Original Word: כֶּלֶב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: keleb
Pronunciation: keh'-leb
Phonetic Spelling: (keh'-leb)
KJV: dog
NASB: dogs, dog, dog's
Word Origin: [from an unused root means. to yelp, or else to attack]

1. a dog
2. hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute

dog

From an unused root means. To yelp, or else to attack; a dog; hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute -- dog.

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a dog
NASB Translation
dog (14), dog's (2), dogs (16).

כֶּ֫לֶב noun masculine^{1Sam 24:15} dog (Late Hebrew id.; Phoenician כלב; Aramaic כַּלְבָּא, , Arabic ; Ethiopic Assyrian kalbu Dl^{HWB 328}) — absolute ׳כ Judges 7:5 16t., כָּ֑לֶב Psalm 59:7; Psalm 59:15; plural כְּלָבִים 1 Kings 14:11 12t.; construct כַּלְבֵי Job 30:1; suffix כְּלָבֶיךָ Psalm 68:24; — dog:

a. literal 1 Kings 14:11; 1 Kings 16:4; 1 Kings 21:19 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 21:23,24; 1 Kings 22:38; 2 Kings 9:10,36 (all of fierce, hungry dogs, devouring dead bodies and licking blood); compare Jeremiah 15:3 and (לְשׁוֺן כְּלָבֶיךָ) Psalm 68:24; eating torn flesh, Exodus 22:30 (E), כַּלְבֵי צאֹנִי = my sheep-dogs, only Job 30:1 (in both these with implied inferiority); dog-sacrifice was a heathen rite Isaiah 66:3 (Di and others); see especially RS^{Semitic i, 273} (291), 325 (343); invarious simile Judges 7:5; Proverbs 26:11,17; Psalm 59:7; Psalm 59:15; in proverbial sayings: לֹא לִשֹׁנוֺ ׳יֶחֱרַץכֿ Exodus 11:7 (see I. חרץ); מֵת טוֺב מִןֿ ׳לְכ הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת Ecclesiastes 9:4.

b. applied, figurative, to men, in contempt 1 Samuel 17:43, so of psalmist's enemies Psalm 22:17; Psalm 22:21, or in excessive humility 2 Kings 8:13; still more emphatically מֵת ׳כ a dead dog, הַמֵּת ׳הַכּ 2 Samuel 9:8; 2 Samuel 16:9; also ׳ראֹשׁ כ 2 Samuel 3:8; כְּלָבִים אִלְּמִים Isaiah 56:10 (of misleading prophets), עַזֵּי נֶפֶשׁ ׳הַכּ Isaiah 56:11 (id.); ׳כ was name given to male temple-prostitutes Deuteronomy 23:19 (see Dr; compare קָדֵשׁ).

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 3611 designates the common “dog” in Scripture, appearing about thirty-two times. While modern readers often view dogs affectionately, the Old Testament largely treats them as scavengers that roam outside settled life, a picture shaped by the culture and environment of ancient Israel.

Literal dogs in daily life

1. Guardians and herders. Job 30:1 refers to “the dogs of my flock,” indicating that some were used to guard sheep.
2. Street scavengers. Exodus 22:31 depicts dogs consuming unfit carcasses, highlighting their role in disposing of refuse.
3. Indicators of divine control. Exodus 11:7 says, “not even a dog will bark” during the Passover night, emphasizing the LORD’s sovereign distinction between Egypt and Israel.
4. Water-lapping soldiers. Judges 7:5-6 records warriors “lapping the water with their tongues like a dog,” a literal comparison used by God to reduce Gideon’s army.

Cultural perceptions and metaphors

The dog was a symbol of lowliness, contempt, and impurity.
• Personal insult: Goliath taunts David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” (1 Samuel 17:43). Mephibosheth calls himself “a dead dog” before David (2 Samuel 9:8), and Hazael exclaims, “But what is your servant—a dog—that he should do this great thing?” (2 Kings 8:13).
• Worthlessness: “After whom has the king of Israel come out? After a dead dog?” (1 Samuel 24:14).
• Foolishness: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly” (Proverbs 26:11).
• Meddling danger: “Like one who grabs a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own” (Proverbs 26:17).
• Fragile life: “A living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4).

