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חָנִיךְ

𐤇𐤍𐤉𐤊

chânîyk

H2593 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חנך to dedicate, initiate, inaugurate, train

Definition

A young man or attendant who has been trained or instructed, particularly in the household of a notable person; one who is part of a household and has received formal education or apprenticeship. The term is primarily used to denote someone who is initiated or instructed in a specific set of household or martial responsibilities.

Semantic Range

trained man, initiated servant, household apprentice, instructed attendant

Root / Etymology

From the root חנך (ḥ-n-k), meaning 'to dedicate, initiate, train.' The noun חָנִיךְ derives from this root, with the sense of someone who has been initiated or trained—especially a member of a household given status through education or instruction.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Genesis 14:14, חָנִיךְ appears in reference to Abram's (Abraham's) household retainers—'trained men born in his house.' This word occurs rarely, and the context suggests young men or servants formally initiated or skilled, possibly in military or administrative roles. The use in Genesis reflects patriarchal-period practice of forming a private retinue from household-born servants, a practice reflected in other Ancient Near Eastern societies. Unlike עֶבֶד (eved, 'servant, slave'), חָנִיךְ carries a nuance of special training or initiation, emphasizing integration and trust within the household. In later Hebrew, related to the more common term חינוך (chinukh, 'education, training'), but the biblical usage is distinct, lacking later associations with formal schooling. Standard English translations as 'trained servant' or 'trained men' reflect the main sense, but do not capture the concept of social initiation within the household context. The term does not refer to a general servant or slave, nor to a professional soldier, but to an internally-trained attendant with special status.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָנַךְ; initiated; i.e. practiced; trained.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חנך (ḥ-n-k) — dedicate, initiate, inaugurate, train

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2441 חֵךְ her palate
H2585 חֲנוֹךְ Dedicated one
H2596 חָנַךְ he dedicated it
H2597 חֲנֻכָּא dedication of
H2598 חֲנֻכָּה dedication ceremony

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2593-01 חֲנִיכָ֜י/ו chanikhayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his trained men his initiated men 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2593-01 Genesis 14:14 חֲנִיכָ֜י/ו chanikhayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his trained men his initiated men
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