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קָנָה

𐤒𐤍𐤄

qânâh

H7069 verb

SILEX Entry

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.'

Translation Consistency

primary "acquire" 40 occurrences

qânâh most often means to obtain or possess (frequently by purchase) and the majority of existing English renderings use some form of “acquire.” “Acquire” naturally covers buying, obtaining, possessing, procuring, and can extend metaphorically to poetic senses (e.g. ‘bring into being’), so it preserves the typical range while remaining a natural, consistent base verb for all forms.

Alternatives (10 occurrences):
"acquiring-one of" (3x) "buyer" (2x) "acquirer" (2x) "bought" (2x) "buy" (1x)

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

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

קנה (Miqeneyahu) — to acquire, to buy, to possess

Root קנה to acquire, to get, to buy, to 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 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7069-19 קְנֵֽה qeneh HVqv2ms buy acquire! acquire 12
H7069-07 לִ/קְנוֹת֙ liqenot HR/Vqc to buy to acquire to acquire 6
H7069-08 קָנָ֔ה qanah HVqp3ms had bought he acquired he acquired 6
H7069-14 קָנִֽיתָ qanita HVqp2ms formed you acquired you acquired 5
H7069-16 קָנִ֨יתִי֙ qaniti HVqp1cs I have acquired I acquired I acquired 5
H7069-23 קֹנֶֽה qoneh HVqrmsa acquires acquiring-one of acquiring-one of 5
H7069-30 וַ/יִּ֜קֶן vayiqen HC/Vqw3ms and bought and he acquired and he acquired 4
H7069-03 הַ/קּוֹנֶה֙ haqoneh HTd/Vqrmsa the buyer the acquiring-one the acquiring one 3
H7069-36 יִקְנֶ֥ה yiqeneh HVqi3ms acquires he acquires he acquires 3
H7069-01 אֶקְנֶ֖ה eqeneh HVqi1cs I will buy I will acquire I will acquire 2

