כִּלְיוֹן
𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤅𐤍
Kileyon
H3630 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper personal name designating an individual, Kiljon (Chilion), specifically known as one of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi (the other being Mahlon) in the book of Ruth. The name's exact meaning is uncertain but is likely derived from a root connoting 'completion' or 'consumption,' possibly implying 'frailty' or 'pining away.' No concrete evidence that the word was used generically outside the personal name context.
Semantic Range
personal proper name (Kiljon/Chilion); by derivation possibly 'weakness, frailty, pining away' (in personal naming context)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root כלל or כלה (k-l-h), meaning 'to complete, finish, consume.' As a theophoric or descriptive personal name, the formation adds the diminutive or nominal ending '-yôn,' but the precise nuance is unclear. The root itself typically conveys ideas of finality, completion, or destruction, but the personal name may reflect a nominalized or diminutive sense ('little completion,' 'weakness'), or simply bear the root's overtones.
Historical & Contextual Notes
כִּלְיוֹן appears exclusively as a personal name in Ruth 1:2, 4; 4:9. Both sons, Mahlon and Kiljon, die in Moab, an event which possibly gives a somber nuance to their names. Some scholars suggest the name hints at 'frailty, consumption, or failing,' possibly paralleling his brother's name Mahlon, which may connote 'sickness.' The use is limited to the narrative context and does not become a generic term or title. Septuagint transliterates the name, reflecting no additional interpretive meaning. English translations sometimes render this as 'Chilion,' reflecting the consonantal sounds. There is no evidence the name was widely used beyond the Ruth narrative.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a form of כִּלָּיוֹן; Kiljon, an Israelite; Chilion.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כלה (k-l-h) — complete, finish, bring to an end, consume
| 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
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3630-02 |
וְ/כִלְיוֹן֙ | vekhileyon | HC/Np |
and-Chilion | and Kiljon | 2 |
H3630-01 |
לְ/כִלְי֖וֹן | lekhileyon | HR/Np |
to Chilion | to Kiljon (Completion) | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences