सअमअनोन","सअमअनोन-के","सामान","सामान-में-अपने","सामानों"]·ID["Barang-barang","barang-barang","barang-barang-itu","barang-barang-mereka","barang-barangku","barang-barangmu","barang-barangnya","dalam-barang-barang-mereka","dan-dengan-perkakas","dan-peralatan","perhiasan-perhiasan","perlengkapan","perlengkapan-","perlengkapannya"]·IT["come-a-me","e-con-strumenti-di","e-equipment","fra-loro-goods","goods-di-","il-bagaglio","strumenti-di-","strumento","utensile","vessels"]·jav["-barang-ipun","barang-barang","barang-barang-","barang-barang-ipun","barang-barang-kawula","barang-barang-panjenengan","ing-prabot","lan-mawi-pirantinipun","lan-pirantos","piranti","piranti-","piranti-piranti","pirantos-pirantos","prabot","prabotipun"]·KO["그-물건들","그-물건들-을","그-보급품을","그-짐들","그-짐을","그-짐의","그들의-물건들-가운데에","그리고-도구들-로","기구들을-그들의","기구를","나의-도구들을","네-도구들을","도구들을","무기들을","물건들","물건들로","물건들을","물건들의"]·PT["Utensílios-de","apetrechos-de","e-com-utensílios-de","e-utensílios","em-seus-utensílios","equipamento-seu","instrumentos-de","meus-utensílios","objetos","objetos-de","os-objetos","os-utensílios","seus-utensílios","teus-utensílios","utensílios-de-"]·RU["Вещи","в-вещи-свои","вещах","вещей","вещи","вещи-мои","вещи-твои","и-вещами","и-утварью","орудия-","снаряжение","снаряжение-своё","украшения","утварь-их"]·ES["artículos-de","el-equipaje","en-sus-vasijas","enseres-de","instrumento-de","los-equipajes","los-utensilios","su-equipo","sus-utensilios","utensilios","utensilios-de","utensilios-de-mí","utensilios-de-ti","y-con-utensilios-de","y-utensilios"]·SW["Vyombo-vya","katika-vyombo-vyao","mizigo","na-kwa-vyombo-vya","na-vyombo","silaha-za-","vifaa","vifaa-vyake","vifaa-vyako","vifaa-vyangu","vito-vya","vitu","vitu-vya","vyao-vyote","vyombo","vyombo-vya"]·TR["-eşyaların","aletlerini","aletlerini-","emredildim","esyalarini","eşyalar","eşyalar-o","eşyaları","eşyaların","eşyaların-arasında","eşyalarından","eşyalarını","eşyalarının-içine","süs-eşyalarını","ve-esyalar","ve-takımıyla"]·urd["اور-سامان-سے","اپنا-سامان","برتن","زیورات","سامان","سامان-اُن-کا","سامان-اپنے-میں","سامان-کے","سامان-کے۔","ہتھیار"]
Gen 31:37, Gen 45:20, Exod 22:7, Deut 22:5, Josh 7:11, 1 Sam 8:12, 1 Sam 10:22, 1 Sam 17:22, 1 Sam 17:22, 1 Sam 25:13, 1 Sam 30:24, 1 Kgs 19:21 (+10 more)
4. article or thing — A general article or thing (21x): used abstractly for any object without further specification. The construct kele kesef u-khele zahav, 'articles of silver and articles of gold' (Gen 24:53; Exod 3:22; 11:2), recurs in contexts of gift-giving and the Exodus plundering, where the word functions as a near-generic classifier. 21×
