מִקְנֶה
𐤌𐤒𐤍𐤄
miqneh
H4735 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Domesticated livestock collectively owned or acquired, especially flocks and herds of sheep, goats, cattle, and sometimes camels; more generally, property acquired through purchase, primarily referring to mobile animals rather than immovable property. In specific legal and narrative contexts, denotes wealth or property made up chiefly of domesticated animals rather than land or goods. The semantic range encompasses both the concrete reference to animals and, by extension, the possessions or wealth represented by them.
Semantic Range
livestock, domesticated animals, flocks, herds, movable property, acquisition, wealth in animals, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, property acquired through purchase; in some cases, refers abstractly to 'acquisition' as wealth
Root / Etymology
From the root קנה (q-n-h), meaning 'to acquire, buy, get, obtain.' The noun מִקְנֶה (miqneh) is a formation with the mem-prefix, commonly indicating an instrument or result of the root's action: thus, 'that which is acquired' or 'acquired property.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מִקְנֶה refers nearly exclusively to living property—herds and flocks (sheep, goats, cattle, camels)—which represented primary wealth in the patriarchal and early monarchic periods. It rarely, if ever, denotes slaves or land, which are named by other terms. The term is prevalent in narratives concerning the patriarchs (Genesis), indicating status, prosperity, or migration patterns tied to animal husbandry. In legal texts, especially in the Covenant Code and Deuteronomic law, מִקְנֶה is used to define obligations or rights regarding livestock. Over time, a person's or group's מִקְנֶה signified not just material holdings but also the basis for economic and social status. English translations often render it as 'cattle,' 'livestock,' or 'herds,' but these may not fully capture that the word signifies movable property of various species. In post-biblical Hebrew, the term retains the general sense of acquired possessions, though later usage shifts further toward abstract 'acquisition.' The meaning should be distinguished from possessions in general (רְכוּשׁ) and specifically from terms for slaves (עֶבֶד) or land (אֲדָמָה, שָׂדֶה).
Translation Consistency
Most occurrences and the primary semantic sense are domesticated animals (flocks, herds, cattle) and wealth expressed as animals. "Livestock" is the natural, specific English word that covers the typical concrete and collective uses of מִקְנֶה and can consistently render both the animals themselves and the idea of wealth constituted by them; broader alternatives like “property” or “possessions” are less specific and less frequent in the data.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from קָנָה; something bought, i.e. property, but only livestock; abstractly, acquisition; cattle, flock, herd, possession, purchase, substance.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קנה (q-n-h) — to acquire, to buy, to get, to possess
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4736 | מִקְנָה | the acquisition |
| H4737 | מִקְנֵיָהוּ | and Yahweh-has-acquired |
| H7014 | קַיִן | the Acquired-one |
| H7066 | קְנָא | you will buy |
| H7069 | קָנָה | I will acquire |
Word Forms
25 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4735-09 |
מִקְנֵֽה | miqeneh | HNcmsc |
livestock | acquired livestock | livestock | 24 |
H4735-14 |
מִקְנֵי/הֶֽם | miqeneyhem | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
their livestock | their acquired livestock | their acquired livestock | 8 |
H4735-20 |
וּ/מִקְנֶֽה | umiqeneh | HC/Ncmsa |
and livestock | and acquired livestock | and livestock | 6 |
H4735-11 |
מִקְנֵ֗/הוּ | miqenehu | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his livestock | his acquired livestock | his acquired livestock | 6 |
H4735-10 |
מִקְנֵ/הֶ֤ם | miqenehem | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
their livestock | their acquired livestock | their livestock | 3 |
H4735-04 |
הַ/מִּקְנֶ֑ה | hamiqeneh | HTd/Ncmsa |
the livestock | the acquired livestock | the acquired livestock | 3 |
H4735-12 |
מִקְנְ/ךָ֖ | miqenekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your livestock | your acquired livestock | your acquired livestock | 3 |
H4735-25 |
וּ/בְ/מִקְנֵ֥ה | uvemiqeneh | HC/R/Ncmsc |
and for the livestock of | and in acquired livestock of | and in livestock of | 3 |
H4735-13 |
מִקְנֵ֜/נוּ | miqenenu | HNcmsc/Sp1cp |
our livestock | our acquired livestock | our livestock | 2 |
H4735-24 |
וּ/מִקְנֵי/כֶם֒ | umiqeneykhem | HC/Ncmpc/Sp2mp |
and your livestock | and your acquired livestock | and your livestock | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
76 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4735-20 |
Genesis 4:20 | וּ/מִקְנֶֽה | umiqeneh | HC/Ncmsa |
and livestock | and acquired livestock | and livestock |
H4735-01 |
Genesis 13:2 | בַּ/מִּקְנֶ֕ה | bamiqeneh | HRd/Ncmsa |
in livestock | in the acquired livestock | in livestock |
H4735-09 |
Genesis 13:7 | מִקְנֵֽה | miqeneh | HNcmsc |
of cattle | acquired livestock | from acquired livestock of |
H4735-09 |
Genesis 13:7 | מִקְנֵה | miqeneh-2 | HNcmsc |
of cattle | acquired livestock | from acquired livestock of |
H4735-09 |
Genesis 26:14 | מִקְנֵה | miqeneh | HNcmsc |
possessions | acquired livestock | acquired livestock |
H4735-20 |
Genesis 26:14 | וּ/מִקְנֵ֣ה | umiqeneh | HC/Ncmsc |
and possessions | and acquired livestock | and livestock |
H4735-04 |
Genesis 29:7 | הַ/מִּקְנֶ֑ה | hamiqeneh | HTd/Ncmsa |
the livestock | the acquired livestock | the acquired livestock |
H4735-12 |
Genesis 30:29 | מִקְנְ/ךָ֖ | miqenekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your livestock | your acquired livestock | your acquired livestock |
H4735-09 |
Genesis 31:9 | מִקְנֵ֥ה | miqeneh | HNcmsc |
livestock | acquired livestock | livestock |
H4735-11 |
Genesis 31:18 | מִקְנֵ֗/הוּ | miqenehu | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his livestock | his acquired livestock | his acquired livestock |