כִּלְאַיִם
𐤊𐤋𐤀𐤉𐤌
kilʼayim
H3610 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Kil'ayim refers to a mixture of two different species, most commonly in reference to agricultural practice, textiles, or animal breeding. In the Hebrew Bible, it designates the prohibited mixture or hybridization of elements that are considered inherently distinct, such as different kinds of seeds sown together in the same field, plowing with animals of different species yoked together, or wearing garments woven from both wool and linen. In halakhic (rabbinic legal) tradition, kil'ayim encompasses a range of prohibitions regarding various forms of mixture considered a violation of creation's boundaries.
Semantic Range
hybridization of different species, mixed sowing of seeds, crossbreeding of animals, mixed textile materials, prohibited mixture, boundary violation
Root / Etymology
From the root כלא (k-l-ʼ), meaning 'to shut up, restrain, keep separate.' Kil'ayim is a dual form of כֶּלֶא (keleʼ), which carries the sense of confinement or separation. The formation kil'ayim indicates 'two of separateness' or 'two kinds held apart' but in context references two kinds that are not held apart, thus indicating the prohibited mixture.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Israelite law, particularly in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, kil'ayim describes agricultural, textile, and breeding practices considered out of bounds because they blur creation's categories. The prohibitions are most explicit in priestly legal texts (Leviticus 19:19, Deuteronomy 22:9–11), structured as boundaries between natural types rather than as a generic ban on mixing. The prohibition reflects ancient concerns about maintaining divinely ordained boundaries in creation, but the rationale is not explained in the text. Later Rabbinic halakhah expanded and systematized the rules, carrying the term into later Judean and Jewish legal tradition. English translations like 'mixed seed' or 'divers kinds' convey part of the meaning but often miss the technical and ritual implications. Unlike some related terms, kil'ayim does not refer to forbidden food mixtures.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
dual of כֶּלֶא in the original sense of separation; two heterogeneities; divers seeds (-e kinds), mingled (seed).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כלא (k-l-ʾ) — restrain, shut in, keep separate, confine
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3607 | כָּלָא | I restrain |
| H3608 | כֶּלֶא | the confinement-place |
| H3628 | כְּלִיא | the confinement-place |
| H4356 | מִכְלָאָה | livestock enclosure |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3610-01 |
כִּלְאַ֔יִם | kileayim | HNcmda |
two kinds | two-kind mixture | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3610-01 |
Leviticus 19:19 | כִּלְאַ֔יִם | kileayim | HNcmda |
two kinds | two-kind mixture |
H3610-01 |
Leviticus 19:19 | כִּלְאָ֑יִם | kileayim-2 | HNcmda |
two kinds | two-kind mixture |
H3610-01 |
Leviticus 19:19 | כִּלְאַ֨יִם֙ | kileayim-3 | HNcmda |
mixed | two-kind mixture |
H3610-01 |
Deuteronomy 22:9 | כִּלְאָ֑יִם | kileayim | HNcmda |
with two kinds | two-kind mixture |