νεφρός
nephrós
G3510 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A kidney; used literally to refer to a physical kidney, one of a pair of internal organs in animals and humans. Figuratively, it denotes the innermost seat of emotion, desire, or thought, especially in poetic or metaphorical speech. The term can signal the inner self, the depths of feeling, or the moral center of a person when used in figurative contexts.
Semantic Range
kidney (anatomical), the innermost self (figurative), seat of desire or emotions; moral center; depth of intention or thought
Root / Etymology
The Greek word νεφρός (nephrós) is of uncertain origin but is related to terminology for internal organs found in Indo-European languages. There is no securely identified Hebrew or Aramaic equivalent borrowed into Greek; the word may be native to Greek medical and anatomical vocabulary.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, νεφρός refers almost exclusively to the anatomical organ, the kidney, and is used in medical and anatomical writing (e.g., Hippocrates, Galen). In the Septuagint (LXX) and Jewish-Greek writings, particularly in translations of Hebrew texts, νεφροί often translates the Hebrew כִּלְיָה (kil·yāh), which denotes the kidneys both as literal organs (especially in sacrificial contexts) and as metaphors for the innermost emotions, conscience, or purpose, much as 'heart' is used elsewhere. The figurative use continues in the New Testament, where νεφροί is used rarely and mainly in quotations or allusions to Hebrew Scripture, signifying the depths of a person’s moral consciousness or the seat of hidden motives. English 'reins,' used in older translations (e.g., KJV), is now archaic and rarely communicates the figurative meaning to modern readers. The word's usage in Greek remains chiefly literal in secular contexts and becomes figurative primarily through influence from the Semitic source material encountered in Jewish liturgical, scriptural, and Hellenistic traditions.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain affinity; a kidney (plural), i.e. (figuratively) the inmost mind:--reins.
Root Family
νεφρ- (nephrós) — kidney, innermost part, seat of emotion
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3510-01 |
νεφροὺς | nephrous | N ACC M PL |
minds | kidneys | kidneys | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3510-01 |
Revelation 2:23 | νεφροὺς | nephrous | N ACC M PL |
minds | kidneys | kidneys |