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כָּנַס

𐤊𐤍𐤎

kânaç

H3664 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To gather or collect (objects, people, or resources) together; to assemble persons or things into a group or place; to heap up or amass items; in later contexts, to enclose or wrap up. The term primarily conveys the purposeful bringing together of discrete entities, whether for assembly, safekeeping, or amassing.

Semantic Range

gather together, collect, assemble people, amass goods or resources, bring into a group or place, heap up, enfold, wrap up

Root / Etymology

Root: כנס (k-n-s). This root communicates the core concept of bringing together, collecting, or assembling. The verb כָּנַס in its standard stem (Qal) refers to physically or figuratively collecting, assembling, or gathering.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, כָּנַס generally denotes the act of purposeful or organized gathering, applicable both to people (e.g., assemblies of Israelite communities) and to possessions (e.g., collecting goods or resources). Its usage appears primarily in late biblical Hebrew and post-biblical literature rather than in narratives from the patriarchal or monarchic periods. In late biblical texts, such as Ecclesiastes and Chronicles, the verb can also suggest 'gathering into a particular place' (e.g., gathering the assembly, bringing in resources to storehouses). The sense of 'enfold, wrap up' emerges secondarily, likely based on the idea of enclosing what is gathered. In post-biblical and modern Hebrew, כָּנַס develops further as a common verb for 'to convene' or 'to assemble.' Unlike some related terms (e.g., אָסַף, 'to gather, receive'), כָּנַס particularly emphasizes active collection and deliberate assembly, rather than more general or passive forms of accumulating or bringing together.

Translation Consistency

primary "gather" 9 occurrences

"Gather" is the most natural, common English verb that covers the primary senses in the SILEX range — bringing people or things together, collecting or amassing goods, and (by extension) gathering up/enfolding. It is also the most frequent rendering in the source occurrences, so it ensures consistent, idiomatic translation across all forms.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"wrap oneself" (1x) "assemble" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to collect; hence, to enfold; gather (together), heap up, wrap self.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כנס (k-n-s) — to gather, to collect, to assemble

Root כנס to gather, to collect, to assemble
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4543 מִסְכְּנָה the storehouses

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3664-03 כְּנ֣וֹס kenos HVqc gather to gather together gather together 2
H3664-05 לִ/כְנ֨וֹס likhenos HR/Vqc to gather to gather together to gather together 2
H3664-07 וְ/כִנַּסְתִּ֖י/ם vekhinasetim HC/Vpq1cs/Sp3mp and-I-will-gather-them and I assembled them and I gathered them 1
H3664-01 כָּנַ֤סְתִּי kanaseti HVqp1cs I gathered together I gathered together 1
H3664-06 וְ/כִנַּסְתִּ֣י vekhinaseti HC/Vpq1cs and I will gather you and I will gather together and I will gather together 1
H3664-08 וְ/לִ/כְנ֗וֹס velikhenos HC/R/Vqc and to gather and to assemble 1
H3664-02 כְּ/הִתְכַּנֵּֽס kehitekanes HR/Vtc than to wrap oneself as gathering oneself together to wrap oneself 1
H3664-04 כֹּנֵ֣ס kones HVqrmsa He gathers the one who gathers the one who gathers 1
H3664-09 יְכַנֵּֽס yekhanes HVpi3ms gathers he will gather together he will gather together 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3664-02 Isaiah 28:20 כְּ/הִתְכַּנֵּֽס kehitekanes HR/Vtc than to wrap oneself as gathering oneself together to wrap oneself
H3664-06 Ezekiel 22:21 וְ/כִנַּסְתִּ֣י vekhinaseti HC/Vpq1cs and I will gather you and I will gather together and I will gather together
H3664-07 Ezekiel 39:28 וְ/כִנַּסְתִּ֖י/ם vekhinasetim HC/Vpq1cs/Sp3mp and-I-will-gather-them and I assembled them and I gathered them
H3664-04 Psalms 33:7 כֹּנֵ֣ס kones HVqrmsa He gathers the one who gathers the one who gathers
H3664-09 Psalms 147:2 יְכַנֵּֽס yekhanes HVpi3ms gathers he will gather together he will gather together
H3664-01 Ecclesiastes 2:8 כָּנַ֤סְתִּי kanaseti HVqp1cs I gathered together I gathered together
H3664-08 Ecclesiastes 2:26 וְ/לִ/כְנ֗וֹס velikhenos HC/R/Vqc and to gather and to assemble
H3664-03 Ecclesiastes 3:5 כְּנ֣וֹס kenos HVqc to gather together to gather together
H3664-03 Esther 4:16 כְּנ֨וֹס kenos HVqv2ms gather to gather together gather together
H3664-05 Nehemiah 12:44 לִ/כְנ֨וֹס likhenos HR/Vqc to gather to gather together to gather together
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