קַנּוֹא
𐤒𐤍𐤅𐤀
qannôwʼ
H7072 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
An adjective describing an intense, exclusive zeal or ardor. Its primary lexical meaning is 'intensely zealous' or 'passionately exclusive,' often with the nuance of being 'jealous' in contexts of allegiance, honor, or relationship. It is most frequently used to describe an attribute of the Israelite deity's character (as intensely zealous for exclusive devotion), but also in rare cases for human emotion relating to intense fervor, protectiveness, or indignation.
Semantic Range
zealous (for exclusive allegiance), possessively protective, jealous (of status or relationship), fervently guarding honor or covenant
Root / Etymology
From the root קנא (q-n-ʼ), meaning 'to be zealous, be jealous, display ardor.' The word qannôwʼ is a descriptive form that intensifies the attribute, often denoting the subject as one who possesses a quality of passionate exclusivity, particularly applied to divine jealousy or zeal.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term is rare and primarily occurs in phrases describing the Israelite deity as qannôwʼ (e.g., Exodus 20:5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:24; 5:9; 6:15), emphasizing exclusive claim to worship and relationship. In later periods, the nuance of 'jealous' became affected by English religious translation history, but ancient Israelite usage centered more on zeal for exclusive loyalty rather than mere emotional jealousy. The term differs from the basic noun קִנְאָה (qin'ah, 'jealousy, zeal') in that it functions as a direct descriptive attribute. English translations often render qannôwʼ as 'jealous' when applied to God, but this can obscure the nuanced sense of passionate, exclusive demand for loyalty reflected in the Hebrew. The connotation can be misunderstood in modern English, as Hebrew 'jealousy' or 'zeal' was seen as a positive, protective quality in its original cultural and historical context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
for קַנָּא; jealous or angry; jealous.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קנא (q-n-ʾ) — zeal, jealousy, ardor, fervent protectiveness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7065 | קָנָא | I will provoke them to zeal |
| H7067 | קַנָּא | zealously protective |
| H7068 | קִנְאָה | in my ardent zeal |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7072-01 |
קַנּ֣וֹא | qano | HAamsa |
jealous | intensely zealous | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7072-01 |
Joshua 24:19 | קַנּ֣וֹא | qano | HAamsa |
jealous | intensely zealous |
H7072-01 |
Nahum 1:2 | קַנּ֤וֹא | qano | HAamsa |
jealous | intensely zealous |