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מִקְנֶה

𐤌𐤒𐤍𐤄

miqneh

H4735 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Domesticated livestock collectively owned or acquired, especially flocks and herds of sheep, goats, cattle, and sometimes camels; more generally, property acquired through purchase, primarily referring to mobile animals rather than immovable property. In specific legal and narrative contexts, denotes wealth or property made up chiefly of domesticated animals rather than land or goods. The semantic range encompasses both the concrete reference to animals and, by extension, the possessions or wealth represented by them.

Semantic Range

livestock, domesticated animals, flocks, herds, movable property, acquisition, wealth in animals, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, property acquired through purchase; in some cases, refers abstractly to 'acquisition' as wealth

Root / Etymology

From the root קנה (q-n-h), meaning 'to acquire, buy, get, obtain.' The noun מִקְנֶה (miqneh) is a formation with the mem-prefix, commonly indicating an instrument or result of the root's action: thus, 'that which is acquired' or 'acquired property.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, מִקְנֶה refers nearly exclusively to living property—herds and flocks (sheep, goats, cattle, camels)—which represented primary wealth in the patriarchal and early monarchic periods. It rarely, if ever, denotes slaves or land, which are named by other terms. The term is prevalent in narratives concerning the patriarchs (Genesis), indicating status, prosperity, or migration patterns tied to animal husbandry. In legal texts, especially in the Covenant Code and Deuteronomic law, מִקְנֶה is used to define obligations or rights regarding livestock. Over time, a person's or group's מִקְנֶה signified not just material holdings but also the basis for economic and social status. English translations often render it as 'cattle,' 'livestock,' or 'herds,' but these may not fully capture that the word signifies movable property of various species. In post-biblical Hebrew, the term retains the general sense of acquired possessions, though later usage shifts further toward abstract 'acquisition.' The meaning should be distinguished from possessions in general (רְכוּשׁ) and specifically from terms for slaves (עֶבֶד) or land (אֲדָמָה, שָׂדֶה).

Translation Consistency

primary "livestock" 48 occurrences

Most occurrences and the primary semantic sense are domesticated animals (flocks, herds, cattle) and wealth expressed as animals. "Livestock" is the natural, specific English word that covers the typical concrete and collective uses of מִקְנֶה and can consistently render both the animals themselves and the idea of wealth constituted by them; broader alternatives like “property” or “possessions” are less specific and less frequent in the data.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"purchase" (1x) "acquired herds" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from קָנָה; something bought, i.e. property, but only livestock; abstractly, acquisition; cattle, flock, herd, possession, purchase, substance.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

קנה (Miqeneyahu) — to acquire, to buy, to possess

Root קנה to acquire, to buy, to get, to possess
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4736 מִקְנָה the acquisition
H4737 מִקְנֵיָהוּ and Yahweh-has-acquired
H7014 קַיִן the Acquired-one
H7066 קְנָא you will buy
H7069 קָנָה I will acquire

Word Forms

25 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4735-09 מִקְנֶ֖ה miqeneh HNcmsa livestock acquired livestock livestock 24
H4735-14 מִקְנֵי/הֶ֛ם miqeneyhem HNcmsc/Sp3mp their livestock their acquired livestock their acquired livestock 8
H4735-11 מִקְנֵ֖/הוּ miqenehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his livestock his acquired livestock his acquired livestock 6
H4735-20 וּ/מִקְנֶה֩ umiqeneh HC/Ncmsa and livestock and acquired livestock and livestock 6
H4735-04 הַ/מִּקְנֶ֣ה hamiqeneh HTd/Ncmsa the livestock the acquired livestock the acquired livestock 3
H4735-10 מִקְנֵ/הֶ֤ם miqenehem HNcmsc/Sp3mp their livestock their acquired livestock their livestock 3
H4735-12 מִקְנְ/ךָ֔ miqenekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your livestock your acquired livestock your acquired livestock 3
H4735-25 וּ/בְ/מִקְנֵ֥ה uvemiqeneh HC/R/Ncmsc and for the livestock of and in acquired livestock of and in livestock of 3
H4735-13 מִקְנֵ֜/נוּ miqenenu HNcmsc/Sp1cp our livestock our acquired livestock our livestock 2
H4735-23 וּ/מִקְנֵי/הֶ֨ם umiqeneyhem HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp and their flocks their acquired livestock and their livestock 2

