5477. Chanaan

Lexical Summary

Chanaan: Canaan

Original Word: Χαναάν
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Chanaan
Pronunciation: khan-ah-an'
Phonetic Spelling: (khan-ah-an')
KJV: Chanaan
NASB: Canaan
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin (H3667 (כְּנַעַן - Canaan))]

1. Chanaan (i.e. Kenaan), the early name of Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Chanaan.

Of Hebrew origin (Kna'an); Chanaan (i.e. Kenaan), the early name of Palestine -- Chanaan.

see HEBREW Kna'an

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of Hebrew origin Kenaan
Definition
Canaan, earlier name of Pal.
NASB Translation
Canaan (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5477: Χανάαν

Χανάαν, ἡ, Hebrew כְּנַעַן (literally, 'lowland'), Canaan, the land of Canaan, indeclinable proper name: in the narrower sense, of that part of Palestine lying west of the Jordan, Acts 7:11; in a wider sense, of all Palestine, Acts 13:19.

Topical Lexicon

Occurrences in the New Testament

The name appears twice in the Greek New Testament, both times recalling Israel’s covenant history. Stephen, defending the faith, speaks of the patriarchs’ journey “as far as Canaan” (Acts 7:11), and Paul, in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, reminds his hearers that God “destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan” before giving Israel their inheritance (Acts 13:19). In each case, Canaan functions as shorthand for the unfolding plan of redemption, showing that the God who once kept His word to Abraham has now fulfilled His greater promise in Jesus Messiah.

Historical Background

Canaan originally designated the territory stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and from Lebanon southward toward Egypt (Genesis 10:19). The name covered both the land and its inhabitants—peoples notoriously steeped in idolatry and moral corruption (Leviticus 18:24-25). Because of the promise first given to Abram, “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7), Canaan became inseparably linked to covenant fulfillment.

1. Patriarchal Sojourn: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt in Canaan as “strangers and sojourners,” purchasing only burial plots (Genesis 23:20).
2. Egyptian Bondage and Exodus: After roughly four centuries in Egypt (Genesis 15:13), Israel returned, led by Moses, toward the land sworn to their fathers.
3. Conquest under Joshua: “The LORD gave to Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers” (Joshua 21:43). The expulsion of the seven nations (Deuteronomy 7:1-2) testified to divine holiness and faithfulness—an event Paul recalls in Acts 13:19.
4. Period of the Judges to Monarchy: Covenant blessings and curses played out in Canaan itself; obedience brought rest, disobedience invited oppression.

Theological Significance

1. Promise and Fulfillment: Canaan embodies the tangible pledge of God’s faithfulness. When New Testament preachers reference Canaan, they underline continuity between Old Covenant promise and New Covenant realization in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
2. Type of Rest: Hebrews draws on the conquest to point toward a greater rest: “If Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day” (Hebrews 4:8). Canaan foreshadows the believer’s inheritance in the new creation.
3. Judgment and Grace: The eviction of Canaanite nations prefigures final judgment while simultaneously displaying grace toward repentant foreigners such as Rahab (Joshua 2:11-13; James 2:25).

Canaan in Apostolic Preaching

Stephen (Acts 7) highlights three stages—call, covenant, and inheritance—to demonstrate Israel’s resistance to God’s plan culminating in Christ. Paul (Acts 13) employs the history of Canaan to establish Jesus as the promised Savior, linking successive acts: election, redemption, possession, monarchy, and Messiah. Both sermons reveal that understanding Canaan is essential for grasping the gospel storyline.

Cultural and Spiritual Landscape

• Religion: Fertility cults dominated, with Baal and Asherah worship encouraging ritual immorality (Judges 2:11-13).
• Morality: Practices condemned in Leviticus 18 and Deuteronomy 18 show why divine judgment was necessary.
• Legacy: Archaeological findings at Ugarit and other sites corroborate Scripture’s portrayal of a polytheistic, morally decadent society distinct from Israel’s covenant ethic.

Ministry Applications

1. God’s Faithfulness: As He kept His word concerning Canaan, He will keep every promise in Christ (Philippians 1:6).
2. Holiness and Separation: Israel’s mandate to purge Canaan of idols warns the church against syncretism (1 Peter 1:14-16).
3. Mission: Rahab’s inclusion and the subsequent place of Canaanite blood in Messiah’s genealogy (Matthew 1:5) encourage evangelism across cultural barriers.
4. Perseverance: The wilderness journey before entering Canaan parallels the believer’s pilgrimage; “Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:11).

Eschatological Hope

Prophets foresaw a purified land where “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD” (Habakkuk 2:14). Revelation transforms the localized promise into a universal reality: the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells (Revelation 21:1-3). The ancient land of Canaan thus anticipates the ultimate inheritance of all who are in Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

Χανααν Χαναὰν Χανάαν Chanaan Chanaàn

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 7:11 N
GRK: Αἴγυπτον καὶ Χαναὰν καὶ θλίψις
NAS: Egypt and Canaan, and great
KJV: of Egypt and Chanaan, and great
INT: of Egypt and Canaan and tribulation

Acts 13:19 N
GRK: ἐν γῇ Χαναὰν κατεκληρονόμησεν τὴν
NAS: in the land of Canaan, He distributed
KJV: the land of Chanaan, he divided
INT: in [the] land of Canaan he gave as inheritance the

Strong's Greek 5477
2 Occurrences

Χαναὰν — 2 Occ.