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קָנָה

𐤒𐤍𐤄

qânâh

H7069 verb

SILEX Entry

Root קנה to acquire, to get, to buy, to create (poetic)

Definition

To acquire, obtain, or buy through purchase or personal acquisition; in some contexts, to create or bring into existence, especially in poetic or archaic usage. The primary sense is the act of acquiring something, with a focus on both the process (purchase, obtain) and the result (possessing, owning). Occasionally refers metaphorically to creation or origination, particularly in poetic texts.

Semantic Range

to acquire, to buy, to obtain, to possess, to create (in poetic or archaic contexts), to bring forth, to procure, to redeem, to recover (lost property)

Root / Etymology

Root: קנה. Derived from the Hebrew root ק-נ-ה, which fundamentally means 'to acquire' or 'to obtain'. The root connotes acts of obtaining through various means, including purchase, inheritance, or creation. The lexical form קָנָה covers a range of acquisition but does not in itself denote the manner (e.g., purchase versus creation) without further specification in context.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, קָנָה is most commonly used in the context of acquiring property, livestock, goods, or a wife, emphasizing acquisition by purchase, procurement, or taking possession (Gen 33:19; Prov 4:5, 7). In poetic and archaic passages (e.g., Gen 14:19, 22; Ps 139:13), it can mean 'to create' or 'bring forth,' as when God is referred to as the one who 'acquired/created' the heavens and earth—a use that led to later interpretive debates about whether the term means 'create' or 'possess.' The translation 'to buy' is narrower than the full semantic range; context determines whether purchase, inheritance, or creation is intended. In Deuteronomic and exilic/post-exilic texts, the verb is linked more to commercial transactions. The KJV and traditional translations sometimes obscure the distinction between 'acquire,' 'possess,' and 'create.' Care must be taken not to read later economic or religious meanings anachronistically. The related noun קִנְיָן (qinyan) means 'possession' or 'acquisition.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to erect, i.e. create; by extension, to procure, especially by purchase (causatively, sell); by implication to own; attain, buy(-er), teach to keep cattle, get, provoke to jealousy, possess(-or), purchase, recover, redeem, [idiom] surely, [idiom] verily.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קנה (q-n-h) — acquire, obtain, buy, create (poetic)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4735 מִקְנֶה in the acquired livestock
H4736 מִקְנָה the acquisition
H4737 מִקְנֵיָהוּ and Yahweh-has-acquired
H7014 קַיִן the Acquired-one
H7066 קְנָא you will buy

Word Forms

37 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7069-19 קְנֵֽה qeneh HVqv2ms buy acquire! 12
H7069-07 לִ/קְנ֧וֹת liqenot HR/Vqc to buy to acquire 6
H7069-08 קָנָ֥ה qanah HVqp3ms had bought he acquired 6
H7069-23 קֹנֵ֖ה qoneh HVqrmsc acquires acquiring-one of 5
H7069-14 קָנִֽיתָ qanita HVqp2ms formed you acquired 5
H7069-16 קָנִ֥יתִי qaniti HVqp1cs I have acquired I acquired 5
H7069-30 וַ/יִּ֜קֶן vayiqen HC/Vqw3ms and bought and he acquired 4
H7069-36 יִקְנֶ֥ה yiqeneh HVqi3ms acquires he acquires 3
H7069-03 הַ/קֹּנֶ֣ה haqoneh HTd/Vqrmsa the buyer the acquiring-one 3
H7069-24 קֹנֵ֔/הוּ qonehu HVqrmsc/Sp3ms him who bought him his acquirer 2

Occurrences in Scripture

86 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7069-16 Genesis 4:1 קָנִ֥יתִי qaniti HVqp1cs I have acquired I acquired
H7069-23 Genesis 14:19 קֹנֵ֖ה qoneh HVqrmsc Possessor acquiring-one of
H7069-23 Genesis 14:22 קֹנֵ֖ה qoneh HVqrmsc possessor acquiring-one of
H7069-08 Genesis 25:10 קָנָ֥ה qanah HVqp3ms purchased he acquired
H7069-30 Genesis 33:19 וַ/יִּ֜קֶן vayiqen HC/Vqw3ms he bought and he acquired
H7069-31 Genesis 39:1 וַ/יִּקְנֵ֡/הוּ vayiqenehu HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms and he bought him and he acquired him
H7069-19 Genesis 47:19 קְנֵֽה qeneh HVqv2ms buy acquire!
H7069-30 Genesis 47:20 וַ/יִּ֨קֶן vayiqen HC/Vqw3ms So Joseph bought and he acquired
H7069-08 Genesis 47:22 קָנָ֑ה qanah HVqp3ms he bought he acquired
H7069-16 Genesis 47:23 קָנִ֨יתִי qaniti HVqp1cs I have bought I acquired
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