Occurrences in Scripture

86 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7069-16 Genesis 4:1 קָנִ֥יתִי qaniti HVqp1cs I have acquired I acquired I acquired
H7069-23 Genesis 14:19 קֹנֵ֖ה qoneh HVqrmsc Possessor acquiring-one of acquiring-one of
H7069-23 Genesis 14:22 קֹנֵ֖ה qoneh HVqrmsc possessor acquiring-one of acquiring-one of
H7069-08 Genesis 25:10 קָנָ֥ה qanah HVqp3ms purchased he acquired he acquired
H7069-30 Genesis 33:19 וַ/יִּ֜קֶן vayiqen HC/Vqw3ms he bought and he acquired and he acquired
H7069-31 Genesis 39:1 וַ/יִּקְנֵ֡/הוּ vayiqenehu HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms and he bought him and he acquired him and he acquired him
H7069-19 Genesis 47:19 קְנֵֽה qeneh HVqv2ms buy acquire! acquire
H7069-30 Genesis 47:20 וַ/יִּ֨קֶן vayiqen HC/Vqw3ms So Joseph bought and he acquired and he acquired
H7069-08 Genesis 47:22 קָנָ֑ה qanah HVqp3ms he bought he acquired he acquired
H7069-16 Genesis 47:23 קָנִ֨יתִי qaniti HVqp1cs I have bought I acquired I acquired
H7069-08 Genesis 49:30 קָנָ֨ה qanah HVqp3ms bought he acquired he acquired
H7069-08 Genesis 50:13 קָנָה֩ qanah HVqp3ms had bought he acquired he acquired
H7069-14 Exodus 15:16 קָנִֽיתָ qanita HVqp2ms you have purchased you acquired you acquired
H7069-26 Exodus 21:2 תִקְנֶה֙ tiqeneh HVqi2ms you buy you will acquire you will acquire
H7069-36 Leviticus 22:11 יִקְנֶ֥ה yiqeneh HVqi3ms he buys he acquires he acquires
H7069-18 Leviticus 25:14 קָנֹ֖ה qanoh HVqa buy acquiring acquiring
H7069-26 Leviticus 25:15 תִּקְנֶ֖ה tiqeneh HVqi2ms you shall buy you will acquire you will acquire
H7069-03 Leviticus 25:28 הַ/קֹּנֶ֣ה haqoneh HTd/Vqrmsa of the buyer the acquiring-one the acquiring one
H7069-06 Leviticus 25:30 לַ/קֹּנֶ֥ה laqoneh HRd/Vqrmsa to-the-buyer to the acquirer to the buyer
H7069-27 Leviticus 25:44 תִּקְנ֖וּ tiqenu HVqi2mp you shall buy you will acquire you will acquire
H7069-27 Leviticus 25:45 תִּקְנ֔וּ tiqenu HVqi2mp you shall buy you will acquire you will acquire
H7069-24 Leviticus 25:50 קֹנֵ֔/הוּ qonehu HVqrmsc/Sp3ms him who bought him his acquirer his acquirer
H7069-09 Leviticus 27:24 קָנָ֖/הוּ qanahu HVqp3ms/Sp3ms he bought it he acquired him bought it
H7069-23 Deuteronomy 28:68 קֹנֶֽה qoneh HVqrmsa buyer acquiring-one of acquiring-one of
H7069-11 Deuteronomy 32:6 קָּנֶ֔/ךָ qanekha HVqp3ms/Sp2ms bought-you he acquired you he acquired you
H7069-08 Joshua 24:32 קָנָ֧ה qanah HVqp3ms had bought he acquired he acquired
H7069-08 2 Samuel 12:3 קָנָ֔ה qanah HVqp3ms he-bought he acquired he acquired
H7069-07 2 Samuel 24:21 לִ/קְנ֧וֹת liqenot HR/Vqc to buy to acquire to acquire
H7069-17 2 Samuel 24:24 קָנ֨וֹ qano HVqa I will surely buy possessive I will buy it
H7069-01 2 Samuel 24:24 אֶקְנֶ֤ה eqeneh HVqi1cs I will buy I will acquire I will acquire
H7069-30 2 Samuel 24:24 וַ/יִּ֨קֶן vayiqen HC/Vqw3ms and bought and he acquired and he acquired
H7069-30 1 Kings 16:24 וַ/יִּ֜קֶן vayiqen HC/Vqw3ms And he bought and he acquired and he acquired
H7069-32 2 Kings 12:13 וְ/לִ/קְנ֤וֹת veliqenot HC/R/Vqc and-for-buying and to acquire and to acquire
H7069-32 2 Kings 22:6 וְ/לִ/קְנ֤וֹת veliqenot HC/R/Vqc and to buy and to acquire and to acquire
H7069-24 Isaiah 1:3 קֹנֵ֔/הוּ qonehu HVqrmsc/Sp3ms its owner his acquirer his acquirer
H7069-07 Isaiah 11:11 לִ/קְנ֖וֹת liqenot HR/Vqc to acquire to acquire to acquire
H7069-05 Isaiah 24:2 כַּ/קּוֹנֶה֙ kaqoneh HRd/Vqrmsa as with the buyer as an acquirer as the buyer
H7069-14 Isaiah 43:24 קָנִ֨יתָ qanita HVqp2ms you bought you acquired you acquired
H7069-34 Jeremiah 13:1 וְ/קָנִ֤יתָ veqanita HC/Vqq2ms and-buy and you acquired and you will acquire
H7069-29 Jeremiah 13:2 וָ/אֶקְנֶ֥ה vaeqeneh HC/Vqw1cs So I bought and I acquired and I acquired
H7069-14 Jeremiah 13:4 קָנִ֖יתָ qanita HVqp2ms you have bought you acquired you acquired
H7069-34 Jeremiah 19:1 וְ/קָנִ֥יתָ veqanita HC/Vqq2ms and-buy and you acquired and you acquired
H7069-19 Jeremiah 32:7 קְנֵ֣ה qeneh HVqv2ms Buy acquire! acquire
H7069-07 Jeremiah 32:7 לִ/קְנֽוֹת liqenot HR/Vqc to buy it to acquire to acquire
H7069-19 Jeremiah 32:8 קְנֵ֣ה qeneh HVqv2ms buy acquire! acquire
H7069-19 Jeremiah 32:8 קְנֵה qeneh-2 HVqv2ms buy acquire! acquire
H7069-29 Jeremiah 32:9 וָֽ/אֶקְנֶה֙ vaeqeneh HC/Vqw1cs And I bought and I acquired and I acquired
H7069-35 Jeremiah 32:15 יִקָּנ֥וּ yiqanu HVNi3mp will be bought they will be acquired will be bought
H7069-19 Jeremiah 32:25 קְנֵֽה qeneh HVqv2ms Buy acquire! acquire
H7069-33 Jeremiah 32:43 וְ/נִקְנָ֥ה veniqenah HC/VNq3ms and fields shall be bought and he was acquired and it will be acquired
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