Kidney
Kidney (only in plur. כּלָיוֹת, kelayoth', prob. from the idea of its being the seat of longing), the leaf-fat around which was specially to be a burnt-offering, significant of its being the richest and most central part of the victim (Ex 29:13,22; Le 3:4,10,15; Le 4:9; Le 7:4; Le 8:16,25; Le 9:10,19; Isa 34:3). Spoken also of the " reins" of a human being, i.e. the inmost soul, which the ancients supposed to be seated in the viscera (compare the Homeric φρήν, midriff, hence mind), both in a physical sense (Job 16:13; Job 19:27; Ps 139:13; La 3:13), and figuratively (Ps 7:9; Ps 16:7; Ps 26:2; Ps 73:21; Pr 23:16; Jer 11:20; Jer 12:2; Jer 17:10; Jer 20:12). Sometimes applied to kernels of grain, from their kidney-like shape and richness (De 32:14).
