BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
Kî (כִּי) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
כִּי (kî) is a versatile Hebrew particle functioning as a conjunction ('that,' 'because,' 'for,' 'when') or as an adverb ('indeed,' 'surely'), one of the most frequent words in the Hebrew Bible.
Meaning of the word
כִּי (kî) is best understood not as a single fixed word but as a flexible particle whose exact force depends on context. The lexicon entry describes it as used 'very widely' as a relative conjunction or adverb, often modified by other particles. In English translations it most commonly appears as 'that,' 'for,' 'because,' 'when,' or 'indeed,' which reflects how much work a single Hebrew word can do in a sentence.
One major function is causal: introducing the reason or ground for a preceding statement, translated 'for' or 'because.' Another is declarative or complementing: introducing the content of what is said, thought, or perceived, translated 'that.' Because כִּי carries no content of its own, its meaning is entirely determined by the clause it introduces and the verb it follows.
A third use is as an emphatic or assertive adverb, sometimes rendered 'indeed,' 'surely,' or 'certainly.' The example from Genesis 3:1, where the serpent asks 'Yea, hath God said...?', shows כִּי reinforcing a question. This asseverative nuance is less common than the causal or complement uses, but lexical notes recognize it as a regular feature of the word.
Usage in Scripture
In the early chapters of Genesis, כִּי appears repeatedly in the refrain 'and God saw that it was good' (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). In each case the particle introduces the content of God's evaluation — what he saw — functioning as a declarative complement after verbs of seeing, knowing, and saying.
The same word also introduces reasons and grounds. Genesis 2:3 explains the sanctification of the seventh day 'because that in it he rested.' Genesis 2:5 gives the reason there was no plant: 'for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain.' Genesis 2:17 explains the warning of death: 'for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.' Genesis 2:23 cites the reason for the name 'Woman': 'because she was taken out of Man.' Across these passages, כִּי links the statement to its explanatory or evidential basis.
In the dialogue of Genesis 3, כִּי shifts between complement ('for God doth know that...,' 3:5) and emphasis (the serpent's insinuating 'indeed, hath God said...?' 3:1). This range illustrates why the standard lexicon entry emphasizes that כִּי is not a single grammatical category but a device used 'very widely' across clauses in the Hebrew Bible.
The word in detail
- H3588 כִּי (kî) is one of the most frequent words in the Hebrew Bible, functioning as a conjunction meaning 'that,' 'because,' 'for,' 'when,' or 'if,' and as an adverb meaning 'indeed' or 'surely.' Its translation depends entirely on context, and it is often combined with other particles to narrow its force.
Example verses
- Genesis 1:4 כִּי introduces the content of God's evaluation ('that it was good'), a typical declarative complement use after a verb of seeing.
- Genesis 2:3 כִּי introduces the reason for sanctifying the seventh day, a clear causal use rendered 'because.'
- Genesis 2:17 כִּי introduces the grounds for the divine prohibition, chaining 'for' to a temporal clause 'in the day that,' showing how the particle attaches to surrounding clauses.
- Genesis 3:1 כִּי functions as an emphatic adverb reinforcing the serpent's loaded question ('indeed, hath God said...?'), illustrating the asseverative use of the particle.
Common questions
Is כִּי a single word or several different words?
It is a single Hebrew particle, but it functions in several grammatical roles — complementizer ('that'), causal conjunction ('for/because'), temporal conjunction ('when'), and emphatic adverb ('indeed/surely'). Translators choose the English rendering based on context.
Why is the gloss different in different verses?
Because כִּי carries no content of its own. Its meaning is determined by the verb that precedes it and the clause that follows it. In 'God saw that...' it is a complement; in 'because he rested' it is causal; in 'indeed, hath God said?' it is emphatic.
How often does כִּי appear in the Hebrew Bible?
It is one of the most frequent words in the Hebrew Bible, with thousands of occurrences across the Old Testament. The provided corpus lists 55 distinct verses in this sample alone, reflecting its role as a basic grammatical connector throughout the text.