Lexical Summary kanas: To gather, collect, assemble Original Word: כָּנַס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to collect; hence, to enfold: A primitive root; to collect; hence, to enfold: NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to gather, collect NASB Translation assemble (1), collected (1), collecting (1), gather (4), gathered (1), gathers (2), wrap (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כָּנַס] verb gather, collect (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic כְּנַס (see also כנשׁ); Ethiopic  in derived conjugation assemble for worship, etc.; Arabic  is sweep, sweep away, destroy) — Qal (late) Perfect1singular כָּנַסְתִּי Ecclesiastes 2:8; Imperative כְּנוֺס Esther 4:16; Infinitive construct 1 Chronicles 22:2 3t.; Participle כֹּנֵס Psalm 33:7; — gather people 1 Chronicles 22:2; Esther 4:16; כַּנֵּד מֵי הַיָּ֑ם נֹתֵן בְּאוֺצָרוֺת תְּהוֺמוֺת ׳כ Psalm 33:7 (read perhaps, for כַּנֵּד, כַּנּאֹד as in a wine skin, see נאד, נד); gather, collect portions of harvest for priests and Levites Nehemiah 12:44; stones Ecclesiastes 3:5 (opposed to השׁליך); silver and gold = amass wealth Ecclesiastes 2:8; absolute Ecclesiastes 2:26 ("" אסף). Pi`el Perfect1singular וְכִנַּסְתִּ֫י אֶתְכֶם Ezekiel 22:21 and I will gather you together (for punishment; Co translates to Ezekiel 22:20 and reads for וְהִנַּחְתִּ֫י; "" קבץ Ezekiel 22:19; Ezekiel 22:20); of restoration וְכִנַּסְתִּים אֶלאַֿדְמָתָם Ezekiel 39:28, and יְכַנֵּס Psalm 147:2. Hithpa`el Infinitive construct כְּהִתְכַּנֵּסוְהַמַּסֵּכָה צָרָה Isaiah 28:20 and the covering is (too) narrow when one gathers oneself together ("" מֵהִשְׂתָּרֵעַקָצַר הַמַּצָּע), i.e. the bed is too short to stretch oneself at full length, and when one (perforce) draws up the feet, the covering becomes too narrow. Topical Lexicon Overview of the ConceptThis verb speaks of purposeful gathering or collecting. The action may be directed toward people, material resources, or even the forces of nature. What unites the diverse occurrences is intentionality: someone with authority brings scattered elements into ordered proximity for a clearly defined end—construction, worship, preservation, judgment, or restoration. Historical Occurrences 1. Chronicles records David summoning resident foreigners to prepare stones for the temple (1 Chronicles 22:2). The gathering serves a holy construction project, illustrating how even outsiders can be drawn into God’s redemptive architecture. 2. After the exile, Nehemiah appoints men “to gather into them from the fields around the cities the portions required by the Law for the priests and Levites” (Nehemiah 12:44). Here the verb guards covenant faithfulness by consolidating tithes for ministry. 3. Esther commands, “Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa and fast for me” (Esther 4:16). Collective intercession becomes a means of deliverance from annihilation. 4. Wisdom texts spotlight personal accumulation—“I also gathered silver and gold” (Ecclesiastes 2:8)—but expose its futility when divorced from fear of God (Ecclesiastes 2:26). 5. The Psalter applies the term to cosmic order: “He gathers the waters of the sea together like a heap” (Psalm 33:7), and to Israel’s restoration: “The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel” (Psalm 147:2). 6. Prophetic writings broaden the canvas. Isaiah warns of false security as one tries to “wrap oneself” in an inadequate covering (Isaiah 28:20). Ezekiel pictures both judgment—“I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath” (Ezekiel 22:21)—and gracious regathering—“then gathered them back to their own land; I will leave none of them behind” (Ezekiel 39:28). Patterns of Meaning • Sacred Construction: The first biblical occurrence links gathering with temple work, prefiguring every later effort to build a dwelling place for God among His people. • Covenant Stewardship: Nehemiah’s administrators gather offerings so that worship and instruction continue unhindered, underscoring the practical side of faithfulness. • Corporate Intercession: Esther’s summons shows that when God’s people assemble in humility, existential threats can be reversed. • Divine Sovereignty: In Psalms the Lord gathers both inanimate creation and dispersed exiles, stressing that nothing—waters, nations, or individuals—lies outside His organizing power. • Moral Irony: Ecclesiastes contrasts the believer, for whom God “gives wisdom and knowledge and joy,” with the sinner who toils merely “to gather and accumulate” for another (Ecclesiastes 2:26). The verb thus exposes the bankruptcy of self-centered hoarding. • Judgment and Restoration: Ezekiel pairs a fiery ingathering for purification with an eschatological reconciliation, foreshadowing final events when none of the redeemed will remain scattered. Ministry Implications 1. Church Leadership: Like David and Nehemiah, spiritual leaders still gather laborers and resources for God’s house. Strategic organization is compatible with dependence on divine provision. 2. Corporate Prayer and Fasting: Esther’s model legitimizes urgent convocations when the body faces crisis. 3. Pastoral Care for the Dispersed: Psalm 147:2 and Ezekiel 39:28 encourage ministries that seek out the scattered—whether geographic exiles, prodigals, or marginalized believers—and restore them to covenant community. 4. Stewardship Teaching: Ecclesiastes warns against accumulation for its own sake, compelling churches to emphasize generosity and kingdom investment. 5. Eschatological Hope: The prophetic ingathering anticipates the consummation when all who belong to Christ will be assembled in perfect unity (compare Matthew 24:31; Hebrews 12:22–24). Every local act of gathering echoes that ultimate convocation. Summary Wherever it appears, this verb underscores that the Lord is a Gatherer: He assembles resources for worship, unites His people in crisis, arrays creation in order, disciplines by drawing together for judgment, and finally regathers for restoration. Human agents participate in the same work when they collect, organize, and care in submission to His purpose. Forms and Transliterations וְכִנַּסְתִּ֖ים וְכִנַּסְתִּ֣י וְלִכְנ֗וֹס וכנסתי וכנסתים ולכנוס יְכַנֵּֽס׃ יכנס׃ כְּהִתְכַּנֵּֽס׃ כְּנ֣וֹס כְּנ֨וֹס כָּנַ֤סְתִּי כֹּנֵ֣ס כהתכנס׃ כנוס כנס כנסתי לִכְנ֨וֹס לִכְנוֹס֙ לכנוס kā·nas·tî kaNasti kānastî kə·hiṯ·kan·nês kə·nō·ws kehitkanNes kəhiṯkannês keNos kənōws kō·nês koNes kōnês lichnOs liḵ·nō·ws liḵnōws vechinnasTi vechinnasTim velichNos wə·ḵin·nas·tî wə·ḵin·nas·tîm wə·liḵ·nō·ws wəḵinnastî wəḵinnastîm wəliḵnōws yə·ḵan·nês yechanNes yəḵannêsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Chronicles 22:2 HEB: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֔יד לִכְנוֹס֙ אֶת־ הַגֵּרִ֔ים NAS: gave orders to gather the foreigners KJV: commanded to gather together the strangers INT: gave David to gather the foreigners who Nehemiah 12:44 Esther 4:16 Psalm 33:7 Psalm 147:2 Ecclesiastes 2:8 Ecclesiastes 2:26 Ecclesiastes 3:5 Isaiah 28:20 Ezekiel 22:21 Ezekiel 39:28 11 Occurrences |
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