כְּלוּבַי
𐤊𐤋𐤅𐤁𐤉
Keluvay
H3621 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name appearing in genealogical lists in the Hebrew Bible, denoting a specific Israelite individual from the tribe of Judah. The name expresses the identity of this ancestor within clan structures, functioning primarily as a proper name in the biblical narrative.
Semantic Range
personal name, proper name, clan leader, ancestor within Judahite genealogies
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root כלב (k-l-b), meaning 'dog.' The form כְּלוּבַי (Kelubai) is likely a variant or dialectal form of כָּלֵב (Kalev/Caleb), a more common personal name. Suffix variation may indicate lineage or clan association, but precise morphological reasons for the change are uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
כְּלוּבַי (Kelubai) appears only in 1 Chronicles 4:15 as an ancestor in a Judahite genealogy. Most scholars treat Kelubai as a variant spelling of כָּלֵב (Kalev), suggesting either dialectal variation, textual transmission variation, or the presence of multiple individuals in the genealogical tradition. The form is rare, and there is no direct evidence for distinctive meaning beyond functioning as a personal name. English translations historically render both כְּלוּבַי and כָּלֵב as "Caleb" or "Chelubai," often conflating the two individuals or treating them as interchangeable. The name’s root (כלב) also forms the basis for the more familiar Caleb, a prominent Judahite figure in the narrative of conquering and settling the land, but in this passage only clan membership is at stake. Translation traditions using "Jew" or related terms for Judahites are anachronistic for this context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a form of כָּלֵב; Kelubai, an Israelite; Chelubai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כלב (k-l-b) — dog, canine, loyalty, audacity
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3611 | כֶּלֶב | the dogs |
| H3612 | כָּלֵב | Dog |
| H3614 | כָּלִבּוֹ | Calebite |
| H3619 | כְּלוּב | wicker enclosure |
| H3620 | כְּלוּב | Kelub |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3621-01 |
כְּלוּבָֽי | keluvay | HNp |
Chelubai | Kelubai | Keluvay | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3621-01 |
1 Chronicles 2:9 | כְּלוּבָֽי | keluvay | HNp |
Chelubai | Kelubai | Keluvay |