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כְּעַן

𐤊𐤏𐤍

kᵉʻan

H3705 adverb

SILEX Entry

Root כן to be thus, so; to be established, certain

Definition

Aramaic adverb indicating the present time or current situation; used to express 'now,' 'at this moment,' or 'thus far' in discourse. Also functions in narrative or legal contexts to mark a transition or highlight what is presently the case.

Semantic Range

now, at this time, at present, as things stand, henceforth; in discourse, introducing present developments or states

Root / Etymology

Formed from the root כֵּן (ken), meaning 'so, thus' in Hebrew and Aramaic; the prefixed כְּ (ke) functions to specify the current state or time, making the sense 'thus, at this moment, now.' The derivation reflects a shift from a deictic 'thus' to a temporal 'now.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

כְּעַן occurs only in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, notably in Daniel and Ezra, serving as a temporal particle to indicate immediacy ('now') or to introduce a new action phase. It can function similarly to Hebrew עַתָּה (attah, 'now'), but its usage is limited to the Aramaic dialect. The nuance can include both temporal (time-of-speech) and logical (this being so) senses. English translations typically render it simply as 'now,' but the word also marks attention or change in discourse, sometimes serving rhetorical-emphatic purposes. The corresponding Hebrew כֵּן primarily means 'thus' or 'so,' rarely temporal, highlighting the dialectal semantic shift in Aramaic.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) probably from כֵּן; now; now.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כן (k-n) — thus, so; firmness, establishedness, certainty

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3705-01 כְּעַ֞ן kean AD now thus at present 10
H3705-02 וּ/כְעַ֤ן ukhean AC/D And now and now 3

Occurrences in Scripture

13 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3705-02 Daniel 2:23 וּ/כְעַ֤ן ukhean AC/D even now and now
H3705-01 Daniel 3:15 כְּעַ֞ן kean AD now thus at present
H3705-01 Daniel 4:34 כְּעַ֞ן kean AD at-the-end-of thus at present
H3705-01 Daniel 5:12 כְּעַ֛ן kean AD now thus at present
H3705-02 Daniel 5:15 וּ/כְעַ֞ן ukhean AC/D And now and now
H3705-01 Daniel 5:16 כְּעַ֡ן kean AD now thus at present
H3705-01 Daniel 6:9 כְּעַ֣ן kean AD Now thus at present
H3705-01 Ezra 4:13 כְּעַ֗ן kean AD now thus at present
H3705-01 Ezra 4:14 כְּעַ֗ן kean AD Now thus at present
H3705-01 Ezra 4:21 כְּעַן֙ kean AD Now thus at present
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