כְּלִיא
𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤀
kᵉlîyʼ
H3628 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An enclosure or structure used for confining individuals; a place of imprisonment. In different biblical passages, refers specifically to places of detention—such as a prison, holding cell, or dungeon—where individuals are restrained or deprived of freedom, often in the context of royal or military authority. Can also indicate the abstract state of being imprisoned.
Semantic Range
prison, place of confinement, cell, dungeon, place for restraining detainees, state or condition of imprisonment
Root / Etymology
Root: כלא. Derived from the root כלא, which conveys the sense of restraining, holding back, or shutting in. The noun כְּלִיא is a concrete form built from this root, indicating the physical place or mechanism for restraint. Closely related to כֶּלֶא (keleʼ), which also means 'prison' or 'confinement.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical contexts, כְּלִיא appears infrequently and is used synonymously with כֶּלֶא to describe facilities for imprisonment by political or religious authorities. The distinction between כְּלִיא and כֶּלֶא is minimal; both serve the function of detainment, though כֶּלֶא is more commonly used. The word reflects pre-modern forms of incarceration in ancient Israelite society—typically as rooms or enclosures within palatial or administrative complexes, as opposed to the concept of long-term penal institutions. Later textual traditions and translations (such as the Septuagint or early English versions) often render the term as 'prison,' but this may not exactly correspond to modern understandings. In post-exilic or later Hebrew, the term continues in similar use, though new administrative realities may influence its nuance. Almost always denotes a literal space, with only rare or marginal metaphorical extension in biblical Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or כְּלוּא; from כְּלִי (compare כֶּלֶא); a prison; prison.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כלא (k-l-ʾ) — shut in, restrain, confine, withhold
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3607 | כָּלָא | I restrain |
| H3608 | כֶּלֶא | the confinement-place |
| H3610 | כִּלְאַיִם | two-kind mixture |
| H4356 | מִכְלָאָה | livestock enclosure |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3628-01 |
הַ/כְּלֽוּא | hakelu | HTd/Ncmsa |
of confinement | the confinement-place | 2 |
H3628-02 |
ה/כליא | hkhly | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the prison | the confinement-place | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3628-02 |
Jeremiah 37:4 | ה/כליא | hkhly | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the prison | the confinement-place |
H3628-01 |
Jeremiah 37:4 | הַ/כְּלֽוּא | hakelu | HTd/Ncmsa |
of confinement | the confinement-place |
H3628-02 |
Jeremiah 52:31 | ה/כליא | hkhly | HTd/Ncmsa |
the-prison | the confinement-place |
H3628-01 |
Jeremiah 52:31 | הַ/כְּלֽוּא | hakelu | HTd/Ncmsa |
the-prison | the confinement-place |