כֶּ֫לֶב (ke.lev)
ke.lev
dog
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 23 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun kelev means "dog," but in the ancient Near East, this animal was rarely seen as a beloved pet. It typically referred to stray, scavenging dogs that roamed outside town walls, feeding on refuse and carrion. This harsh reality shapes its biblical usage, where the word carries strong connotations of uncleanness and low social status.
When applied to people, kelev becomes a term of contempt or extreme humility. Enemies are called dogs because they are seen as vicious scavengers, as when David refuses to strike King Saul, calling himself merely "a dead dog" in 2 Samuel 9:8. Conversely, the psalmist uses the image to describe hostile attackers who surround him like starving packs (Psalm 22:17). The word also appears in legal texts to prohibit male cult prostitutes from entering the temple assembly (Deuteronomy 23:18), linking the animal’s perceived shamefulness to ritual impurity.
Its etymology likely connects to a root meaning "to bark" or "to attack," emphasizing noise and aggression. Translators usually keep the literal word "dog" because the cultural weight of the term is essential to understanding the insult or metaphor. The imagery persists in passages describing violent deaths where dogs lick up blood, reinforcing the idea of total degradation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
In our modern world, dogs are often cherished family members, but in biblical times they were primarily stray scavengers living on the margins of society. The Hebrew word kelev refers to these animals, carrying connotations of uncleanness and low status. When applied to people, it was a harsh term of contempt or a profound expression of humility.
Understanding this cultural background deepens our reading of Scripture. For instance, David calls himself a "dead dog" in 2 Samuel 9:8 not because he is worthless, but to highlight his total dependence on God's grace despite his lowly position. It reminds us that human status means nothing before the Creator.
This word also warns against spiritual complacency and moral failure. Proverbs compares a fool who repeats their mistakes to a dog returning to its vomit, illustrating how destructive habits can trap us. Recognizing these metaphors helps us see the seriousness of sin and the need for God's transforming power in our daily lives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 23 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ dogs10×
- the/ dog4×
- a dog4×
- ¿/ a dog1×
- to/ a dog1×
- like/ a dog1×
- and/ the/ dogs1×
- [the] dogs of1×
- [are] dogs1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/כְּלָבִ֛ים3×
- הַ/כְּלָבִים֙2×
- הַ/כְּלָבִ֖ים2×
- הַ/כְּלָבִ֑ים2×
- לְ/כֶ֤לֶב1×
- כַּלְבֵ֥י1×
- כֶּ֥לֶב1×
- כֶּ֙לֶב֙1×
- כֶּ֔לֶב1×
- כְּלָבִ֣ים1×
- כְּ֭/כֶלֶב1×
- כָ֑לֶב1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 9:8
He bowed down, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look at such a dead dog as I am?”
David uses this term to express profound humility, acknowledging his complete dependence on the king's mercy rather than any personal merit.
-
Proverbs 26:11
As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.
This verse uses the image of a dog returning to its vomit to vividly describe the foolish person who repeats their moral failures.
-
Exodus 11:7
But against any of the children of Israel a dog won’t even bark or move its tongue, against man or animal, that you may know that Yahweh makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel.
The text notes that not even a dog barks against the Israelites, emphasizing God's protective distinction and peace over His people.
-
I Kings 21:19
You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours.”’”
God declares that dogs will lick Ahab's blood in the same place they licked Naboth's, using this imagery to signify total degradation as judgment.