קִינָה
𐤒𐤉𐤍𐤄
qîynâh
H7015 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A song, poem, or chant composed and performed in response to death, disaster, or national calamity; specifically, a formal lament or dirge expressing profound grief, mourning, or loss, often marked by stylized poetic language and ritualized performance. In various contexts, it denotes both the structured literary genre (the lament poem) and the communal or ritual act of mourning that accompanies bereavement or catastrophe.
Semantic Range
dirge, lament, lamentation, mourning song or poem, ritual mourning performance, formal/grieving poetic composition
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root קונ (קוּן, kuf-vav-nun), which at the root level may carry the core meaning of 'to lament' or 'to wail.' The noun קִינָה reflects a specialized nominal formation referring to the product (the lament/dirge) resulting from the act of wailing or lamenting. There is some debate among lexicographers regarding the connection with the more common root כּוּן ('to establish, set up'); in the context of קִינָה, however, the association with lamentation is ancient and well-documented. The derived noun is not built from the common root meaning 'to establish' but appears tied to onomatopoeic expressions of mourning.
Historical & Contextual Notes
קִינָה features prominently in the Hebrew Bible, especially in contexts of mourning for individuals (such as David's lament for Saul and Jonathan in 2 Samuel 1) and for national tragedy (notably the destruction of Jerusalem, as lamented in the book of Lamentations, which is identified by tradition as קִינָה). The term is used to designate both the literary genre and the ritual act, as in the employment of hired mourners or professional lamenters (e.g., Jeremiah 9:16–20). While English translations often use 'dirge' or 'lamentation,' such renderings may not fully capture the performative and communal characteristics of קִינָה in ancient Israelite society. The social function of קִינָה included structured poetic meter and refrains, often with musical accompaniment or stylized gestures of grief such as beating the breast. Over time, the literary קִינָה became an established mode of biblical poetry. The semantic and ritual boundaries of mourning, lament, and memory in ancient Israel shift between periods, but קִינָה remains a key term for structured expressions of loss. Unlike regular mourning or weeping, קִינָה refers to an artistic or formal response—an act or product shaped by tradition and communal participation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from קוּן; a dirge (as accompanied by beating the breasts or on instruments); lamentation.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קונ (q-w-n) — lamenting, wailing, mourning
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7064 | קֵן | lament-dirge |
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7015-05 |
קִינָ֑ה | qinah | HNcfsa |
a lamentation | lament-song | 12 |
H7015-04 |
לְ/קִינָֽה | leqinah | HR/Ncfsa |
for a lamentation | for a lament-poem | 2 |
H7015-01 |
בְּ/קִינ֨וֹתֵי/הֶ֤ם | beqinoteyhem | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp |
in-their-laments | in their lament-songs | 1 |
H7015-03 |
הַ/קִּינֽוֹת | haqinot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the-laments | the lament-songs | 1 |
H7015-06 |
קִנִ֥ים | qinim | HNcfpa |
lamentations | laments | 1 |
H7015-02 |
הַ/קִּינָ֖ה | haqinah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the-lament | the dirge | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
18 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7015-02 |
2 Samuel 1:17 | הַ/קִּינָ֖ה | haqinah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the-lament | the dirge |
H7015-05 |
Jeremiah 7:29 | קִינָ֑ה | qinah | HNcfsa |
a lamentation | lament-song |
H7015-05 |
Jeremiah 9:9 | קִינָ֔ה | qinah | HNcfsa |
a lamentation | lament-song |
H7015-05 |
Jeremiah 9:19 | קִינָֽה | qinah | HNcfsa |
lamentation | lament-song |
H7015-06 |
Ezekiel 2:10 | קִנִ֥ים | qinim | HNcfpa |
lamentations | laments |
H7015-05 |
Ezekiel 19:1 | קִינָ֔ה | qinah | HNcfsa |
a lamentation | lament-song |
H7015-05 |
Ezekiel 19:14 | קִ֥ינָה | qinah | HNcfsa |
a lamentation | lament-song |
H7015-04 |
Ezekiel 19:14 | לְ/קִינָֽה | leqinah | HR/Ncfsa |
for a lamentation | for a lament-poem |
H7015-05 |
Ezekiel 26:17 | קִינָה֙ | qinah | HNcfsa |
a lamentation | lament-song |
H7015-05 |
Ezekiel 27:2 | קִינָֽה | qinah | HNcfsa |
a lamentation | lament-song |