Original Word: קֵן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qen
Pronunciation: kane
Phonetic Spelling: (kane)
KJV: nest, room
NASB: nest, nestlings, rooms
Word Origin: [contracted from H7077 (קָנַן - nested)]

1. a nest (as fixed), sometimes including the nestlings
2. (figuratively) a chamber or dwelling

nest, room

Contracted from qanan; a nest (as fixed), sometimes including the nestlings; figuratively, a chamber or dwelling -- nest, room.

see HEBREW qanan

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a nest
NASB Translation
nest (11), nestlings (1), rooms (1).

קֵן noun masculine^{Deuteronomy 22:6} nest; — absolute ׳ק Isaiah 10:14 +; construct קַןֿ Deuteronomy 22:6; suffix קִנּוֺ Deuteronomy 32:11+, etc.; plural קִנִּים Genesis 6:14; —

1 nest, of bird Deuteronomy 22:6; Job 39:27; in sim Isaiah 10:14; Proverbs 27:8, of nestlings Deuteronomy 32:11; Isaiah 16:2 (קֵן מְשֻׁלָּח֑), perhaps also עִםקִֿנִּי Job 29:18, but difficult, Che^{JQ July, 1897, 578} proposes זָקֵן or בִּוִקֻנַי (compare ᵐ5); nest on high, of rock-dwellings Numbers 24:21 (JE) Jeremiah 49:16; Obadiah 4; figurative of Chaldeans' secure abode Habakkuk 2:9; temple as secure home for Israel Psalm 84:4 (figurative of swallow).

2 cells, like nests, in Noah's ark Genesis 6:14 (P; read probably קִנִּים קִנִּים, so Lag Ol Bu^Urg.255 Di Holz Gunk).

Primary Imagery

קֵן portrays the snug, fragile shelter in which life begins and is guarded. Scripture applies the picture to birds, people, nations, and even the chambers of Noah’s ark, making the “nest” a theological metaphor for security, origin, nurture, ambition, and pride.

Occurrences and Contexts

1. Genesis 6:14 – The ark’s “rooms” anticipate the preservation of life; every creature is given a “nest” within divine judgment.
2. Numbers 24:21 – Balaam foresees the Kenites’ rocky “nest,” a refuge soon shown inadequate before God’s sovereignty.
3. Deuteronomy 22:6 – The humane law protecting a mother bird underscores the Creator’s concern for the least of His creatures and restrains human exploitation.
4. Deuteronomy 32:11 – The LORD tends Israel “like an eagle that stirs up its nest,” combining disturbance with deliverance to teach trust.
5. Job 29:18; Job 39:27 – Job longs to “die in my nest,” yet God reminds him that only the Almighty commands where the eagle builds.
6. Psalm 84:3 – Even the swallow finds a “nest … near Your altars,” inviting worshipers to envy the birds’ nearness and to seek the same intimacy.
7. Proverbs 27:8 – Wandering from one’s nest warns against restlessness and covenant unfaithfulness.
8. Isaiah 10:14; Isaiah 16:2 – Assyria and Moab pillage or lose nests, illustrating imperial greed and refugee fear.
9. Jeremiah 49:16; Obadiah 1:4 – Edom’s lofty “nest” will be cast down, exposing false security.
10. Habakkuk 2:9 – A “nest on high” built by injustice calls forth a woe; no altitude escapes divine retribution.

Symbolism of Security and Vulnerability

A nest suggests warmth and protection, yet also fragility. The same word can describe the ark’s chambers (Genesis 6:14) and the helpless eggs Assyria grabs (Isaiah 10:14). Scripture thus balances comfort with caution: safety belongs only where God provides it.

Divine Care and Covenant

Deuteronomy 32:11 and Psalm 84:3 frame the theology of קֵן. The covenant Lord spreads wings over Israel and invites even sparrows near His sanctuary. Jesus later echoes the image: “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matthew 23:37), reinforcing continuity between Testaments.

Warnings Against Pride and Greed

Lofty nests symbolize arrogant self-exaltation (Jeremiah 49:16; Obadiah 1:4; Habakkuk 2:9). Human empires imitate eagles but meet divine humbling. Ministry must therefore expose any security built on violence or wealth rather than righteousness.

Ethical Teaching in Wisdom Literature

Proverbs 27:8 and Job 29:18 focus the term on home life and contentment. Leaving one’s nest without cause courts ruin; presuming to die peacefully in it disregards God’s unpredictability. Pastoral counsel draws on these verses to address marital fidelity, vocational displacement, and spiritual drifting.

Pastoral and Missional Applications

• Compassionate stewardship: Deuteronomy 22:6 grounds ecological ethics and shapes mission efforts that respect creation.
• Refuge for the displaced: Isaiah 16:2 informs ministry to refugees—offering shelter mirrors God’s heart for those “thrown from the nest.”
• Spiritual formation: Psalm 84:3 encourages churches to become places where even the “sparrow” finds a nest—welcoming the humble and overlooked.
• Prophetic voice: Habakkuk 2:9 energizes social justice preaching, confronting structures that pile riches “to place his nest on high.”

Related Biblical Motifs

Wings (כָּנָף), rock-shelter, house (בַּיִת), fold (Hebrew גֹּדֶר), and Greek φωλεός (“den”) develop the same sanctuary theme across Scripture, culminating in the “dwelling of God … with men” (Revelation 21:3).

Summary

קֵן threads through narrative, law, poetry, wisdom, and prophecy to reveal the Lord who grants shelter, disrupts false refuge, and ultimately offers in Himself the only secure nest for His people.

כַקֵּ֤ן ׀ כקן קִנִּ֖ים קִנִּ֣י קִנֶּ֑ךָ קִנֶּ֔ךָ קִנֶּֽךָ׃ קִנָּ֑הּ קִנּ֔וֹ קִנּֽוֹ׃ קֵ֣ן קֵ֥ן קַן־ קן קן־ קנה קנו קנו׃ קני קנים קנך קנך׃ chakKen kan ḵaq·qên ḵaqqên ken kinNah kinNecha kinNi kinNim kinNo qan- qên qin·nāh qin·ne·ḵā qin·nî qin·nîm qin·nōw qinnāh qinneḵā qinnî qinnîm qinnōwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts