כְּלִי

𐤊𐤋𐤉

kᵉlîy

H3627 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A manufactured object or article designed for specific use, encompassing a broad category of vessels, utensils, tools, weapons, and sometimes articles of apparel or jewelry. The term is highly flexible, referring to implements or equipment in domestic, religious, military, and other settings. Its precise meaning depends on context: a container, a tool, a piece of armor, temple furnishing, or a valued object.

Semantic Range

implement, vessel, utensil, tool, weapon, piece of furniture, article of clothing or jewelry, container, piece of armor, temple furnishing, valued object, article, equipment

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root כָּלָה (kalah), meaning 'to complete, finish, bring to completion.' The noun כְּלִי is formed to indicate that which is made ready, prepared, or completed for a particular use. The transformation from the verbal root to the noun highlights the process of preparing or fashioning articles fit for purpose—hence 'implement, vessel, tool.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, כְּלִי appears over 320 times in diverse contexts, especially as a general term for objects necessary for ritual, daily life, and warfare. In the tabernacle and temple narratives, it denotes ritual vessels or sacred implements. In military contexts, it can mean weaponry or armor. In domestic or personal settings, it refers to household utensils, containers, or objects of value (such as jewelry). Translation into English as 'vessel,' 'instrument,' or 'tool' often does not capture its broad flexibility; context determines whether a specific kind of implement or a generic article is intended. The term overlaps partially with other Hebrew words (e.g., כִּיּוֹר for 'basin,' כַּפּוֹת for 'bowls'), but כְּלִי is the most general term for an item or article. Its usage did not significantly shift across biblical periods, though specific meanings may become more concrete in post-exilic and Second Temple texts, especially in priestly literature and later descriptions of temple furnishings. Later translations (especially those influenced by the LXX or Vulgate) sometimes rendered כְּלִי as 'jewel' or 'armor-bearer,' but the term rarely specifically denotes a person except in possessive or compound forms (e.g., 'man of weapons').

Translation Consistency

primary "implement" 267 occurrences

Keli primarily names a manufactured item—tools, utensils, weapons, containers, temple furnishings, or other articles. "Implement" is a natural, widely-used English noun that comfortably covers tools, utensils and equipment while remaining broad enough for vessels, armor, or valued objects. It was the most common practical rendering in the corpus and yields consistent, natural translations across the word’s wide semantic range.

Alternatives (58 occurrences):
"vessel" (22x) "vessels" (18x) "articles of" (3x) "weapons" (3x) "like a vessel" (3x) "goods" (1x) "belongings" (1x) "jewel" (1x) "armor" (1x) "tool" (1x) "vessels of" (1x) "jewels" (1x) "instrument" (1x) "different vessels" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from כָּלָה; something prepared, i.e. any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon); armour(-bearer), artillery, bag, carriage, [phrase] furnish, furniture, instrument, jewel, that is made of, [idiom] one from another, that which pertaineth, pot, [phrase] psaltery, sack, stuff, thing, tool, vessel, ware, weapon, [phrase] whatsoever.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

כלה (k-l-h) — complete, finish, prepare

Root כלה to complete, finish, prepare
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3615 כָּלָה I will bring to completion
H3616 כָּלֶה and wasting-away ones
H3617 כָּלָה completion
H3618 כַּלָּה completed woman
H3622 כְּלוּהַי Yah Completes

Word Forms

40 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3627-10 כְּלֵי keley HNcmpc vessels implements of implements of 80
H3627-15 כְּלִ֣י keli HNcmsc vessel prepared implement of prepared implement of 39
H3627-09 כֵּלָ֑י/ו kelayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its utensils his implements his implements 34
H3627-07 הַ/כֵּלִ֖ים hakelim HTd/Ncmpa the vessels the prepared implements the implements 33
H3627-30 וּ/כְלֵ֤י ukheley HC/Ncmpc and vessels and implements of and implements of 22
H3627-17 כֵלָ֗י/ו khelayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his weapons his prepared implements his implements 17
H3627-03 בִּ/כְלֵֽי bikheley HR/Ncmpc with instruments with prepared implements of with implements of 11
H3627-05 בִּ/כְלִ֤י bikheli HR/Ncmsc in a vessel in a prepared implement in a vessel 8
H3627-06 הַ/כְּלִ֛י hakeli HTd/Ncmsa the vessel the prepared implement the implement 6
H3627-12 כֵּלֶ֑י/הָ keleyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs its utensils her implements her implements 6

Occurrences in Scripture

325 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3627-10 Genesis 24:53 כְּלֵי keley HNcmpc articles implements of implements of
H3627-30 Genesis 24:53 וּ/כְלֵ֤י ukheley HC/Ncmpc and articles and implements of and implements of
H3627-21 Genesis 27:3 כֵלֶ֔י/ךָ kheleykha HNcmpc/Sp2ms your weapons your implements your implements
H3627-08 Genesis 31:37 כֵּלַ֗/י kelay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my goods my prepared-implements my goods
H3627-10 Genesis 31:37 כְּלֵי keley HNcmpc household goods implements of implements of
H3627-13 Genesis 42:25 כְּלֵי/הֶם֮ keleyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp their vessels their implements their implements
H3627-04 Genesis 43:11 בִּ/כְלֵי/כֶ֔ם bikheleykhem HR/Ncmpc/Sp2mp in your vessels in your prepared implements in your vessels
H3627-14 Genesis 45:20 כְּלֵי/כֶ֑ם keleykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your belongings your implements your belongings
H3627-10 Genesis 49:5 כְּלֵ֥י keley HNcmpc implements implements of implements of
H3627-10 Exodus 3:22 כְּלֵי keley HNcmpc articles of implements of implements of