AR["آلَةٍ","آنِيَةٍ","آنِيَةَ","أَدَاةٍ","أَدَوَاتُ-","أَدَوَاتِ","أَوَانِيَ","ال-مَتَاعِ","كَأَمْتِعَةِ","مَتَاعٍ","وَ-أَوَانِيَ","وَآنِيَةَ"]·ben["অস্ত্র","আর-জিনিসগুলো-","এবং-জিনিস","এবং-পাত্র","ও-জিনিস","জিনিস","জিনিস-","পাত্র","পাত্র-","যেমন-জিনিস","সেই-পাত্র","সেই-পাত্রে"]·DE["Gefaesse-von","Gefaesse-von-","Geraete","Geräte-","Sache","articles-von-","der-Sache","instrument","und-Gefaesse-von","und-Geraete-von","und-Geräte-","und-articles-von","wie-Geraete-von"]·EN["and-articles-of","and-vessels-of","articles-of","articles-of-","instrument","like-gear-of","the-thing","thing","vessel-of","vessels-of","vessels-of-"]·FR["articles-de","articles-de-","chose","comme-à-moi","et-articles-de","et-ustensiles-de","et-vases-de","instrument","le-chose","ustensile","vases-de","vases-de-"]·heb["ה-כלי","ו-כלי","כ-כלי","כלי"]·HI["और-बासन","और-भांडे","और-वस्तुएँ","चीज़","जिस पर","जैसे-सामान","भांडे","वस्तु","वस्तुएँ","सामान"]·ID["alat","barang-barang","barang-barang-","benda-benda","benda-benda-","dan-barang-barang","dan-perkakas","perkakas","seperti-barang-barang"]·IT["articles-di","articles-di-","cosa","e-articles-di","e-utensili-di","e-vessels-di","il-cosa","instrument","strumento","vasi-di","vasi-di-"]·jav["barang","barang-barang-","kados-barang-barang","lan-barang-barang","lan-piranti","lan-piranti-piranti","lan-pirantos","piranti","piranti-"]·KO["그-도구","그리고-기물들","그리고-물건들","그리고-물건들을","그맇의","도구","도구들-같이","도구를","물건","물건들-을","물건들을"]·PT["como-utensílios-de-","e-objetos-de","o-utensílio","objetos-de","objetos-de-","os-objetos","utensílio","vaso-de"]·RU["вещей","вещи","вещи-","и-вещи","как-вещи","предмет","предмете","предмету","сосудов"]·ES["como-utensilios-de","el-utensilio","objeto-de","objetos-de","utensilio","utensilios-de","utensilios-de-","y-objetos","y-objetos-de","y-utensilios-de","y-utensilios-de-"]·SW["chochote","chombo","chombo-cha","kama-vifaa","na-vyombo","na-vyombo-vya","vyombo","vyombo-","vyombo-vya","vyombo-vya-"]·TR["-siz","eşya","eşyada","eşyalar-","eşyaları-","eşyalarını","eşyasını","eşyaya","gibi","ve-eşyalar","ve-eşyaları","çıkardım"]·urd["اور-برتن","اور-زیورات","اور-چیزیں","برتن","برتنوں","برتنے","جلا-وطنی-کے-سامان-کی-طرح","زیورات","قیمتی-برتنوں-کا","چیز","چیز-کو","ہر"]
5. musical instrument — Musical instruments (14x): devices for worship music — harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets. Arabic alat (with musical context), Korean akgi, and Hindi vadya all employ distinct instrument terminology where Hebrew uses keli plus a genitive of type. This sense clusters almost entirely in the Chronicler's temple-music passages (1 Chr 15:16; 16:5, 42; 23:5; 2 Chr 5:13). 14×
AR["آلاتِ-","آلَاتِ","بِ-آلاتِ-","بِ-آلَاتِ","بِ-آلَاتِ-","بِ-آلَةِ-","بِ-الْآلَاتِ","بِآلَاتِ","بِآلَاتِ-","بِـ-آلَاتِ","وَ-آلَاتُ","وَ-بِ-آلَاتِ"]·ben["-দ্বারা","-বাদ্যযন্ত্র","-বাদ্যযন্ত্রগুলো-সহ","-যন্ত্রে","ও-বাদ্যযন্ত্রে","ও-যন্ত্রগুলি","গায়কদের","বাদ্যযন্ত্রে","বাদ্যযন্ত্রে-","যন্ত্র","যন্ত্রসমূহ","যন্ত্রে"]·DE["Geraete","Geraete-von","in-Geraete","in-Geraete-von","mit-der-Gerät-","und-Geraete-von","und-in-Geraete-von"]·EN["and-instruments-of","and-with-instruments-of","in-instruments-of-","instruments-of","instruments-of-","with-instruments-of","with-instruments-of-","with-the-instrument-of-","with-the-instruments"]·FR["comme-à-moi","dans-instrument","et-in-ustensiles-de","et-ustensiles-de","in-ustensiles","in-ustensiles-de","ustensiles-de"]·heb["ב-ה-כלים","ב-כלי","ב-כלי-","ו-ב-כלי","ו-כלי","כלי","