Original Word: כִּנַעַן
Part of Speech: proper name, masculine; proper name, masculine; noun masculine
Transliteration: Kna`an
Pronunciation: kuh-NAH-an
Phonetic Spelling: (ken-ah'-an)
Definition: Canaan
Meaning: Kenaan

Canaan, merchant, traffic

From kana'; humiliated; Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country inhabited by him -- Canaan, merchant, traffick.

see HEBREW kana'

I. כְּנַ֫עַן₉₀ proper name, masculine and

of a territory Canaan (ᵐ5 Ξανααν, Phoenician כנען = Phoenicia; Ξνα = כנע, Hecataeus, see Müller^{Fr.Hist.Gr.i,17} and others; Egyptian Ka-n-±-na WMM^{As.u.Europa,205 ff.}; Tel Amarna Kina—na, Kina——i, etc., Bez^{BM Tablets, 150} Wkl^{TA 39}; etymology dubious GFM^{PAOS Oct. 1890. lxvii ff.}; see also GASm^{Geogr. 4 f.} Buhl^{Geogr. § 42}); — 1 as

proper name, masculine, son of Ham Genesis 9:18,22,25,27; Genesis 10:15 (as ancestor of Canaanites and Phoenicians; all J); Genesis 10:6 (P); 1 Chronicles 1:8,13 (from Genesis 10:6,15).

2. a. land, west of Jordan, into which Hebrews came, and where they settled, subduing the inhabitants; מַלְכֵי כְּנַעַן Judges 5:19, ׳מלך כ Judges 4:2,23,24 (twice in verse); hence ׳מַמְלְכוֺת כ Psalm 135:11; ׳ישְׁבֵי כ Exodus 15:15 (song in E); compare ׳מִלְחֲמוֺת כ Judges 3:1; ׳עֲצַבֵּי כ Psalm 106:38 idols of Canaan, i.e. of the former inhabitants; especially ׳אֶרֶץ (ֿ) כ, ׳אַרְצָה כ Genesis 44:8; Genesis 46:31; Genesis 47:1,4,13,14,15; Genesis 50:5,13 (all J), Genesis 35:6; Genesis 42:5,7,13,29,32; Genesis 45:17,25; Joshua 24:3 (all E), Genesis 11:31; Genesis 12:5 (twice in verse); Genesis 13:12 (opposed to עָרֵי הַכִּכָּר v^b), Genesis 16:3; Genesis 17:8 (all P) + 40 t. P, Judges 21:12; 1 Chronicles 16:18 = Psalm 105:11; also ׳הָאָרֶץ כ Numbers 34:2 (P); ׳בְּנוֺת כ Genesis 28:1 daughters of Canaan = women of the land, so Genesis 28:6; Genesis 28:8; Genesis 36:2 (all P); כנען is personified Hosea 12:8 = apostate Israel; ׳שְׂפַת כ Isaiah 19:18 = the Hebrew language (without evil implication).

b. the coast, especially Phoenicia Isaiah 23:11; compare אֶרֶץ מְּלִשְׁתִּים ׳כ Zephaniah 2:5.

II. כְּנָ֫עַן noun [masculine] merchant (s) (because Canaanites, especially Phoenicians, were traders); — כָּלעַֿם כְּנַעַן Zephaniah 1:11; ׳אֶרֶץ כ Ezekiel 16:29 (omitted by ᵐ5 B and others Co), Ezekiel 17:4 a land of merchants; compare כנעני near the end.

Word Origin: Derived from the root verb כָּנַע (kana), meaning "to be humbled" or "to be subdued."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G5477: Χαναάν (Chanaan) • The Greek equivalent of the Hebrew כִּנַעַן, used in the New Testament to refer to the land of Canaan. It appears in passages such as Acts 7:11 and Hebrews 11:9, where it continues to denote the region promised to the descendants of Abraham.

Usage: The term "Canaan" is used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to:
• The fourth son of Ham, grandson of Noah (Genesis 9:18).
• The land promised to Abraham and his descendants, known as the "land of Canaan" (Genesis 12:5).
• The inhabitants of this region, often referred to as Canaanites.

Context: Canaan is a significant term in the biblical narrative, representing both a person and a geographical region. As a person, Canaan is the progenitor of the Canaanites, a group of ancient peoples who lived in the land that bears his name. The biblical account in Genesis 9:18-27 describes Canaan as the son of Ham, who was cursed by Noah, resulting in a prophecy that Canaan would serve as a servant to his brothers.

Geographically, Canaan refers to the territory that extends from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and from Lebanon in the north to the Negev Desert in the south. This land is central to the biblical story, as it is the land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:5-7). The conquest of Canaan by the Israelites under Joshua is a pivotal event in the Old Testament, marking the fulfillment of God's promise to the patriarchs.

The Canaanites, the inhabitants of this land, are frequently mentioned in the Bible as adversaries of the Israelites. They were known for their polytheistic practices and idolatry, which the Israelites were commanded to avoid. Despite the conquest, remnants of the Canaanite culture and people continued to influence the Israelites throughout their history.

The land of Canaan is often symbolically associated with the idea of a "promised land," representing a place of rest and blessing for God's people. This symbolism is carried into the New Testament, where the concept of a promised land is spiritualized to represent the eternal inheritance of believers.

וּכְנַ֗עַן וּכְנָֽעַן׃ וכנען וכנען׃ כְּנַ֔עַן כְּנַ֖עַן כְּנַ֗עַן כְּנַ֙עַן֙ כְּנַ֡עַן כְּנַעַן֒ כְּנָ֑עַן כְּנָ֔עַן כְּנָֽעַן׃ כְנַ֔עַן כְנַ֖עַן כְנָ֑עַן כְנָֽעַן׃ כנען כנען׃ cheNaan kə·na·‘an kə·nā·‘an ḵə·na·‘an ḵə·nā·‘an kəna‘an kənā‘an ḵəna‘an ḵənā‘an keNaan ū·ḵə·na·‘an ū·ḵə·nā·‘an ucheNaan ūḵəna‘an ūḵənā‘anInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts