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קַיִן

𐤒𐤉𐤍

Qayin

H7014 noun

SILEX Entry

Root קנה to acquire, to get, to possess

Definition

Personal name used for the firstborn son of Adam and Chavah (Eve) and, by extension, for a group (Qenites) and a settlement. As a personal name, Qayin designates the individual known for agricultural pursuits and his notoriety in the early genealogies of Genesis. In other contexts, it refers to a semi-nomadic group (the Qenites, קֵינִי) and a locality. While the name is related to the concept of acquisition or possession, especially in the Genesis narrative, its usage as an ethnonym or place name is based on tradition rather than clear lexical derivation.

Semantic Range

name of individual (Qayin/Cain), designation for an ethnic group (Qenites/Kenites), place name; by extension, related to acquisition or possession (only in narrative play on words)

Root / Etymology

Root: קנה (to acquire, get, possess); however, the form קַיִן does not follow standard patterns for nouns built from this root, possibly reflecting a play on words in the Genesis narrative (Gen 4:1). Root and derivation are related contextually but, strictly speaking, the etymology is not certain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the patriarchal narrative (Genesis 4), Qayin is the name of the first human born—significant as a figure in early human civilization and the story of interpersonal violence. The wordplay in Genesis 4:1 explicitly links his name to the verb קנה (qanah, 'to acquire'), with Chavah declaring she has 'acquired a man with YHWH.' The term is later used as an ethnonym, often translated 'Kenite,' referring to a group associated with the southern Levant and early Israelite history (cf. Judges 1:16, 4:11). As a place name (Josh 15:57), it is likely derived from either a tradition or clan name rather than direct lexical meaning. English translations render Qayin as 'Cain' for the individual and 'Kenite(s)' for the group, but these do not capture the potential nuances of acquisition or the original narrative wordplay. In biblical usage, Qayin as a personal name is distinct from its use as an ethnonym; the related terms קֵינִי ('Qeini,' Kenite) and קֵינָה ('Qenah,' a place) share the consonantal root but may reflect different etymological processes. Later Jewish and Christian traditions read theological significance into these usages, but the primary lexical meanings do not carry these connotations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as קַיִן (with a play upon the affinity to קָנָה); Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in Palestine, and of an Oriental tribe; Cain, Kenite(-s).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קנה (q-n-h) — to acquire, to get, to possess

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4735 מִקְנֶה in the acquired livestock
H4736 מִקְנָה the acquisition
H4737 מִקְנֵיָהוּ and Yahweh-has-acquired
H7066 קְנָא you will buy
H7069 קָנָה I will acquire

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7014-03 קַ֔יִן qayin HNp Cain Qayin 14
H7014-02 לְ/קַ֨יִן֙ leqayin HR/Np for Cain to Qayin 2
H7014-04 וְ/קַ֕יִן veqayin HC/Np and Cain Qayin 1
H7014-01 הַ/קַּ֖יִן haqayin HTd/Np Kain the Acquired-one 1

Occurrences in Scripture

18 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7014-03 Genesis 4:1 קַ֔יִן qayin HNp Cain Qayin
H7014-04 Genesis 4:2 וְ/קַ֕יִן veqayin HC/Np and Cain Qayin
H7014-03 Genesis 4:3 קַ֜יִן qayin HNp Cain Qayin
H7014-03 Genesis 4:5 קַ֥יִן qayin HNp Cain Qayin
H7014-02 Genesis 4:5 לְ/קַ֨יִן֙ leqayin HR/Np to Cain to Qayin
H7014-03 Genesis 4:6 קָ֑יִן qayin HNp Cain Qayin
H7014-03 Genesis 4:8 קַ֖יִן qayin HNp Cain Qayin
H7014-03 Genesis 4:8 קַ֛יִן qayin-2 HNp Cain Qayin
H7014-03 Genesis 4:9 קַ֔יִן qayin HNp Cain Qayin
H7014-03 Genesis 4:13 קַ֖יִן qayin HNp Cain Qayin
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