Dogs and divine judgment

Dogs appear in prophetic warnings that underscore covenant justice.
• House of Jeroboam: “The dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city” (1 Kings 14:11).
• House of Ahab: “In the place where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, the dogs will lick up your own blood” (1 Kings 21:19; fulfilled in 1 Kings 22:38). Jezebel’s fate is sealed when “the dogs will devour Jezebel” (1 Kings 21:23; 2 Kings 9:10, 36).

These gruesome images amplify the certainty of God’s retribution upon persistent rebellion.

Religious and moral legislation

Deuteronomy 23:18 forbids bringing “the earnings of a prostitute or the price of a dog” into the sanctuary—an implicit condemnation of male cult prostitution and anything defiled. The command presumes an association between dogs and impurity, reinforcing Israel’s call to holiness.

Prophetic critique of leadership

Isaiah labels unfaithful watchmen “mute dogs, unable to bark… greedy dogs with insatiable appetites” (Isaiah 56:10-11). The metaphor exposes spiritual leaders who neither warn nor protect the flock, contrasting sharply with the Good Shepherd imagery developed later in Scripture.

Messianic and psalmic echoes

Psalm 22, prophetically anticipating the sufferings of Messiah, thrice invokes dogs: “Dogs surround Me; a band of evil men encircles Me” (22:16), “Deliver My life from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog” (22:20). The hostile “dog” becomes a vivid figure for the brutal, mocking crowd at the crucifixion, underscoring the depth of Christ’s humiliation.

Ministry reflections and application

1. Humility before God. Statements such as “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (2 Samuel 9:8) model contrition and gratitude for divine grace.
2. Vigilant leadership. Isaiah’s “mute dogs” warn pastors and elders against complacency; faithful watchmen must “bark”—that is, issue clear biblical warnings.
3. Separation from impurity. Deuteronomy’s exclusion of “the price of a dog” reminds believers to keep worship free from corrupt gain and moral compromise.
4. Persistence in holiness. The proverb about a dog returning to its vomit (Proverbs 26:11) cautions against recurring sin patterns, a theme echoed in 2 Peter 2:22.

Key passages for personal study

Exodus 11:7; Deuteronomy 23:18; Judges 7:5-6; 1 Samuel 17:43; 2 Samuel 9:8; 1 Kings 21:19, 23-24; 2 Kings 9:36; Psalm 22:16, 20; Psalm 59:6, 14; Proverbs 26:11, 17; Ecclesiastes 9:4; Isaiah 56:10-11.

Concluding thoughts

Throughout the Old Testament, the dog functions as more than an animal; it is a living parable of uncleanness, contempt, vigilance, judgment, and even hope when contrasted with the greater glory of redemption. Each occurrence of כֶּלֶב invites readers to heed the warnings, embrace humility, and rejoice in the faithfulness of the God who ultimately delivers His people “from the power of the dog.”

הֲכֶ֣לֶב הַכְּלָבִ֑ים הַכְּלָבִ֔ים הַכְּלָבִ֖ים הַכְּלָבִ֛ים הַכְּלָבִים֙ הַכֶּ֔לֶב הַכֶּ֗לֶב הַכֶּ֤לֶב הַכֶּ֥לֶב הכלב הכלבים וְהַכְּלָבִ֣ים והכלבים כְּ֭כֶלֶב כְּלָ֫בִ֥ים כְּלָבִ֣ים כְּלָבֶ֑יךָ כֶּ֔לֶב כֶּ֗לֶב כֶּ֙לֶב֙ כֶּ֝֗לֶב כֶּ֣לֶב כֶּ֥לֶב כַּלְבֵ֥י כַכָּ֗לֶב כָ֑לֶב ככלב כלב כלבי כלביך כלבים לְכֶ֤לֶב לַכֶּ֖לֶב לכלב chakKalev Chalev hă·ḵe·leḇ haChelev hak·kə·lā·ḇîm hak·ke·leḇ hăḵeleḇ hakkəlāḇîm hakkelaVim hakkeleḇ hakKelev ḵā·leḇ ḵak·kā·leḇ ḵakkāleḇ kal·ḇê kalḇê ḵāleḇ kalVei kə·ḵe·leḇ kə·lā·ḇe·ḵā kə·lā·ḇîm ke·leḇ Kechelev kəḵeleḇ kəlāḇeḵā kəlāḇîm kelaVeicha keLaVim keleḇ kelev lak·ke·leḇ lakkeleḇ lakKelev lə·ḵe·leḇ leChelev ləḵeleḇ vehakkelaVim wə·hak·kə·lā·ḇîm wəhakkəlāḇîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts