כִּילַי
𐤊𐤉𐤋𐤉
kîylay
H3596 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An adjective describing someone who is miserly or stingy, specifically one who withholds resources, is ungenerous, or acts with meanness in sharing goods or wealth. The term may be used to characterize a person's disposition or actions, often in social or ethical contexts where generosity is expected. In some contexts, it can imply a general harshness or lack of willingness to distribute material goods.
Semantic Range
miserly, stingy, ungenerous, churlish, withholding, lacking generosity, mean-spirited
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root כול (Kaf-Vav-Lamed), which in various stems means 'to contain, hold, sustain, endure.' The sense here arises from the root's meaning of containing or withholding, and the adjectival form כִּילַי (kîylay) thus comes to denote someone who withholds or is not generous.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the limited occurrences within the Hebrew Bible, כִּילַי is used primarily with a negative connotation, marking a person as lacking in generosity or social virtue, often in contrast with positive social ideals such as hospitality or liberality. In later Hebrew, derived forms (e.g., כִּלָאַיוּת) continued to denote miserliness. English translations sometimes use the word 'churl' (archaic for a rude, stingy person) or 'niggardly,' which can render the full sense but may convey unintended archaisms or pejoration not always present in the biblical text. It is distinguished from related terms for harshness (e.g., עָרִיץ, 'cruel') or mere poverty (רָשׁ, 'poor'); כִּילַי denotes a volitional lack of generosity rather than material lack. The term appears only in later biblical literature (e.g., post-exilic or prophetic texts) and is absent from earlier Pentateuchal or monarchic sources, suggesting a later coinage or the influence of evolving social and ethical discourse.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or כֵּלַי; from כּוּל in the sense of withholding; niggardly; churl.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כול (k-w-l) — contain, hold, sustain, withhold
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3596-01 |
וּ/לְ/כִילַ֕י | ulekhilay | HC/R/Ncmsa |
nor to a churl | withholding man | 1 |
H3596-02 |
וְ/כֵלַ֖י | vekhelay | HC/Ncmsa |
and the knave/scoundrel | withholding one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3596-01 |
Isaiah 32:5 | וּ/לְ/כִילַ֕י | ulekhilay | HC/R/Ncmsa |
nor to a churl | withholding man |
H3596-02 |
Isaiah 32:7 | וְ/כֵלַ֖י | vekhelay | HC/Ncmsa |
and the knave/scoundrel | withholding one |