Occurrences in Scripture

76 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4735-20 Genesis 4:20 וּ/מִקְנֶֽה umiqeneh HC/Ncmsa and livestock and acquired livestock and livestock
H4735-01 Genesis 13:2 בַּ/מִּקְנֶ֕ה bamiqeneh HRd/Ncmsa in livestock in the acquired livestock in livestock
H4735-09 Genesis 13:7 מִקְנֵֽה miqeneh HNcmsc of cattle acquired livestock from acquired livestock of
H4735-09 Genesis 13:7 מִקְנֵה miqeneh-2 HNcmsc of cattle acquired livestock from acquired livestock of
H4735-09 Genesis 26:14 מִקְנֵה miqeneh HNcmsc possessions acquired livestock acquired livestock
H4735-20 Genesis 26:14 וּ/מִקְנֵ֣ה umiqeneh HC/Ncmsc and possessions and acquired livestock and livestock
H4735-04 Genesis 29:7 הַ/מִּקְנֶ֑ה hamiqeneh HTd/Ncmsa the livestock the acquired livestock the acquired livestock
H4735-12 Genesis 30:29 מִקְנְ/ךָ֖ miqenekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your livestock your acquired livestock your acquired livestock
H4735-09 Genesis 31:9 מִקְנֵ֥ה miqeneh HNcmsc livestock acquired livestock livestock
H4735-11 Genesis 31:18 מִקְנֵ֗/הוּ miqenehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his livestock his acquired livestock his acquired livestock
H4735-09 Genesis 31:18 מִקְנֵה֙ miqeneh HNcmsc livestock acquired livestock acquired livestock
H4735-17 Genesis 33:17 וּ/לְ/מִקְנֵ֨/הוּ֙ ulemiqenehu HC/R/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and for his livestock and to his acquired livestock and for his livestock
H4735-11 Genesis 34:5 מִקְנֵ֖/הוּ miqenehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his livestock his acquired livestock his acquired livestock
H4735-10 Genesis 34:23 מִקְנֵ/הֶ֤ם miqenehem HNcmsc/Sp3mp their livestock their acquired livestock their livestock
H4735-11 Genesis 36:6 מִקְנֵ֣/הוּ miqenehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his livestock his acquired livestock his acquired livestock
H4735-14 Genesis 36:7 מִקְנֵי/הֶֽם miqeneyhem HNcmsc/Sp3mp their livestock their acquired livestock their acquired livestock
H4735-14 Genesis 46:6 מִקְנֵי/הֶ֗ם miqeneyhem HNcmsc/Sp3mp cattle their acquired livestock their acquired livestock
H4735-09 Genesis 46:32 מִקְנֶ֖ה miqeneh HNcmsa of livestock acquired livestock acquired livestock
H4735-09 Genesis 46:34 מִקְנֶ֜ה miqeneh HNcmsa of livestock acquired livestock livestock
H4735-09 Genesis 47:6 מִקְנֶ֖ה miqeneh HNcmsa my livestock acquired livestock my livestock
H4735-16 Genesis 47:16 מִקְנֵי/כֶ֔ם miqeneykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your livestock your acquired livestock your livestock
H4735-03 Genesis 47:16 בְּ/מִקְנֵי/כֶ֑ם bemiqeneykhem HR/Ncmpc/Sp2ms for your livestock in your acquired livestock for your livestock
H4735-14 Genesis 47:17 מִקְנֵי/הֶם֮ miqeneyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp livestock their acquired livestock their acquired livestock
H4735-25 Genesis 47:17 וּ/בְ/מִקְנֵ֥ה uvemiqeneh HC/R/Ncmsc and for the livestock of and in acquired livestock of and in livestock of
