כָּנַע
𐤊𐤍𐤏
kânaʻ
H3665 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be or become low, humble, or subdued; to bring into submission or to humble oneself or another, whether through inward disposition or external circumstances. The term encompasses both voluntary humility and enforced subjugation. In some contexts it indicates the experience of being humbled by defeat, oppression, or circumstances, while in others it expresses the action of humbling oneself, either ritually, in prayer, or morally.
Semantic Range
to humble, to humble oneself, to be humbled, to subdue, to bring into subjection, to be brought low, to submit, to be subdued, to show deference, to be vanquished
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root כנע, which in its basic sense conveys the idea of being bowed down, made low, or brought into subjection. The physical imagery is of bending, stooping, or submitting. The root itself likely denotes curvature or the state of being lowered; from this core meaning, the verb developed senses of submission, subordination, and humility. The broader Northwest Semitic context shows similar developments, with related terms in Ugaritic and Aramaic conveying lowliness or defeat.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, כָּנַע is used both in active (causative) and reflexive (hithpael) conjugations. In historical narrative texts, it frequently denotes the subjugation of enemy peoples by Israelite or foreign rulers, or the humbling of Israelite kings and populace by external powers or calamity. In wisdom literature and prayers, the word shifts toward voluntary humility or self-abasement before YHWH, emphasizing submission in a moral or religious sense. While English translations typically use 'humble,' 'subdue,' 'bring low,' or 'subject,' these renderings sometimes flatten the dynamic range of the Hebrew term, which may always have associations with loss of status, autonomy, or dignity, whether imposed or self-chosen. The term is distinct from ענה (ʻanah, H6031), another root often translated 'afflict' or 'humble,' which more strongly implies physical distress, suffering, or oppression. כָּנַע often focuses more on the social or relational aspect of status and submission. Over time, in post-biblical Hebrew, the term became less associated with military defeat and more with inner humility.
Translation Consistency
Most occurrences and the primary semantic range center on becoming low or causing low status—voluntary humility or enforced subjugation. "Humble" naturally covers both active (to humble someone) and passive/intransitive senses (to be humbled), is the most common, idiomatic English choice, and will yield natural renderings across contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to bend the knee; hence, to humiliate, vanquish; bring down (low), into subjection, under, humble (self), subdue.
Bantu Hebrew
| Language | Bantu Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ndebele | khonza | to worship, pay homage | |
| Swati | khonta/khonza | to give allegiance, pay homage, worship, submit (to a chief or god) | |
| Xhosa | khonza | to worship, pay homage, show submission (to a chief, god, etc.) | |
| Zulu | khonza | to worship, revere, pay homage |
Root Family
כנע (Kenaan) — to bend down, to be lowered, to submit, to be humbled
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3666 | כִּנְעָה | your bundle of wares |
| H3667 | כְּנַעַן | Kena'an |
| H3668 | כְּנַעֲנָה | Kenaanah |
| H3669 | כְּנַעַנִי | in the Kenaanite |
Word Forms
20 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3665-16 |
וַ/יִּכָּנֵֽעוּ | vayikaneu | HC/VNw3mp |
and they were subdued | and they were humbled | and they were humbled | 6 |
H3665-06 |
נִכְנַ֥ע | nikhena | HVNp3ms |
he has humbled | he was humbled | he was humbled | 4 |
H3665-12 |
וַ/תִּכָּנַ֣ע | vatikana | HC/VNw2ms |
and you humbled yourself | and she was humbled | and you humbled yourself | 4 |
H3665-15 |
וַ/יִּכָּנַ֤ע | vayikana | HC/VNw3ms |
and-he-humbled | and he was humbled | and he humbled himself | 3 |
H3665-08 |
נִכְנְע֖וּ | nikheneu | HVNp3cp |
humbled themselves | they were humbled | they were humbled | 2 |
H3665-13 |
וַ/יַּכְנַ֤ע | vayakhena | HC/Vhw3ms |
and He humbled | and he subdued | and he humbled | 2 |
H3665-14 |
וַ/יַּכְנִיעֵ֑/ם | vayakheniem | HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp |
and subdued them | and he brought them low | and he subdued them | 2 |
H3665-01 |
אַכְנִ֑יעַ | akhenia | HVhi1cs |
I would subdue | I will bring into submission | I would subdue | 1 |
H3665-02 |
הַכְנִיעֵ֑/הוּ | hakheniehu | HVhv2ms/Sp3ms |
and humble him | subdue him | subdue him | 1 |
H3665-03 |
הִכָּנְע֑/וֹ | hikaneo | HVNc/Sp3ms |
his humbling | his being humbled | his being humbled | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
36 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3665-20 |
Leviticus 26:41 | יִכָּנַ֗ע | yikana | HVNi3ms |
will be humbled | he will be humbled | their heart will be humbled |
H3665-19 |
Deuteronomy 9:3 | יַכְנִיעֵ֖/ם | yakheniem | HVhi3ms/Sp3mp |
will subdue them | he will bring them low | he will bring them low |
H3665-12 |
Judges 3:30 | וַ/תִּכָּנַ֤ע | vatikana | HC/VNw3fs |
was subdued | and she was humbled | and she was humbled |
H3665-13 |
Judges 4:23 | וַ/יַּכְנַ֤ע | vayakhena | HC/Vhw3ms |
and-subdued | and he subdued | and he humbled |
H3665-15 |
Judges 8:28 | וַ/יִּכָּנַ֣ע | vayikana | HC/VNw3ms |
was subdued | and he was humbled | and he was subdued |
H3665-16 |
Judges 11:33 | וַ/יִּכָּֽנְעוּ֙ | vayikaneu | HC/VNw3mp |
and they were subdued | and they were humbled | and they were humbled |
H3665-16 |
1 Samuel 7:13 | וַ/יִּכָּֽנְעוּ֙ | vayikaneu | HC/VNw3mp |
and were subdued | and they were humbled | and they were humbled |
H3665-14 |
2 Samuel 8:1 | וַ/יַּכְנִיעֵ֑/ם | vayakheniem | HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp |
and subdued them | and he brought them low | and he subdued them |
H3665-06 |
1 Kings 21:29 | נִכְנַ֥ע | nikhena | HVNp3ms |
he has humbled | he was humbled | he was humbled |
H3665-06 |
1 Kings 21:29 | נִכְנַ֣ע | nikhena-2 | HVNp3ms |
he has humbled | he was humbled | he was humbled |
H3665-12 |
2 Kings 22:19 | וַ/תִּכָּנַ֣ע | vatikana | HC/VNw2ms |
and you humbled | and she was humbled | and you humbled yourself |
H3665-09 |
Isaiah 25:5 | תַּכְנִ֑יעַ | takhenia | HVhi2ms |
you will subdue | you will humble | you will humble |
H3665-01 |
Psalms 81:15 | אַכְנִ֑יעַ | akhenia | HVhi1cs |
I would subdue | I will bring into submission | I would subdue |
H3665-16 |
Psalms 106:42 | וַ֝/יִּכָּנְע֗וּ | vayikaneu | HC/VNw3mp |
and-they-were-subdued | and they were humbled | and they were humbled |
H3665-13 |
Psalms 107:12 | וַ/יַּכְנַ֣ע | vayakhena | HC/Vhw3ms |
and He humbled | and he subdued | and he humbled |
H3665-02 |
Job 40:12 | הַכְנִיעֵ֑/הוּ | hakheniehu | HVhv2ms/Sp3ms |
and humble him | subdue him | subdue him |
H3665-11 |
Nehemiah 9:24 | וַ/תַּכְנַ֨ע | vatakhena | HC/Vhw2ms |
and you subdued | and you subdued | and you subdued |
H3665-17 |
1 Chronicles 17:10 | וְ/הִכְנַ֖עְתִּי | vehikhenaeti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and-I-will-subdue | and I will bring low | and I will subdue |
H3665-14 |
1 Chronicles 18:1 | וַ/יַּכְנִיעֵ֑/ם | vayakheniem | HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp |
and subdued them | and he brought them low | and he subdued them |
H3665-16 |
1 Chronicles 20:4 | וַ/יִּכָּנֵֽעוּ | vayikaneu | HC/VNw3mp |
and they were subdued | and they were humbled | and they were humbled |
H3665-18 |
2 Chronicles 7:14 | וְ/יִכָּנְע֨וּ | veyikaneu | HC/VNi3mp |
humble themselves | they will be humbled | they will be humbled |
H3665-16 |
2 Chronicles 12:6 | וַ/יִּכָּנְע֥וּ | vayikaneu | HC/VNw3mp |
humbled themselves | and they were humbled | and they were humbled |
H3665-07 |
2 Chronicles 12:7 | נִכְנָ֔עוּ | nikhenau | HVNp3cp |
they-had-humbled-themselves | they were brought low | they had humbled themselves |
H3665-08 |
2 Chronicles 12:7 | נִכְנְע֖וּ | nikheneu | HVNp3cp |
they-have-humbled-themselves | they were humbled | they were humbled |
H3665-10 |
2 Chronicles 12:12 | וּ/בְ/הִכָּֽנְע֗/וֹ | uvehikaneo | HC/R/VNc/Sp3ms |
and-when-he-humbled-himself | his being humbled | his being humbled |
H3665-16 |
2 Chronicles 13:18 | וַ/יִּכָּנְע֥וּ | vayikaneu | HC/VNw3mp |
were humbled | and they were humbled | and they were humbled |
H3665-04 |
2 Chronicles 28:19 | הִכְנִ֤יעַ | hikhenia | HVhp3ms |
humbled | he brought low | he brought low |
H3665-08 |
2 Chronicles 30:11 | נִֽכְנְע֔וּ | nikheneu | HVNp3cp |
humbled themselves | they were humbled | they were humbled |
H3665-15 |
2 Chronicles 32:26 | וַ/יִּכָּנַ֤ע | vayikana | HC/VNw3ms |
and humbled himself | and he was humbled | and he humbled himself |
H3665-15 |
2 Chronicles 33:12 | וַ/יִּכָּנַ֣ע | vayikana | HC/VNw3ms |
and-he-humbled | and he was humbled | and he humbled himself |
H3665-03 |
2 Chronicles 33:19 | הִכָּנְע֑/וֹ | hikaneo | HVNc/Sp3ms |
his humbling | his being humbled | his being humbled |
H3665-06 |
2 Chronicles 33:23 | נִכְנַע֙ | nikhena | HVNp3ms |
he humbled himself | he was humbled | humbled himself |
H3665-05 |
2 Chronicles 33:23 | כְּ/הִכָּנַ֖ע | kehikana | HR/VNc |
as the humbling | as being humbled | as the humbling |
H3665-12 |
2 Chronicles 34:27 | וַ/תִּכָּנַ֣ע | vatikana | HC/VNw2ms |
and you humbled yourself | and she was humbled | and you humbled yourself |
H3665-12 |
2 Chronicles 34:27 | וַ/תִּכָּנַ֣ע | vatikana-2 | HC/VNw2ms |
and you humbled yourself | and she was humbled | and you humbled yourself |
H3665-06 |
2 Chronicles 36:12 | נִכְנַ֗ע | nikhena | HVNp3ms |
humbled | he was humbled | he humbled himself |