3596. kilay or kelay
Lexical Summary
kilay or kelay: Mixtures, Mixed Kinds

Original Word: כִּילַי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: kiylay
Pronunciation: kee-LAH-eem
Phonetic Spelling: (kee-lah'-ee)
KJV: churl
NASB: rogue
Word Origin: [from H3557 (כּוּל - provided) in the sense of withholding]

1. niggardly

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
churl

Or kelay {kay-lah'-ee}; from kuwl in the sense of withholding; niggardly -- churl.

see HEBREW kuwl

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from nakal
Definition
a rascal
NASB Translation
rogue (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
כִּילַי, כֵּלַי Isaiah 32:5,7 see נכל (Köii. 118).

כִּילַי, כֵּלַי noun masculine knave (for נְכִילַי see Köii.1, 118); — absolute כִּילַי Isaiah 32:5 (opposed to שׁוֺעַ, "" נָבָל); כֵּלַי Isaiah 32:7 (assonance with כֵּלָיו, from כְּלִי q. v.).

Topical Lexicon
Hebrew Term and Semantic Range

כִּילַי depicts a grasping, ungenerous person whose inner corruption expresses itself through deceit, exploitation, and calculated injustice. Rather than an occasional lapse, the word portrays settled character—one whose moral poverty produces social harm.

Occurrences in Scripture

The term appears only in Isaiah 32:5 and Isaiah 32:7, a prophetic oracle that contrasts the coming reign of righteousness with the present blight of corrupt leadership.

Isaiah 32:5: “No longer will a fool be called noble, nor a scoundrel said to be honorable.”

Isaiah 32:7: “The scoundrel’s methods are wicked; he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the needy plead for justice.”

Character Traits Highlighted

• Self-serving miserliness that withholds good (cf. Proverbs 11:24).
• Devising schemes that weaponize words (Psalm 64:2-4).
• Assault on the vulnerable—“destroy the poor” (Isaiah 32:7).
• Hypocrisy: society has been calling such a man “honorable,” masking his true nature.

Social and Ethical Implications

In ancient Judah, community stability relied on just judges, honest merchants, and generous landowners (Leviticus 19:13-18; Deuteronomy 24:14-15). The כִּילַי undermines covenant life by reversing those expectations—substituting exploitation for stewardship and deception for truth. The prophet exposes this inversion of values and assures his audience that God will not allow the distortion to stand.

Prophetic Context in Isaiah 32

Isaiah 32 envisions a future king “who will reign in righteousness” (Isaiah 32:1). The כִּילַי serves as a foil to this ideal ruler:

• Present Reality: scoundrels flourish, the needy are silenced.
• Promised Future: “The noble man makes noble plans” (Isaiah 32:8), and the wicked are unmasked.

Thus the term functions both as indictment and as eschatological signpost. It magnifies the contrast between human misrule and the Messiah’s just kingdom.

Theological Insights

1. Sin Expressed Socially: Personal greed inevitably injures others (Micah 2:1-2).
2. Divine Reordering of Values: God rejects superficial titles (“honorable”) and judges the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
3. Covenant Justice: The Law consistently defends the weak (Exodus 22:22-24); Isaiah insists that any future true king must embody that ethic.

Application for Ministry and Discipleship

• Personal Integrity: Leaders in church and community must resist the temptation to appear generous while harboring selfish motives (Acts 5:1-11).
• Advocacy: Believers are called to defend those the כִּילַי targets—the poor, the needy, the voiceless (Proverbs 31:8-9; James 1:27).
• Generous Living: New-covenant stewardship replaces miserly hoarding with cheerful giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
• Discernment: Congregations must evaluate character, not merely reputation, when selecting elders and deacons (1 Timothy 3:2-7).

Christological and Eschatological Considerations

Jesus Christ fulfills Isaiah’s vision: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me… to preach good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). At His return He will exclude all who persist in the ways of the כִּילַי—“Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15). Meanwhile the Church lives as a foretaste of that coming kingdom, evidencing the generosity, truth, and justice that expose and replace the spirit of the scoundrel.

Forms and Transliterations
וְכֵלַ֖י וּלְכִילַ֕י וכלי ולכילי ū·lə·ḵî·lay ulechiLai ūləḵîlay vecheLai wə·ḵê·lay wəḵêlay
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Isaiah 32:5
HEB: לְנָבָ֖ל נָדִ֑יב וּלְכִילַ֕י לֹ֥א יֵֽאָמֵ֖ר
NAS: noble, Or the rogue be spoken
KJV: liberal, nor the churl said
INT: will the fool noble the rogue No be spoken

Isaiah 32:7
HEB: וְכֵלַ֖י כֵּלָ֣יו רָעִ֑ים
NAS: As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;
KJV: The instruments also of the churl [are] evil:
INT: A rogue his weapons are evil

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3596
2 Occurrences


ū·lə·ḵî·lay — 1 Occ.
wə·ḵê·lay — 1 Occ.

3595
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