כִּנְּרוֹת
𐤊𐤍𐤓𐤅𐤕
Kinerot
H3672 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Kinneroth (plural form) refers to a specific region and (by extension) settlement by the Sea of Kinneret in the Galilee, named likely for its proximity to the lake. The singular Kinneret names the freshwater lake ('Sea of Kinneret') as well as the town or district adjacent to it. The term may bear an etymological association with the Hebrew word for 'lyre/harp' (kinor), possibly in reference to the shape of the lake but this is not certain. In context, the plural form emphasizes a territory or collection of settlements or features associated with Kinneret.
Semantic Range
region bordering the Sea of Kinneret, town near the lake, the lake itself as Kinneret; later associated with Gennesaret, plain surrounding the lake, administrative district or group of settlements
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain; possibly related to כִּנּוֹר (kinor), 'lyre/harp,' thus referencing shape, but this remains speculative. The place-name is applied both to the lake itself and to its surrounding district, earliest attested in biblical texts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical texts, Kinneroth (plural) most often denotes a region or collection of settlements around the lake known as Kinneret, frequently appearing in boundary descriptions and as an indicative geographic term in the narrative of Israelite settlement (e.g., Joshua 11:2; 12:3; 19:35). The singular כִּנֶּרֶת (Kinneret) is specifically attached to the body of water, later known in Greek as Gennesaret and eventually as the Sea of Galilee. The plural may emphasize the region's towns or the surrounding plain. Later translations (such as the Septuagint) render related forms as Gennesaret, which becomes standard in Second Temple and New Testament periods. English versions like KJV use 'Chinneroth' or 'Chinnereth,' which are transliterations rather than translations, and the term 'Sea of Galilee' only appears in Greek and later sources. The name is geographically and historically specific and does not denote a musical instrument or its usage in Hebrew scripture, despite the possible link to 'lyre.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or כִּנֶּרֶתlemma כִּנֶרֶת missing dagesh, corrected to כִּנֶּרֶת; respectively plural and singular feminine from the same as כִּנּוֹר; perhaps harp-shaped; Kinneroth or Kinnereth, a place in Palestine; Chinnereth, Chinneroth, Cinneroth.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כנר (k-n-r) — uncertain; possibly lyre, harp
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3658 | כִּנּוֹר | with the lyre |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3672-03 |
כִּנְר֜וֹת | kinerot | HNp |
Kinnereth | Kinneroth region | 2 |
H3672-02 |
כִּנֶּ֖רֶת | kineret | HNp |
of Chinnereth | Kinneret | 2 |
H3672-05 |
וְ/כִנָּֽרֶת | vekhinaret | HC/Np |
and Chinnereth | Kinneroth-districts | 1 |
H3672-04 |
מִ/כִּנֶּ֗רֶת | mikineret | HR/Np |
from Chinnereth | from Kinneroth-region | 1 |
H3672-01 |
כִּֽנֲר֖וֹת | kinarot | HNp |
of Chinneroth | Kinneroth-districts | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3672-02 |
Numbers 34:11 | כִּנֶּ֖רֶת | kineret | HNp |
of Chinnereth | Kinneret |
H3672-04 |
Deuteronomy 3:17 | מִ/כִּנֶּ֗רֶת | mikineret | HR/Np |
from Chinnereth | from Kinneroth-region |
H3672-01 |
Joshua 11:2 | כִּֽנֲר֖וֹת | kinarot | HNp |
of Chinneroth | Kinneroth-districts |
H3672-03 |
Joshua 12:3 | כִּנְר֜וֹת | kinerot | HNp |
of-Chinneroth | Kinneroth region |
H3672-02 |
Joshua 13:27 | כִּנֶּ֔רֶת | kineret | HNp |
of Chinnereth | Kinneret |
H3672-05 |
Joshua 19:35 | וְ/כִנָּֽרֶת | vekhinaret | HC/Np |
and Chinnereth | Kinneroth-districts |
H3672-03 |
1 Kings 15:20 | כִּנְר֔וֹת | kinerot | HNp |
Kinnereth | Kinneroth region |