כִּיּוֹר
properly, something round (as excavated or bored)
Definition
The Hebrew word כִּיּוֹר (kîyôwr) primarily refers to a round, basin-like vessel, often made of metal. In the Old Testament, it most frequently denotes the 'laver' or washbasin used in the Tabernacle and Temple for ritual purification of the priests (Exodus 30:18-21, 40:7). This sacred laver was made from the bronze mirrors of the women who served at the Tabernacle entrance (Exodus 38:8). In a few instances, the word is used for a 'pan' or 'hearth' for holding hot coals (Zechariah 12:6) and metaphorically for a 'scaffold' or platform, likely due to its circular form (2 Chronicles 6:13).
Biblical Usage
כִּיּוֹר is used 20 times, predominantly in Exodus (13 times) and Leviticus (1 time) in the context of constructing and using the Tabernacle's bronze laver for priestly washing. It also appears in descriptions of Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 7:30, 38) and the post-exilic Temple (2 Chronicles 4:6, 14). The non-cultic uses are rare: as a 'hearth' for fire in Zechariah 12:6 and as Solomon's 'platform' or scaffold in 2 Chronicles 6:13. The consistent pattern is its association with sacred, manufactured metal objects.
Etymology
The noun כִּיּוֹר derives from the root כּוּר (kûr, H3564), meaning 'to dig out, bore, or fashion by fire,' as in a furnace or smelting pot. This root connection highlights the word's core idea of something round that has been excavated, hollowed out, or shaped. The related noun כּוּר itself means a furnace or smelting pot, emphasizing the process of metalworking, which is fitting given that the biblical kîyôr was typically made of cast bronze.
Semantic Range
The כִּיּוֹר is theologically significant as a central element of ritual purity in Israel's worship. Positioned between the altar and the Tabernacle/Tent of Meeting (Exodus 40:7), it symbolized the necessity of cleansing before approaching God's presence. Its construction from the mirrors of the serving women (Exodus 38:8) may symbolize the transition from self-contemplation to priestly service and purification. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of passages on holiness, illustrating that access to God requires both atonement (the altar) and daily purification (the laver).
In the ancient Near East, lavers or large basins for ritual washing were common in temple complexes. The biblical כִּיּוֹר, however, was uniquely prescribed for the specific, repeated ablutions of the Aaronic priests (Exodus 30:19-21), not for general public use. Its construction from bronze mirrors—highly polished copper alloy objects—reflects the value of the material and possibly a transformation of a personal vanity item into a sacred communal instrument for purification.
אֲגַן (ʾăḡan, H101) — a smaller basin or bowl, often for holding liquid or food. סִיר (sîyr, H5518) — a pot or cauldron for cooking, not typically for ritual washing.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →