H3629 H3629
Kidneys, both as the physical organ (especially in sacrificial ritual) and as the seat of emotions, conscience, and innermost being.
Kilyah appears only in the plural and carries two deeply interconnected senses. In the Pentateuch's sacrificial legislation, the kidneys and their surrounding fat are specified as the portion to be burned on the altar, the choicest internal offering to God (Exod 29:13; Lev 3:4). In the Psalms and Prophets, the same word becomes a profound metaphor for the innermost self, the seat of conscience, desire, and hidden thought that God alone can search and test (Ps 7:9; Jer 11:20). French reins preserves this dual register beautifully, as it does in English with the archaic reins for the inward parts. The transition from physical organ to metaphorical seat of the soul is one of Hebrew poetry's most characteristic moves.
Senses
1. kidneys (anatomical organ) — The physical kidneys as an internal organ, especially in the context of animal sacrifice where they are removed with their fat and offered on the altar. Dominant across 22 occurrences, concentrated in Exodus and Leviticus priestly legislation. Spanish riñones and French reins directly name the organ, while German Nieren confirms the anatomical reading. The kidneys appear alongside the fat of the entrails as the consecrated portion in Exodus 29:13, 22 and Leviticus 3:4, 10, 15. 22×
AR["-اثْنَتَيْنِ", "-الكُلْيَتَيْنِ", "الكُليَتَينِ", "الكُلْى", "الْكُلى", "الْكُلَى", "كُلى", "مِنْ-كُلَاهُمْ"]·ben["-বৃক্ক", "-বৃক্কগুলির", "অন্তর", "অন্তর-তাদের-থেকে", "বৃক্ক", "বৃক্কগুলোর", "বৃক্কের", "মর্মের", "সেই-বৃক্কগুলি"]·DE["Nieren", "[כליות]", "[מכליותיהם]", "der-Nieren", "der-kidneys"]·EN["from-their-kidneys", "kidneys", "of-kidneys", "the-kidneys"]·FR["le-kidneys", "le-reins", "rein", "reins"]·heb["ה-כליות", "כליות", "מ-כליותיהם"]·HI["उनके-गुर्दों-से", "गुर्दों", "गुर्दों-की", "गुर्दों-के", "गुर्दों-को"]·ID["batin", "buah-pinggang", "dari-batin-mereka", "ginjal", "ginjal-ginjal", "ginjal-itu"]·IT["il-kidneys", "il-reni", "rene", "reni"]·jav["ginjel", "ginjel-ginjel", "ginjel;", "lan-wedhus-wedhus", "saking-ginjelé"]·KO["그-콩팔들", "그-콩팔들을", "그-콩팝들과", "그-콩팝들을", "그들의-콩팝들-에서", "콩팔들을", "콩팔들의", "콩팝들과"]·PT["de-seus-rins.", "os-rins", "rins", "rins,", "rins-de"]·RU["от-почек-их", "почек-", "почками", "почки"]·ES["de-riñones", "de-riñones-sus", "los-riñones", "riñones"]·SW["figo", "kutoka-figo-zao", "ya-figo"]·TR["-böbrekler", "bobreklerinin", "böbrekleri", "böbreklerinden-"]·urd["-گُردوں", "اُن-کے-دلوں-سے", "گردوں", "گردوں-کے", "گردے", "گُردوں", "گُردوں-کو"]
2. inmost being, conscience — The inmost being, conscience, or deepest seat of emotions, where kidneys serve as a metaphor for the hidden interior life that God examines and instructs. Found in 9 poetic and prophetic passages. God tests the kidneys and heart together as a merism for the whole inner person (Ps 7:9; Jer 11:20; 17:10). The psalmist's kidneys instruct him in the night (Ps 16:7), and God's arrows pierce them as the tenderest core of suffering (Job 16:13; Lam 3:13). French reins and Spanish riñones retain the organ name even in metaphorical contexts, trusting the reader to perceive the figurative extension. 9×
AR["فِي-كُلْيَتِي", "كُلَايَايَ", "كُلْيَتايَ", "كُلْيَتَايَ", "كُلْيَتَيَّ", "كِلَايَّ", "وَ-الكُلَى", "وَ-كُلْيَتايَ"]·ben["অন্তর-আমার;", "আমার-অন্তর", "আমার-বৃক্ক", "আমার-মূত্রগ্রন্থিতে", "এবং-অন্তরগুলিকে", "ও-আমার-অন্তর"]·DE["[בכליותי]", "[כליותי]", "[כליתי]", "mein-kidneys", "und-mein-kidneys", "und-minds"]·EN["and-minds", "and-my-kidneys", "into-my-kidneys", "my-inmost-being", "my-kidneys"]·FR["comme-rein", "dans-mes-reins", "et-rein", "mon-כליותי-moi", "mon-כליתי-moi", "rein"]·heb["ב-כליותיי", "ו-כליות", "ו-כליותי", "כליות-י", "כליותי"]·HI["अंतर्मन-मेरे", "और-गुर्दों-को", "और-मेरे-अंतर्मन-में", "गुर्दों-मेरी", "मेरी-गुर्दों-में", "मेरे-अंतरंगों-को", "मेरे-अंतर्मन", "मेरे-गुर्दों"]·ID["dan-batin", "dan-buah-pinggangku", "ginjal-ginjalku", "ginjalku", "ke-dalam-ginjalku"]·IT["e-rene", "mio-inmost-being-mio", "mio-kidneys-mio", "rene"]·jav["ginjel-kawula", "ginjel-kula", "ing-ginjel-kawula", "saha-ginjel-ipun", "saha-ginjel-kawula"]·KO["그리고-심장들-을", "나-의-내장-을", "나-의-콩팝들-이", "나의-콩팔을", "나의-콩팔이", "내-부위들-에", "심장들-과", "심장들-이", "콩팔들이-내"]·PT["e-as-entranhas", "e-meus-rins", "em-meus-rins", "meus-rins", "os-meus-rins", "rins-meus"]·RU["в-почки-мои", "внутренности-мои", "и-почки", "и-почки-мои", "почки-мои"]·ES["en-mis-riñones", "mis-riñones", "y-mis-riñones", "y-riñones"]·SW["figo-zangu", "katika-figo-zangu", "na-figo", "na-figo-zangu", "viini-vyangu"]·TR["böbreklerim", "böbreklerime", "böbreklerimi", "ve-böbrekleri", "ve-böbreklerim"]·urd["اور-گردوں-کو", "میرے-گردوں-میں", "میرے-گردوں-کو", "میرے-گردے", "میرے-گُردوں", "وَ-میرے-گردے", "گردے-میرے"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [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…