כלי-"]·HI["और-में-बर्तनों","और-वाद्य","के-साथ","बाजे-से","वाद्य","वाद्य-","वाद्यों-के","वाद्यों-सहित","वाद्यों-से","वाद्यों-से-","वाद्योंसे-"]·ID["alat-alat-","alat-alat-musik","dan-alat-alat","dan-dengan-alat-alat","dengan-alat-","dengan-alat-alat","dengan-alat-alat-","dengan-alat-alat-musik","dengan-alat-alat-musik-"]·IT["e-in-utensili-di","e-utensili-di","in-utensili","in-utensili-di","strumento","utensili-di"]·jav["kaliyan-pirantos","kaliyan-prabot-prabot","kaliyan-prabot-prabot-","klawan-prabot","klawan-prabot-","lan-mawi-piranti","lan-prabot","mawi-piranti","mawi-piranti-","piranti-","pirantos","prabot-prabot"]·KO["그-와-악기들-의","그리고-에-기구들의","도구들-로","도구들을","비파-로","악기들","악기들-에","에-그-악기들","에-악기들","에-악기들-","에-악기들-의"]·PT["com-instrumento","com-instrumentos-de","com-instrumentos-de-","com-os-instrumentos","e-instrumentos-de","e-nos-instrumentos-de","em-instrumentos-de-","instrumentos-de","instrumentos-de-"]·RU["и-в-инструменты","и-инструменты","инструментами","инструментов","инструменты-","на-инструментах","на-инструментах-","на-инструменте","с-инструментами","с-инструментами-"]·ES["con-instrumento-de","con-instrumentos-de","con-instrumentos-de-","con-los-instrumentos","e-instrumentos-de","instrumentos-de","instrumentos-de-","y-con-instrumentos-de"]·SW["biּkley","kwa-chombo","kwa-vyombo","kwa-vyombo-vya","kwa-vyombo-vya-","na-kwa-vyombo-vya","na-vyombo","vyombo-vya","vyombo-vya-"]·TR["aletleri","aletleri-","aletlerini-","aletleriyle","aletleriyle-","aletlerle","aletlerle-","ve-aletleri","ve-aletlerle","çalgı-ile-"]·urd["آلات-سے","آلاتِ-","اور-ساز","اور-سازوں-سے","بِ-آلہ","ساز-سے","ساز-کے-ساتھ","سازوں","سازوں-سے","سازوں-سے-","سازوں-میں-","سازوں-کے-ساتھ","سازوں-کے-ساتھ-"]
1 Chr 15:16, 1 Chr 16:5, 1 Chr 16:42, 1 Chr 23:5, 2 Chr 5:13, 2 Chr 7:6, 2 Chr 23:13, 2 Chr 29:26, 2 Chr 29:27, 2 Chr 30:21, 2 Chr 34:12, Neh 12:36 (+2 more)
6. bag or pouch — A bag or pouch (2x): a small flexible container for carrying stones or provisions. Arabic kis and Swahili mfuko specify this narrower sense. Both occurrences appear in the David and Goliath narrative — the shepherd's bag from which David chose five smooth stones (1 Sam 17:40, 49). 2×
AR["الكِيسِ","فِي-كِيسِ"]·ben["থলিতে"]·DE["der-bag","in-bag-von"]·EN["in-bag-of","the-bag"]·FR["dans-bag-de","le-bag"]·heb["ב-כלי","ה-כלי"]·HI["बरतन-कि","बरतन-मेइन"]·ID["di-tas","tas"]·IT["il-bag","in-bag-di"]·jav["-wadhah","ing-wadhah"]·KO["그-그릇","그릇에-"]·PT["no-recipiente-de","o-recipiente"]·RU["в-сумку","сумке"]·ES["en-bolsa-de","la-bolsa"]·SW["katika-mfuko","mfuko"]·TR["torbasına","torbaya"]·urd["تھیلی","تھیلی-میں"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
כְּלִי324 n.m. Ho 8:8 article, utensil, vessel (NH id.; according to Thes from כלה = conficere, like Ger. Zeug from zeugen; proposes therefore anything finished, made, produced; according to BaZMG 1887, 605 from meaning enclose, contain; he finds pl. of כְּלִי in כלאי M-I23 (cf. כלאים))—כ׳ abs. Je 18:4 +; הַכֶּ֑לִי 1 S 17:49; 21:6; cstr. כְּלִי Ho 13:15 +; sf. כֶּלְיְךָ Dt 23:25; pl. כֵּלִים Ex…