·noun ·pl The kidneys; also, the region of the kidneys; the loins.
II. Reins ·noun ·pl The inward impulses; the affections and passions;
— so called because formerly supposed to have their seat in the part of the body where the kidneys are.
The kidneys, the supposed seat of the desires and affections; used metaphorically for "heart." The "...
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(i.e. kidneys). In the ancient system of physiology the kidneys were believed to be the seat of desi...
William Smith's Bible Dictionary