קְנִזִּי
𐤒𐤍𐤆𐤉
Qenizi
H7074 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A member of the group or lineage known as the Kenizzites, that is, one descended from Kenaz. The term functions both as an ethnonym for an ancient people group and, in later usage, as a patronymic for descendants of specific individuals named Kenaz within Israelite genealogies. Semantic range includes references to the pre-Israelite Canaanite group called Kenizzites as well as to family factions within the Israelite tribes.
Semantic Range
a Kenizzite (member of the pre-Israelite Canaanite group), a descendant of Kenaz (within Israelite genealogies), clan member related to Caleb or Othniel
Root / Etymology
Patronymic form derived from the proper noun קְנַז (Kenaz), which is itself of uncertain origin; the base noun is commonly used as a personal name in biblical genealogies.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In early biblical contexts such as Genesis 15:19, קְנִזִּי (Kenizzi) denotes an indigenous Canaanite group distinct from, yet among, the inhabitants of the land promised to Abraham's descendants. Later, in narratives involving the tribe of Judah (Num 32:12; Josh 14:6,14; 1 Chr 4:13), 'Kenizzite' refers to Israelite family branches descended from Kenaz, particularly Caleb and Othniel. While English tradition sometimes translates the term as 'Kenezite' or 'Kenizzite,' both forms aim to approximate the Hebrew. The word does not denote a religious or national identity in the sense of later Judean or 'Jewish' terminology, but relates specifically to ethnic, familial, or ancestral lineage. The relationship between the pre-Israelite Kenizzites and the Israelite families called Kenizzites is debated; in period use, the distinction between a Canaanite tribe and an Israelite clan association with the same ancestor may not have been sharply made. English translations may obscure this layered history, often defaulting to a simple transliteration. The origin of the name Kenaz is unclear, and thus the precise ethnolinguistic background of the early Kenizzite group remains uncertain.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patronymic from קְנַז,; a Kenizzite or descendant of Kenaz; Kenezite, Kenizzites.
Bantu Hebrew
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קנז (q-n-z) — name of ancestor Kenaz, clan identity, ethnonym (possibly related to hunting)
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7074-01 |
הַ/קְּנִזִּ֔י | haqenizi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Kenezite | the Kenizzite | the Qenizi | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7074-01 |
Genesis 15:19 | הַ/קְּנִזִּ֔י | haqenizi | HTd/Ngmsa |
Kenezites | the Kenizzite | the Qenizi |
H7074-01 |
Numbers 32:12 | הַ/קְּנִזִּ֔י | haqenizi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Kenezite | the Kenizzite | the Qenizi |
H7074-01 |
Joshua 14:6 | הַ/קְּנִזִּ֑י | haqenizi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Kenezite | the Kenizzite | the Qenizi |
H7074-01 |
Joshua 14:14 | הַ/קְּנִזִּי֙ | haqenizi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the-Kenizzite | the Kenizzite | the Qenizi |