קנה

קנה¹ to acquire, buy

Pronunciation

• Tiberian: qānâ^[1][2]
• Samaritan reading tradition: qā̊na; in the sense “create” qāni^[3]

Forms

קָנָה (qānâ) verb^[1] Qal 81 times (HALOT's count), with the participle קֹנֶה, of God “maker, creator”.^[4][1] Niphal “to be bought” in Jeremiah 32:15 and 43, and a hiphil in Zechariah 13:5 whose sense is disputed.^[2]

Etymology

The verb is inherited from Proto-West Semitic *ḳny (“to acquire, to possess”).^[5] Its cognates are Ugaritic qny (“to acquire; to create”),^[6] Phoenician qny (“to acquire”),^[7] Biblical Aramaic קְנָא (qənāʾ) (once, Ezra 7:17),^[1][2] Classical Syriac ܩܢܳܐ (qnā, “to acquire, possess”),^[8] Arabic قَنَا (qanā, “to acquire”),^[9] Sabaean qny (“to acquire, possess”)^[2] and Ge'ez ቀነየ (qanaya, “to acquire, buy, subjugate”).^[10][5] Akkadian dictionaries list a verb Akkadian qanû (“to keep, acquire”), but Kogan doubts that a native Akkadian verb with this meaning ever existed: the one Old Babylonian example is unsure, and the Neo-Assyrian ones are probably due to Aramaic.^[5][4]

The sense “to create” of a few passages is shared with Ugaritic, where the goddess Athirat is qnyt ilm (“creatress of the gods”), and with Phoenician ʾl qn ʾrṣ (“El, creator (or owner) of the earth”).^[4] Some scholars therefore set up a second verb “to create”, but HALOT finds the division uncertain, since Ugaritic already uses one verb for acquiring, possessing and creating.^[4] Klein reports an older view that the verb is derived from קָנֶה (qāneh, “reed; beam of a balance”), as Aramaic זְבַן (zəḇan, “to buy”) has been tied to an Akkadian word for scales.^[11]

Earliest recorded meaning

Two of its uses are in the archaic poems.^[1][12] The Song of the Sea speaks of ʿam-zû qānîṯā “the people whom you have acquired” (Exodus 15:16), and the Song of Moses asks hălôʾ-hûʾ ʾāḇîḵā qānekā “is he not your father, who made you?” (Deuteronomy 32:6), a passage MACULA counts under the sense “create”.^[1][4] In the prose of Genesis it is used of the field that Abraham bought from the sons of Heth (Genesis 25:10).^[1]

Semantic evolution

Most biblical uses are of buying for money or of acquiring in general,^[13][4] and in Proverbs one acquires wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 16:16).^[14] In a few passages God is the subject: God Most High is qōnēh šāmayim wāʾāreṣ “maker of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:19, 22), and Wisdom says YHWH qānānî rēʾšîṯ darkô “the LORD made me at the beginning of his way” (Proverbs 8:22).^[1][4] Eve says at the birth of Cain qānîṯî ʾîš “I have gotten a man” (Genesis 4:1).^[1]

The Septuagint renders the verb with Ancient Greek κτάομαι (ktáomai) “to acquire”, and once, for the sense “create”, with Ancient Greek κτίζω (ktízō).^[1] Rabbinic Hebrew used it for acquiring and buying, with a hiphil “to transfer ownership”,^[4] and Klein adds the sense of acquiring possession by a symbolic act.^[11] Modern Hebrew קנה (kaná) keeps the verb.^[15]

Timeline

• Archaic Hebrew poetry – ʿam-zû qānîṯā in the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:16) and ʾāḇîḵā qānekā in the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:6).^[12][1]
• Classical Biblical Hebrew – 27 uses in Genesis to Kings, most of them for buying land or goods.^[1][4]
• 3rd–2nd century BC – the Septuagint renders it Ancient Greek κτάομαι (ktáomai).^[16][1]
• 2nd century BC – 2nd century AD – 1QS 11:2 uses it for gaining possession.^[17][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. qal to acquire, get, gain possession of.^[4][13]
2. qal to buy, purchase, of fields, slaves, cattle and goods.^[4][2]
3. qal to acquire a quality: wisdom, understanding.^[13]
4. qal (of God) to create, produce; participle “creator, maker”.^[4][13]
5. niphal to be bought.^[2]

