הַ/כְּלָבִ֛ים
𐤄/𐤊𐤋𐤁𐤉𐤌
hakelavim
the dogs
from an unused root means. to yelp, or else to attack; a dog; hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute; dog.
1 Kings 21:23 · Word #6
Lexicon H3611
| Lemma | כֶּלֶב |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤊𐤋𐤁 |
| Transliteration | keleb |
| Strong's | H3611 |
| In-context | the dogs |
Morphology HTd/Ncmpa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | p — Plural — Plural |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
SIBI-P1 H3611-01
the yelping dogs
| Root | כלב (k-l-b) |
| Core Meanings | to yelp, to bark, to attack, dog-like aggression |
| Semantic Range | literal dogs; scavengers; symbols of impurity; violent or shameless persons; a term of contempt; euphemism for a male cult prostitute in certain contexts. |
| Conceptual Significance | In the biblical world, dogs were typically viewed as unclean scavengers rather than domestic companions. As such, the term often carries connotations of impurity, aggression, social marginality, or moral reproach, intensifying prophetic or poetic imagery when applied metaphorically to people. |
| Morphological Notes | Noun common masculine plural absolute with prefixed definite article (הַ); no pronominal suffix; refers to multiple male-gender grammatical entities. |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun כֶּלֶב (keleb) denotes a dog, likely from a root conveying yelping or attacking behavior. Rendering it as "the yelping dogs" preserves both the concrete animal sense and the probable verbal nuance of noisy or aggressive action, while accurately reflecting the masculine plural absolute form with the definite article ("the"). |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root כלב (to yelp, to bark, to attack, dog-like aggression)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
H3613-01 |
bekhalev | in Caleb ("Dog") |
H3611-02 |
hakelev | the yelping dog |
H3611-03 |
hakhelev | a dog? |
Word Usage (32 occurrences of H3611)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exodus 11:7 | כֶּ֨לֶב֙ | kelev | a dog |
| Exodus 22:30 | לַ/כֶּ֖לֶב | lakelev | to the dog |
| Deuteronomy 23:19 | כֶּ֗לֶב | kelev | dog |