Kidney
“Kidneys, or the seat of longing”
Summary
An organ mentioned in Scripture both in connection with sacrificial offerings and figuratively as the seat of the deepest emotions and conscience.
☩In Sacrificial Offerings
The kidneys and their surrounding fat were required to be burned on the altar in various offerings. The fat around the kidneys was considered the richest and most central part of the sacrificial animal, symbolizing offering the best to God. This requirement appears in the burnt offering, sin offering, peace offering, and consecration offering. The priests were specifically commanded to remove the kidneys with their fat covering and burn them on the altar (Exodus 29:13; Leviticus 3:4, 10, 15; 4:9; 7:4; 8:16, 25; 9:10, 19).
☩Figurative Use
When used of human beings, the Hebrew word for kidneys (kelayoth) is usually translated 'reins' and refers to the innermost soul or conscience. The ancients believed the visceral organs were the seat of emotions and moral judgment. Scripture speaks of God trying or testing the reins and heart (Psalm 7:9; 26:2; Jeremiah 11:20; 17:10; 20:12), meaning He examines the deepest thoughts and motivations. The reins can instruct in the night (Psalm 16:7), rejoice at truth (Proverbs 23:16), or be pierced by sorrow (Lamentations 3:13).
☩Metaphorical Use
The term is also applied metaphorically to kernels of wheat in Deuteronomy 32:14, which speaks of 'the fat of kidneys of wheat.' This refers to the richest, finest wheat, drawing on the kidney's association with the most valuable internal fat of an animal. The shape and richness of grain kernels suggested the comparison.