Bible Word Study
כַּנֶּה
Kanneh · Canneh, a place in Assyria
כַּנֶּה
Canneh, a place in Assyria
Definition
כַּנֶּה (Kanneh) is a proper noun referring to a place called Canneh, located in Assyria. It appears only in Ezekiel 27:23, where it is listed among the trading partners of the wealthy merchant city of Tyre. In this prophetic oracle against Tyre, Canneh is mentioned alongside Haran, Eden, and Sheba as a source of luxury goods like fine fabrics and spices. The name likely designates a specific Assyrian city or region known for its commerce, though its exact historical location remains uncertain. No other distinct meanings or senses are attested for this word in the Hebrew Bible.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in Ezekiel 27:23. It functions strictly as a geographical name within a list of nations and cities that engaged in trade with Tyre. The context is a lament over Tyre's impending downfall, detailing the vast network of commercial relationships that constituted its wealth and pride. The usage is purely descriptive, with no narrative or poetic development beyond its inclusion in this inventory.
Etymology
The name כַּנֶּה (Kanneh) is considered a variant or a later form of כַּלְנֶה (Kalneh, H3641), another place name mentioned in Genesis 10:10 and Amos 6:2. Kalneh was an ancient city in Babylonia. The shift from 'l' to 'n' (a linguistic phenomenon known as dissimilation) resulted in the form Kanneh. It shares a root with other Semitic place names, indicating its origin as a location within Mesopotamian civilization.
Semantic Range
In the cultural context of Ezekiel's prophecy, listing trade partners like Canneh served to illustrate the vast, prideful economic reach of Tyre, a dominant Phoenician sea power. For the original audience, such a catalog conveyed the extent of Tyre's influence and the magnitude of its coming judgment. The mention of an Assyrian city (even after Assyria's decline) may reflect traditional trade routes or historical commercial memory. Its pairing with other renowned trading centers underscores the interconnected, international nature of the ancient Near Eastern economy. כַּלְנֶה (Kalneh, H3641) — An earlier or alternate name for the same or a similar Mesopotamian city.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]