Word family

• מִקְנֶה (miqneh, “cattle, property”)
• קִנְיָן (qinyān, “possessions”)

Descendants

• Modern Hebrew קנה (kaná)^[15]

קנה² reed, stalk

Pronunciation

• Tiberian: qāneh^[1][18]
• Samaritan reading tradition: qāni, plural qānəm^[19][3]

Forms

קָנֶה (qāneh) noun, masculine^[1] Construct קְנֵה, with suffix קָנָהּ, plural קָנִים, construct plural קְנֵי, and a feminine plural with suffix קְנֹתָם for the branches of the lampstand (Exodus 25:36).^[19][18]

Etymology

The reed is inherited from Proto-Semitic *qanaw- (“reed”), a common Semitic noun,^[20] probably a primary noun with no verbal root.^[19] It has cognates in Akkadian qanû (“reed”), Ugaritic qn (“cane”), Punic qnʾ (“reed”), Aramaic קַנְיָא (qanyā, “reed, stalk, measuring rod”), Classical Syriac ܩܰܢܝܳܐ (qanyā, “reed”), Arabic قَنَاة (qanāt, “reed, spear shaft”) and Ge'ez ቀኖት (qanōt, “goad”).^{[19][18][21][22]} Rabin took the Hebrew word for a loan from Akkadian, itself from Sumerian gi (“reed”);^[22] Noonan rejects this, as there is no evidence that the Akkadian word came from Sumerian, and the spread of the word through Semitic shows it to be native.^[22] Klein thinks only the measure “a reed's length” was borrowed from Akkadian.^[23]

Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna, “reed”) and Latin canna were borrowed from a Semitic form of this word,^[22][19] and through them it lies behind English cane, canister and cannon;^[20] Huehnergard also derives κανών (kanṓn, “rod, bar”), the source of canon, from the same or a related Semitic source.^[20]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its one use in the archaic poems is in Psalm 68, gəʿar ḥayyaṯ qāneh “rebuke the beast of the reeds” (Psalm 68:31), the beast living among the reeds.^[1][12][19] In Pharaoh's dream seven ears of grain grow bəqāneh ʾeḥāḏ “on one stalk” (Genesis 41:5).^[1][18]

Semantic evolution

From the plant, the water reed, the word passed to things of reed shape: a stalk of grain, the branches of the lampstand (Exodus 25 and 37), a measuring reed and the length it measured, six cubits, in Ezekiel's temple vision, the bone of the upper arm (Job 31:22) and the beam of a balance (Isaiah 46:6).^[19] The spice reed appears as qənēh-ḇōśem “aromatic cane” (Exodus 30:23).^[19] The broken reed, qāneh rāṣûṣ, is an image of Egypt as an ally that fails those who lean on it (2 Kings 18:21, Isaiah 36:6).^[19][24]

The Septuagint has Ancient Greek κάλαμος (kálamos) and, for the lampstand, καλαμίσκος (kalamískos).^[1] The Dead Sea Scrolls use קָנֶה 40 times, and the spelling קְנֶה 67 times, mostly in 5Q15 and 4Q554.^[25] Rabbinic Hebrew adds the windpipe, and teaches that one should be pliant like a reed rather than stiff like a cedar (Taanit 20a).^[26] Modern Hebrew קנה (kané) keeps the word.^[15]

Timeline

• Archaic Hebrew poetry – ḥayyaṯ qāneh “the beast of the reeds” (Psalm 68:31).^[12][1]
• Classical Biblical Hebrew – the stalk of grain (Genesis 41:5) and the branches of the lampstand in Exodus 25 and 37.^[1][18]
• Prophetic books – the measuring reed of Ezekiel 40–42 and the broken reed of Isaiah 36:6.^[19]
• 3rd–2nd century BC – the Septuagint renders it Ancient Greek κάλαμος (kálamos).^[16][1]
• 2nd century BC – 2nd century AD – 40 uses in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 10 of them in 11Q19.^[17][25]

Meanings

Noun

1. a reed, the water plant;^[19][27] ḥayyaṯ qāneh “the beast of the reeds”.^[19][27]
2. a stalk of grain.^[19][18]
3. a fragrant cane used in perfume and incense.^[19]
4. a measuring reed; a reed's length of six cubits.^[19]
5. a branch of the lampstand.^[19]
6. the bone of the upper arm.^[19]
7. the beam of a balance.^[19]

Descendants

• Modern Hebrew קנה (kané)^[15]