כָּנַס
𐤊𐤍𐤎
kânaç
H3664 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To gather or collect (objects, people, or resources) together; to assemble persons or things into a group or place; to heap up or amass items; in later contexts, to enclose or wrap up. The term primarily conveys the purposeful bringing together of discrete entities, whether for assembly, safekeeping, or amassing.
Semantic Range
gather together, collect, assemble people, amass goods or resources, bring into a group or place, heap up, enfold, wrap up
Root / Etymology
Root: כנס (k-n-s). This root communicates the core concept of bringing together, collecting, or assembling. The verb כָּנַס in its standard stem (Qal) refers to physically or figuratively collecting, assembling, or gathering.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, כָּנַס generally denotes the act of purposeful or organized gathering, applicable both to people (e.g., assemblies of Israelite communities) and to possessions (e.g., collecting goods or resources). Its usage appears primarily in late biblical Hebrew and post-biblical literature rather than in narratives from the patriarchal or monarchic periods. In late biblical texts, such as Ecclesiastes and Chronicles, the verb can also suggest 'gathering into a particular place' (e.g., gathering the assembly, bringing in resources to storehouses). The sense of 'enfold, wrap up' emerges secondarily, likely based on the idea of enclosing what is gathered. In post-biblical and modern Hebrew, כָּנַס develops further as a common verb for 'to convene' or 'to assemble.' Unlike some related terms (e.g., אָסַף, 'to gather, receive'), כָּנַס particularly emphasizes active collection and deliberate assembly, rather than more general or passive forms of accumulating or bringing together.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to collect; hence, to enfold; gather (together), heap up, wrap self.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כנס (k-n-s) — to gather, to collect, to assemble
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4543 | מִסְכְּנָה | the storehouses |
Word Forms
9 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3664-03 |
כְּנ֣וֹס | kenos | HVqc |
gather | to gather together | 2 |
H3664-05 |
לִ/כְנ֨וֹס | likhenos | HR/Vqc |
to gather | to gather together | 2 |
H3664-07 |
וְ/כִנַּסְתִּ֖י/ם | vekhinasetim | HC/Vpq1cs/Sp3mp |
and-I-will-gather-them | and I assembled them | 1 |
H3664-01 |
כָּנַ֤סְתִּי | kanaseti | HVqp1cs |
I gathered together | 1 | |
H3664-06 |
וְ/כִנַּסְתִּ֣י | vekhinaseti | HC/Vpq1cs |
and I will gather you | and I will gather together | 1 |
H3664-08 |
וְ/לִ/כְנ֗וֹס | velikhenos | HC/R/Vqc |
and to gather | 1 | |
H3664-02 |
כְּ/הִתְכַּנֵּֽס | kehitekanes | HR/Vtc |
than to wrap oneself | as gathering oneself together | 1 |
H3664-04 |
כֹּנֵ֣ס | kones | HVqrmsa |
He gathers | the one who gathers | 1 |
H3664-09 |
יְכַנֵּֽס | yekhanes | HVpi3ms |
gathers | he will gather together | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3664-02 |
Isaiah 28:20 | כְּ/הִתְכַּנֵּֽס | kehitekanes | HR/Vtc |
than to wrap oneself | as gathering oneself together |
H3664-06 |
Ezekiel 22:21 | וְ/כִנַּסְתִּ֣י | vekhinaseti | HC/Vpq1cs |
and I will gather you | and I will gather together |
H3664-07 |
Ezekiel 39:28 | וְ/כִנַּסְתִּ֖י/ם | vekhinasetim | HC/Vpq1cs/Sp3mp |
and-I-will-gather-them | and I assembled them |
H3664-04 |
Psalms 33:7 | כֹּנֵ֣ס | kones | HVqrmsa |
He gathers | the one who gathers |
H3664-09 |
Psalms 147:2 | יְכַנֵּֽס | yekhanes | HVpi3ms |
gathers | he will gather together |
H3664-01 |
Ecclesiastes 2:8 | כָּנַ֤סְתִּי | kanaseti | HVqp1cs |
I gathered together | |
H3664-08 |
Ecclesiastes 2:26 | וְ/לִ/כְנ֗וֹס | velikhenos | HC/R/Vqc |
and to gather | |
H3664-03 |
Ecclesiastes 3:5 | כְּנ֣וֹס | kenos | HVqc |
to gather together | |
H3664-03 |
Esther 4:16 | כְּנ֨וֹס | kenos | HVqv2ms |
gather | to gather together |
H3664-05 |
Nehemiah 12:44 | לִ/כְנ֨וֹס | likhenos | HR/Vqc |
to gather | to gather together |