כִּיר

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word kîyr, represented by H3600, is a specific term for a cooking range or ranges for pots. It appears only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the entire Bible, indicating its specialized use in a particular context. The base definition suggests a simple structure, likely two parallel stones upon which a pot would be set for cooking.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The single appearance of H3600 is in Leviticus 11:35, within the laws concerning clean and unclean things. The verse specifies that if the carcass of an unclean animal falls upon a cooking appliance, that item becomes unclean. Both the oven H8574 and the ranges for pots H3600 are mentioned as examples. The command given is that they must be broken down H5422, as their contamination is considered permanent. This places H3600 directly into the context of ritual purity and its application to everyday household objects.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context of H3600 in its only appearance:

• H5422 nâthats (to tear down): This is the action mandated for the unclean ranges in Leviticus 11:35. It is a word for severe destruction, used elsewhere for throwing down altars Exodus 34:13, breaking down city walls Jeremiah 39:8, and overthrowing kingdoms Jeremiah 1:10.
• H8574 tannûwr (furnace, oven): This word appears alongside H3600 as another common cooking item subject to the same purity law Leviticus 11:35. It is used for baking bread Leviticus 2:4 and also metaphorically to represent God's fiery judgment (Psalms 21:9, Malachi 4:1).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H3600 is derived entirely from its singular legal context.

• Purity in the Mundane: The inclusion of a simple cooking range in the purity laws demonstrates that holiness was not confined to the Tabernacle but extended to the most common aspects of an Israelite's daily life.
• Irreversible Contamination: The prescribed action for a defiled H3600 is not cleansing but destruction. The command to break down the ranges Leviticus 11:35 underscores the severity of contact with a source of uncleanness, rendering the object permanently unfit for use.
• Tangible Holiness: The law creates a tangible consequence for ritual impurity. The physical destruction of a valuable household item like a cooking range served as a powerful and constant reminder of the division between clean and unclean.

Summary

In summary, H3600 provides a specific name for a common cooking utensil, the ranges for pots. While its use is extremely rare, its sole mention in Leviticus 11:35 is significant. It illustrates how the abstract principles of ritual purity were applied in a concrete and costly way to the everyday life of the Israelites, highlighting that no part of life was outside the scope of God's law.