כְּלוּב
𐤊𐤋𐤅𐤁
kᵉlûwb
H3619 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A container made of wicker or interlaced materials, primarily used for holding or trapping birds (i.e. a bird-cage or bird-trap), and by extension, a basket for carrying provisions or goods. The term can refer both to an actual trap used to capture live birds and to a woven basket, especially in metaphorical contexts. Its usage emphasizes the enclosure or restriction of contents.
Semantic Range
bird-cage, bird-trap, wicker basket, container for goods, metaphor for entrapment or restriction
Root / Etymology
From the root כלב (k-l-b), which primarily means 'dog' but in this case refers to interlacing, weaving, or possibly enclosing. The derivation is by analogy: just as a dog can be a container/keeper of something (or possibly related to the idea of closing in or confining), so too the 'kelûb' encloses or confines. The precise semantic shift from the animal name to the object is debated—a direct root connection to interlacing is not attested, but the linkage may rest on similarity of form or idea of enclosing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, כְּלוּב appears primarily in prophetic literature (e.g., Jeremiah 5:27, Amos 8:1, 2), sometimes as a literal object (a trap for birds, or a basket for figs), and sometimes in similes for entrapment or judgment. Context determines whether the emphasis is on the object as a trap/cage or as a carrying basket; the two usages overlap due to the material and structure (wickerwork). The Septuagint translates this with terms for 'basket' or 'cage,' reflecting both literal and figurative senses. English versions variously render it as 'cage' (when context stresses confinement/capture), or 'basket' (when context is about holding provisions, such as figs). No evidence indicates use for religious or ritual objects; its primary associations are utilitarian, with later metaphorical expansion in prophetic discourse. Although Strong's derives it from the word for 'dog,' modern scholarship sees the connection as likely based on form or wordplay, rather than strict etymological derivation. Related terms: סַל (sal), also 'basket,' but used in different contexts and with less association to trapping; אַרְבָּה ('arbah) for 'lattice' or 'net.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
xlit kᵉlûb corrected to kᵉlûwb; from the same as כֶּלֶב; a bird-trap (as furnished with a clap-stick or treadle to spring it); hence, a basket (as resembling a wicker cage); basket, cage.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כלב (k-l-b) — to enclose, to interlace, to confine
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3611 | כֶּלֶב | the dogs |
| H3612 | כָּלֵב | Dog |
| H3614 | כָּלִבּוֹ | Calebite |
| H3620 | כְּלוּב | Kelub |
| H3621 | כְּלוּבַי | Kelubai |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3619-01 |
כְּל֥וּב | keluv | HNcmsc |
a basket | wicker enclosure | 2 |
H3619-02 |
כִּ/כְלוּב֙ | kikheluv | HR/Ncmsa |
like a cage | interlaced enclosure | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3619-02 |
Jeremiah 5:27 | כִּ/כְלוּב֙ | kikheluv | HR/Ncmsa |
like a cage | interlaced enclosure |
H3619-01 |
Amos 8:1 | כְּל֥וּב | keluv | HNcmsc |
basket | wicker enclosure |
H3619-01 |
Amos 8:2 | כְּל֣וּב | keluv | HNcmsc |
a basket | wicker enclosure |