קֶנֶץ
𐤒𐤍𐤑
qenets
H7078 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A deviation from what is right or expected, especially in legal or moral context; specifically, an act or condition of perversion, distortion, or corruption. In some contexts in biblical Hebrew, denotes a twisting of justice or integrity, or a departure from proper order.
Semantic Range
perversion, distortion, corruption, deviation from proper order, moral or legal aberration
Root / Etymology
Root is קנץ, but the root is not attested elsewhere in biblical Hebrew and is considered uncertain or possibly related to verbs meaning 'to wrench,' 'to twist,' or 'to distort.' The noun derives from this hypothetical verbal root, with a semantic development from the idea of physically twisting or wrenching to abstract notions of distortion or perversion.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term קֶנֶץ appears very rarely in the Hebrew Bible (notably in Leviticus 20:12) and always in contexts associated with moral or legal corruption, particularly sexual transgression. The sense is of a disruptive deviation from normative order. Its specific nuance stands in contrast to other Hebrew words for sin or transgression such as עָוֹן (avon, 'iniquity') or פֶּשַׁע (pesha', 'rebellion'), as קֶנֶץ denotes a perverting or twisting rather than a simple act of wrongdoing. English translations historically render it as 'perversion' or 'abomination,' but this may over-generalize its meaning; the word carries a dimension of distortion or wrenching from what is standard or expected in Israelite legal or moral norms. Later Jewish and Christian traditions sometimes associated this word with broader concepts of sexual immorality or deviance, but in biblical usage it is more narrowly focused.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root probably meaning to wrench; perversion; end.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קנץ (q-n-ts) — wrenching, twisting, distorting
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7078-01 |
קִנְצֵ֣י | qinetsey | HNcmpc |
ends | distortions of | distortions of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7078-01 |
Job 18:2 | קִנְצֵ֣י | qinetsey | HNcmpc |
ends | distortions of | distortions of |