Original Word: כֵּן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ken
Pronunciation: kane
Phonetic Spelling: (kane)
KJV: base, estate, foot, office, place, well
Word Origin: [the same as H3651 (כֵּן - so), used as a noun]

1. a stand, i.e. pedestal or station

base, estate, foot, office, place, well

The same as ken, used as a noun; a stand, i.e. Pedestal or station -- base, estate, foot, office, place, well.

see HEBREW ken

III. כֵּן noun masculine base, pedestal, office (Late Hebrew כַּנָּה; Aramaic כַּנְתָּא, ) — absolute ׳כ Isaiah 33:23; 1 Kings 7:31 (but see below); suffix כַּנּוֺ Exodus 30:18 11t.; כַּנֶּ֑ךָ Genesis 40:13; כַּנִּי Genesis 41:13; —

1 literally base, pedestal, 1 Kings 7:31 (like) the work of a pedestal (Th VB), according to Sta^{ZAW iii, 1883, 161, 162} מַעֲשֵׂהכֵֿן is in wrong place, being originally part of a gloss to 1 Kings 7:35; — ׳כ in 1 Kings 7:29 = thus, or is text error; — כֵּןתָּֿרְנָם Isaiah 33:23 the base (supportor socket) of their mast (so Thes and most); especially of base of laver of tabernacle Exodus 30:18,28; Exodus 31:9; Exodus 35:16; Exodus 38:8; Exodus 39:39; Exodus 40:11; Leviticus 8:11 (all P).

2 office, place Genesis 40:13; Genesis 41:13 (both E); hence (late) עַלכַּֿנּוֺ in his place Daniel 11:20,21,38 (i.e. in his stead, as his successor, compare German an seiner Stelle); עַל omitted Daniel 11:7.

Biblical Distribution

Strong’s 3653 appears sixteen times, spanning the Pentateuch, the historical account of Solomon’s Temple, and the prophetic vision of Daniel (Genesis 40:13; Genesis 41:13; Exodus 30:18, 30:28, 31:9, 35:16, 38:8, 39:39, 40:11; Leviticus 8:11; 1 Kings 7:29, 7:31; Daniel 11:7, 11:20, 11:21, 11:38). In the Torah and Kings it is tied to sacred furnishings; in Genesis and Daniel it marks an “appointed place” or “office” held by a person.

Physical Foundations in Tabernacle Worship

Exodus repeatedly links the term to the bronze basin “with a bronze stand for washing” (Exodus 30:18). The stand elevated the laver so priests could cleanse hands and feet before entering the Tent of Meeting. Anointing oil later consecrated both basin and stand (Exodus 40:11; Leviticus 8:11), underscoring the necessity of holiness from the ground up. By attaching the concept of a stable pedestal to ritual purity, Scripture unites physical support with spiritual preparation: ministry must rest on a sanctified foundation.

Stands of Solomon’s Temple

In 1 Kings 7 the word describes the ornate bronze bases crafted by Hiram. Each had panels decorated with “lions, oxen, and cherubim” (1 Kings 7:29) and precision-cast supports (1 Kings 7:31). These wheeled platforms bore the lavers that supplied water for continual cleansing of burnt offerings. The craftsmanship testified to the glory of the house of God, while the very presence of a base reminded Israel that every sacrifice stood upon divinely-ordained order.

Office, Position, and Succession

Genesis employs the word for personal reinstatement: “Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position” (Genesis 40:13). When the events unfold, the chief cupbearer confirms, “He restored me to my position” (Genesis 41:13). Here the term moves from furniture to vocation—an entrusted role within a royal household.

Daniel similarly speaks of rulers who “stand in his place” (Daniel 11:7, 11:20, 11:21). Political succession rests on a figurative base: the throne itself is a pedestal that will support one occupant after another. The passage warns that if the base is moral compromise, the kingdom is unstable (Daniel 11:20-21); if the base honors false gods, it becomes idolatrous (Daniel 11:38).

Theological Reflections

1. Stability and consecration. God requires both. Whether the bronze stand in the courtyard or the office of cupbearer in Pharaoh’s palace, the underlying support must be cleansed and appointed by Him.
2. Succession under providence. Daniel shows that empires rise and fall, yet every ruler who “stands in his place” does so only within God’s sovereign timetable (cf. Romans 13:1).
3. From shadow to substance. The physical bases of the Tabernacle prefigure the sure foundation laid in Jesus Christ. “For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). The New Testament completes the picture: Christ Himself is both the cleansing water (John 13:8) and the supporting cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).

Christological Foreshadowing

The bronze stand held water that removed ritual defilement; Christ “loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5). Just as the priest could not minister without first standing upon a consecrated base, the believer cannot serve apart from the atoning, stabilizing work of the Messiah.

Ministry Implications

• Leaders today are “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1) and must be restored to, or maintained in, their proper “stand” through repentance and consecration.
• Corporate worship should reflect the principle of ordered foundations—structurally, financially, and doctrinally—so that ministry rests on integrity rather than mere appearance.
• Succession planning in churches and missions must submit to God’s timing and character qualifications, lest the next occupant stand on a shaky base.

Homiletical Suggestions

• “A Basin without a Stand” – preach Exodus 30:18-21 alongside John 13 to show the necessity of both cleansing and a stable footing in service.
• “In His Place” – draw from Genesis 40-41 and Daniel 11 to explore vocational faithfulness under God’s sovereignty.
• “The Hidden Pedestal” – use 1 Kings 7 imagery to challenge believers to ensure the unseen supports of their lives are as ornate with holiness as the visible panels.

Summary

Whether describing bronze pedestals or royal offices, the word portrays an ordained support system. Scripture ties that support to holiness, authority, and ultimately to Christ, the only foundation able to bear the weight of divine purpose and human stewardship.

וְכַנּ֥וֹ וכנו כֵ֔ן כֵּ֣ן כַּנִּ֖י כַּנֶּ֑ךָ כַּנּ֑וֹ כַּנּ֖וֹ כַּנּ֛וֹ כַּנּ֣וֹ כַּנּֽוֹ׃ כַּנּוֹ֙ כן כנו כנו׃ כני כנך Chen kan·ne·ḵā kan·nî kan·nōw kanNecha kanneḵā kanNi kannî kanNo kannōw ken kên ḵên vechanNo wə·ḵan·nōw wəḵannōwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts