כֶּ֥לֶב
𐤊𐤋𐤁
kelev
of a dog
from an unused root means. to yelp, or else to attack; a dog; hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute; dog.
2 Samuel 3:8 · Word #10
Lexicon H3611
| Lemma | כֶּלֶב |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤊𐤋𐤁 |
| Transliteration | keleb |
| Strong's | H3611 |
| In-context | of a dog |
Morphology HNcmsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
SIBI-P1 H3611-08
a yelping dog
| Root | כלב (k-l-b) |
| Core Meanings | barking, yelping, attacking, snapping |
| Semantic Range | Literal dog (often a scavenger), term of reproach or contempt for a person, designation for a male cult prostitute, metaphor for shameless or aggressive individuals. |
| Conceptual Significance | In the biblical world, dogs were typically unclean scavengers rather than household pets, symbolizing impurity, danger, or social contempt. The term can therefore carry strong connotations of disgrace, hostility, or moral corruption in theological and prophetic contexts. |
| Morphological Notes | Common masculine singular noun in the absolute state; no article or pronominal suffix attached in the listed forms. |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun is masculine singular absolute (HNcmsa), so it is rendered as a singular count noun, "a ... dog." The addition of "yelping" reflects the likely root sense of barking or attacking, preserving the verbal idea embedded in the noun while maintaining the correct grammatical form. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root כלב (barking, yelping, attacking, snapping)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
H3613-01 |
bekhalev | in Caleb ("Dog") |
H3611-01 |
hakelavim | the yelping dogs |
H3611-02 |
hakelev | the yelping 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 |