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כּוּן

𐤊𐤅𐤍

kûwn

H3559 verb

SILEX Entry

Root כון to be firm, to be stable, to establish, to prepare

Definition

To be firm, stable, or securely established; to be prepared or made ready; to set up, fix, or make firm. The verb conveys the notion of causing something to acquire firmness, stability, or readiness, whether referring to a physical object being made secure, a plan being put into order, an individual being equipped or made ready, or an abstract concept such as a reign, purpose, or word being established. In its causative stems (Hiphil/Niphil), it conveys the idea of preparing, establishing, appointing, or confirming something or someone.

Semantic Range

to be firm, to be stable, to be established, to prepare, to set up, to make ready, to fix, to confirm, to appoint, to provide, to make firm, to fashion, to ordain, to render certain, to direct, to cause to stand, to make secure

Root / Etymology

The root is כון (k-w-n), which at the root level means 'to be firm, fixed, stable.' The verbal stem conveys both stative sense ('to be established') and dynamic/causative senses ('to establish,' 'to prepare,' 'to make firm'). Derived forms and usages are widely attested in the Hebrew Bible, including participial, nominal, and verbal forms.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, כּוּן appears in multiple verbal stems, with nuances reflecting both stative ('to be firm, secure, ready') and causative ('to establish, set up, prepare, make ready') actions. The word is broadly used both literally (to prepare the altar, construct a building, set items in place) and figuratively (to establish a dynasty, confirm a decree, prepare a person's heart). In legal and covenantal contexts, it may refer to confirming agreements or establishing ordinances. In the Psalms and Prophets, it is frequently used to describe the establishment of divine purposes, the stability of the earth, or the affirmation of righteousness. The semantic domain significantly overlaps with יצב (to stand, to set), though כּוּן more often emphasizes preparation or the process of making something stable or ready, whereas יצב typically denotes positional standing or remaining. Later translation traditions, such as LXX and Vulgate, reflect both literal and figurative dimensions, sometimes rendering it with verbs for 'prepare,' 'establish,' or 'strengthen.' In English translations, the diversity of contexts sometimes forces renderings such as 'prepare,' 'establish,' or 'be fixed,' but these may not fully capture the dynamic process implied by the Hebrew. The term does not carry explicitly cultic or ritual connotations, though it regularly appears in cultic and royal settings. Over time, the core idea of firmness and preparedness remains consistent, with nuances reflecting different periods and literary genres.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous); certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self), provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright, fast, forth), be stable, (e-) stablish, stand, tarry, [idiom] very deed.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כון (k-w-n) — firmness, stability, establishment, preparation

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3078 יְהוֹיָכִין YHWH establishes
H3112 יוֹיָכִין Yahweh establishes
H3199 יָכִין to He-Establishes
H3200 יָכִינִי the Yakinite
H3204 יְכׇנְיָה Yah Establishes

Word Forms

81 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3559-37 נָכ֤וֹן nakhon HVNrmsa established being established 30
H3559-15 הֵכִ֖ין hekhin HVhp3ms he had prepared he made firm 18
H3559-46 תִכּ֖וֹן tikon HVNi2ms is established you will be established 9
H3559-43 תָּכִ֣ין takhin HVhi2ms prepares you will establish 8
H3559-11 הֲכִנֹֽתִי hakhinoti HVhp1cs I have prepared I have established 7
H3559-78 יִכּ֣וֹן yikon HVNi3ms will be established he will be established 7
H3559-75 יָכִין֙ yakhin HVhi3ms he prepares he makes firm 6
H3559-62 וְ/הָכֵ֔ן vehakhen HC/Vhv2ms and prepare and make firm 6
H3559-19 הֵכִ֣ינוּ hekhinu HVhp3cp had prepared they established 6
H3559-54 וַ/תִּכֹּ֥ן vatikon HC/VNw3fs was prepared she was established 5

Occurrences in Scripture

219 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3559-37 Genesis 41:32 נָכ֤וֹן nakhon HVNrmsa is established being established
H3559-62 Genesis 43:16 וְ/הָכֵ֔ן vehakhen HC/Vhv2ms and prepare and make firm
H3559-56 Genesis 43:25 וַ/יָּכִ֨ינוּ֙ vayakhinu HC/Vhw3mp they prepared and they established
H3559-37 Exodus 8:22 נָכוֹן֙ nakhon HVNrmsa right being established
H3559-31 Exodus 15:17 כּוֹנְנ֥וּ konenu HVop3cp have established they firmly established
H3559-66 Exodus 16:5 וְ/הֵכִ֖ינוּ vehekhinu HC/Vhp3cp and they shall prepare they established
H3559-42 Exodus 19:11 נְכֹנִ֖ים nekhonim HVNrmpa prepared established ones
H3559-42 Exodus 19:15 נְכֹנִ֖ים nekhonim HVNrmpa ready established ones
H3559-11 Exodus 23:20 הֲכִנֹֽתִי hakhinoti HVhp1cs I have prepared I have established
H3559-37 Exodus 34:2 נָכ֖וֹן nakhon HVNrmsa ready being established
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