Word Study for H3595 (כִּיּוֹר)

kîyôwr /kee-yore'/ Ask about this word

Rootor כִּיֹּר · from the same as כּוּר

Meaningproperly, something round (as excavated or bored), i.e. a chafing-dish forcoals or a caldron forcooking; hence (from similarity of form) a washbowl; also (for the same reason) a pulpit or platform

KJV usagehearth, laver, pan, scaffold.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kîyôwr — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word kîyôwr, represented by H3595, describes something round. It appears 23 times in 20 unique verses. Its meaning is diverse, encompassing objects like a washbowl, a cooking caldron or pan, a platform, or a hearth for coals.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The most frequent use of H3595 is as the laver, a sacred washbowl. It was made of brass H5178 and placed between the tabernacle and the altar H4196 Exodus 30:18. Solomon constructed ten such lavers for the temple, used for washing items for the burnt offering H5930 (1 Kings 7:38, 2 Chronicles 4:6). The word is also used for a cooking pan into which a priest's fleshhook was struck 1 Samuel 2:14. In a different context, Solomon stood upon a brasen scaffold H3595 to address the congregation of Israel 2 Chronicles 6:13. Metaphorically, it describes a hearth of fire, symbolizing the consuming power of Judah's governors Zechariah 12:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the function and nature of the objects described by H3595:

H7364 râchats (to lave... wash): This defines the primary purpose of the laver H3595. The lavers were explicitly made "to wash withal" Exodus 30:18 and were used by the priests H3548 for washing 2 Chronicles 4:6.
H3627 kᵉlîy (something prepared... vessel): This word categorizes the laver as a sanctified piece of equipment for the tabernacle. The laver H3595 and its foot are listed among the holy vessels of the altar of burnt offering Exodus 35:16.
H5178 nᵉchôsheth (copper... brass): This specifies the material used for many of these objects. The laver was made of brass Exodus 38:8, as was the scaffold Solomon built 2 Chronicles 6:13.

Theological Significance

The applications of H3595 carry significant weight in scripture, highlighting key principles of worship and divine power.

Ritual Cleansing: The laver was an essential instrument for purification. It was filled with water H4325 and used to wash H7364 items associated with the burnt offering H5930, and it was the vessel from which priests H3548 would wash 2 Chronicles 4:6. Its placement between the tent of congregation and the altar H4196 underscores its role in preparing for sacred duties Exodus 40:7.
Sanctification: The laver H3595 and its foot H3653 were not merely functional; they were anointed H4886 in order to be sanctified H6942, setting them apart as holy unto the Lord (Exodus 40:11, Leviticus 8:11).
Symbol of Power and Judgment: In prophecy, the word takes on a symbolic meaning as a hearth H3595 of fire H784 among wood H6086. This image portrays the leaders of Judah as instruments of divine power, set to consume their enemies Zechariah 12:6.

Summary

In summary, H3595 is a multifaceted term whose meaning is derived from its round shape. It can refer to a simple pan 1 Samuel 2:14, a public scaffold 2 Chronicles 6:13, a figurative hearth of judgment Zechariah 12:6, or, most prominently, the sacred laver of the tabernacle and temple. Through its various uses, kîyôwr illustrates the importance of sanctified vessels, the necessity of ritual purity in worship, and the consuming power of God's agents.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 23 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

כִּיֹּר
כִּיֹּרוֹת
כִּיּוֹר
כִּיּוֹרִים

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 20 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Exodus (9 verses); never once in the other 32.

Exodus

Leviticus

1 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Zechariah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.