Lexical Summary Kalneh: Kalneh Original Word: כְּלְנֶה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Calneh, Calno Or Kalneh {kal-nay'}; also Kalnow {kal-no'}; of foreign derivation; Calneh or Calno, a place in the Assyrian empire -- Calneh, Calno. Compare Kanneh. see HEBREW Kanneh Brown-Driver-Briggs כַּלְנֵ֑ה (van d. H, so Norzi; Baer כַּלְנֶ֑ה) proper name, of a location in Babylonia, Genesis 10:10 (J), ᵐ5 Ξαλαννη; DlPa 225 proposes identify. with Babylonian Kul-unu = Zirlab (conquered by Sargon in 710: COTGenesis 10:10: Amos 6:2), but dubious, and site of Zirlab unknown. כַּלְנֶה Amos 6:2, probably = כַּלְנוֺ Isaiah 10:9 proper name, of a location city (conquered by Assyria under Sargon ?) possibly = כַּנֶּה (q. v.) Ezekiel 27:23, ᵐ5 omitted in Amos 6:2, Ξαλαννη Isaiah 10:9; perhaps = Kullani (WklGeschichte. Babylonian 225) i.e. (TomkinsPSBA Jan. 1883, 61) Kullanhou, near Aleppo, conquered by Tiglath-Pileser III in 738 (COTii, 195); or (Di) Kunulua (KG217 KBi, 107), southeast of Antioch (compare DrAmos 6:2). Topical Lexicon Name and IdentityCalneh (Hebrew כְּלְנֶה, Strong’s 3641) appears as an early Mesopotamian city of note, later remembered as an Assyrian conquest and finally as a case study in prophetic warning. Scripture also cites the form “Calno” (Isaiah 10:9) and the cognate “Canneh” (Ezekiel 27:23), suggesting a single urban center whose fame spanned many centuries. Scriptural Occurrences and Literary Setting 1. Genesis 10:10 – “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” Together these verses trace a full arc: founding glory (Genesis), humiliation under foreign domination (Isaiah), and final desolation (Amos). Historical and Geographical Considerations • Mesopotamian Heartland: Genesis situates Calneh in Shinar, the broad alluvial plain between the Tigris and Euphrates. Many scholars locate it near modern Nippur or tell Uquair, though a minority places it farther north in modern Syria (near modern Kullan-hu). Theological Themes 1. Human Ambition versus Divine Sovereignty Archaeological and Prophetic Resonances Calneh’s memory survived long enough to serve eighth-century prophets, showing that fulfilled judgments were verifiable to contemporaries. Modern excavations in lower Mesopotamia reveal layers of destruction matching Neo-Assyrian military activity, lending historical weight to biblical testimony. Such convergence reinforces confidence in Scripture’s historical accuracy and prophetic reliability. Ministry Application • Preaching: Calneh furnishes a ready illustration when confronting nationalism, materialism, or overconfidence. Related Biblical Sites Babel (Genesis 11:1–9); Carchemish (Isaiah 10:9); Hamath (Amos 6:2); Gath (Amos 6:2); Nineveh (Nahum 1–3). Forms and Transliterations וְכַלְנֵ֑ה וכלנה כַּלְנ֑וֹ כַֽלְנֵה֙ כלנה כלנו chalNeh ḵal·nêh kal·nōw ḵalnêh kalNo kalnōw vechalNeh wə·ḵal·nêh wəḵalnêhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 10:10 HEB: וְאֶ֖רֶךְ וְאַכַּ֣ד וְכַלְנֵ֑ה בְּאֶ֖רֶץ שִׁנְעָֽר׃ NAS: and Accad and Calneh, in the land KJV: and Accad, and Calneh, in the land INT: and Erech and Accad and Calneh the land of Shinar Isaiah 10:9 Amos 6:2 3 Occurrences |