H4735-25 Genesis 47:17 וּ/בְ/מִקְנֵ֥ה uvemiqeneh-2 HC/R/Ncmsc and for the livestock of and in acquired livestock of and in livestock of
H4735-10 Genesis 47:17 מִקְנֵ/הֶ֔ם miqenehem HNcmsc/Sp3mp their livestock their acquired livestock their livestock
H4735-20 Genesis 47:18 וּ/מִקְנֵ֥ה umiqeneh HC/Ncmsc and the livestock and acquired livestock and livestock
H4735-09 Genesis 49:32 מִקְנֵ֧ה miqeneh HNcmsc the purchase acquired livestock the purchase
H4735-02 Exodus 9:3 בְּ/מִקְנְ/ךָ֙ bemiqenekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms on your livestock in your acquired livestock in your livestock
H4735-09 Exodus 9:4 מִקְנֵ֣ה miqeneh HNcmsc the livestock of acquired livestock livestock
H4735-09 Exodus 9:4 מִקְנֵ֣ה miqeneh-2 HNcmsc the livestock of acquired livestock livestock
H4735-09 Exodus 9:6 מִקְנֵ֣ה miqeneh HNcmsc the livestock of acquired livestock from acquired livestock of
H4735-18 Exodus 9:6 וּ/מִ/מִּקְנֵ֥ה umimiqeneh HC/R/Ncmsc but of the livestock of and from acquired livestock of and from the livestock of
H4735-07 Exodus 9:7 מִ/מִּקְנֵ֥ה mimiqeneh HR/Ncmsc of the livestock of from acquired livestock of from the livestock of
H4735-12 Exodus 9:19 מִקְנְ/ךָ֔ miqenekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your livestock your acquired livestock your acquired livestock
H4735-11 Exodus 9:20 מִקְנֵ֖/הוּ miqenehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his livestock his acquired livestock his acquired livestock
H4735-11 Exodus 9:21 מִקְנֵ֖/הוּ miqenehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his livestock his acquired livestock his acquired livestock
H4735-13 Exodus 10:26 מִקְנֵ֜/נוּ miqenenu HNcmsc/Sp1cp our livestock our acquired livestock our livestock
H4735-09 Exodus 12:38 מִקְנֶ֖ה miqeneh HNcmsa livestock acquired livestock livestock
H4735-08 Exodus 17:3 מִקְנַ֖/י miqenay HNcmpc/Sp1cs our livestock my acquired herds my acquired herds
H4735-12 Exodus 34:19 מִקְנְ/ךָ֙ miqenekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your livestock your acquired livestock your acquired livestock
H4735-19 Numbers 20:19 וּ/מִקְנַ֔/י umiqenay HC/Ncmpc/Sp1cs and my livestock and my acquired livestock and my livestock
H4735-10 Numbers 31:9 מִקְנֵ/הֶ֛ם miqenehem HNcmsc/Sp3mp their flocks their acquired livestock their livestock
H4735-20 Numbers 32:1 וּ/מִקְנֶ֣ה umiqeneh HC/Ncmsa and livestock and acquired livestock and livestock
H4735-09 Numbers 32:1 מִקְנֶֽה miqeneh HNcmsa livestock acquired livestock livestock
H4735-09 Numbers 32:4 מִקְנֶ֖ה miqeneh HNcmsa for livestock acquired livestock livestock
H4735-09 Numbers 32:4 מִקְנֶֽה miqeneh-2 HNcmsa livestock acquired livestock livestock
H4735-05 Numbers 32:16 לְ/מִקְנֵ֖/נוּ lemiqenenu HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cp for our livestock for our acquired livestock for our acquired livestock
H4735-13 Numbers 32:26 מִקְנֵ֖/נוּ miqenenu HNcmsc/Sp1cp our livestock our acquired livestock our livestock
H4735-22 Deuteronomy 3:19 וּ/מִקְנֵ/כֶם֒ umiqenekhem HC/Ncmsc/Sp2mp and your livestock and your acquired livestock and your livestock
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