3667. Kna'an
Lexical Summary
Kna'an: Canaan

Original Word: כִּנַעַן
Part of Speech: proper name, masculine; proper name, masculine; noun masculine
Transliteration: Kna`an
Pronunciation: kuh-NAH-an
Phonetic Spelling: (ken-ah'-an)
KJV: Canaan, merchant, traffick
Word Origin: [from H3665 (כָּנַע - humbled)]

1. humiliated
2. Kenaan, a son a Ham
3. also the country inhabited by him

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Canaan, merchant, traffic

From kana'; humiliated; Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country inhabited by him -- Canaan, merchant, traffick.

see HEBREW kana'

Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. כְּנַ֫עַן90 proper name, masculine and

of a territory Canaan (ᵐ5 Ξανααν, Phoenician כנען = Phoenicia; Ξνα = כנע, Hecataeus, see MüllerFr.Hist.Gr.i,17 and others; Egyptian Ka-n-±-na WMMAs.u.Europa,205 ff.; Tel Amarna Kina—na, Kina——i, etc., BezBM Tablets, 150 WklTA 39; etymology dubious GFMPAOS Oct. 1890. lxvii ff.; see also GASmGeogr. 4 f. BuhlGeogr. § 42); — 1 as

proper name, masculine, son of Ham Genesis 9:18,22,25,27; Genesis 10:15 (as ancestor of Canaanites and Phoenicians; all J); Genesis 10:6 (P); 1 Chronicles 1:8,13 (from Genesis 10:6,15).

2. a. land, west of Jordan, into which Hebrews came, and where they settled, subduing the inhabitants; מַלְכֵי כְּנַעַן Judges 5:19, ׳מלך כ Judges 4:2,23,24 (twice in verse); hence ׳מַמְלְכוֺת כ Psalm 135:11; ׳ישְׁבֵי כ Exodus 15:15 (song in E); compare ׳מִלְחֲמוֺת כ Judges 3:1; ׳עֲצַבֵּי כ Psalm 106:38 idols of Canaan, i.e. of the former inhabitants; especially ׳אֶרֶץ (ֿ) כ, ׳אַרְצָה כ Genesis 44:8; Genesis 46:31; Genesis 47:1,4,13,14,15; Genesis 50:5,13 (all J), Genesis 35:6; Genesis 42:5,7,13,29,32; Genesis 45:17,25; Joshua 24:3 (all E), Genesis 11:31; Genesis 12:5 (twice in verse); Genesis 13:12 (opposed to עָרֵי הַכִּכָּר vb), Genesis 16:3; Genesis 17:8 (all P) + 40 t. P, Judges 21:12; 1 Chronicles 16:18 = Psalm 105:11; also ׳הָאָרֶץ כ Numbers 34:2 (P); ׳בְּנוֺת כ Genesis 28:1 daughters of Canaan = women of the land, so Genesis 28:6; Genesis 28:8; Genesis 36:2 (all P); כנען is personified Hosea 12:8 = apostate Israel; ׳שְׂפַת כ Isaiah 19:18 = the Hebrew language (without evil implication).

b. the coast, especially Phoenicia Isaiah 23:11; compare אֶרֶץ מְּלִשְׁתִּים ׳כ Zephaniah 2:5.

II. כְּנָ֫עַן noun [masculine] merchant (s) (because Canaanites, especially Phoenicians, were traders); — כָּלעַֿם כְּנַעַן Zephaniah 1:11; ׳אֶרֶץ כ Ezekiel 16:29 (omitted by ᵐ5 B and others Co), Ezekiel 17:4 a land of merchants; compare כנעני near the end.

Topical Lexicon
Historic and Geographic Setting

“Canaan” designates the land stretching from the River of Egypt to the Lebo-Hamath corridor, bounded on the east by the Jordan and on the west by the Mediterranean (Numbers 34:2-12; Joshua 13:1-7). The term embraces both the coastal plain and the internal highlands, including such varied topography as the Shephelah, the hill-country of Ephraim and Judah, the Jezreel Valley, and the Phoenician seaboard. Strategic caravan routes such as the Via Maris placed Canaan at the crossroads of Africa and Asia, making it a stage on which divine revelation would engage the surrounding nations.

Genealogical Origin

Canaan is listed as the fourth son of Ham and grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:6). His descendants spread through Sidon, Heth, the Jebusite, Amorite, Girgashite, Hivite, Arkite, Sinite, Arvadite, Zemarite, and Hamathite peoples (Genesis 10:15-18), tying the collective name “Canaan” both to a person and to a confederation of tribes. The curse pronounced by Noah—“Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers” (Genesis 9:25)—sets the theological trajectory that culminates in Israel’s conquest.

Patriarchal Promises

Yahweh’s covenantal focus fixes upon this land long before Israel’s emergence as a nation. To Abram the Lord declared, “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7; cf. 13:14-17; 15:18-21; 17:8). Isaac (Genesis 26:3-4) and Jacob (Genesis 28:13) received the same promise. The patriarchs dwelled as sojourners, purchasing only burial plots (Genesis 23) but walking the territory in faith as “heirs with the same promise” (Hebrews 11:9).

Moral Climate and Religious Practices

Moses warned Israel not to imitate the Canaanite cults: child sacrifice, ritual prostitution, necromancy, and divination (Leviticus 18:3, 24-30; Deuteronomy 18:9-14). These abominations justified the divine judgment enacted through Israel’s occupation (Leviticus 18:25). Archaeological data confirm fertility rites, high-place worship, and infant sacrifice to deities such as Molech and Baal. The moral degeneracy of Canaan contrasts with the holiness demanded of Israel, underscoring the call to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6).

Conquest and Allotment under Joshua

Joshua 1–12 records the decisive campaigns: Jericho, Ai, the southern and northern coalitions. “So Joshua took the entire land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses” (Joshua 11:23). Chapters 13–21 detail tribal allotments, rooting each tribe in covenantal inheritance. Yet pockets of Canaanites remained—Gezer (Joshua 16:10), Jerusalem (Judges 1:21), and the northern Phoenician coast—foreshadowing recurrent syncretism.

Continued Presence and Influence

Because Israel failed to expel every enclave, Canaanite culture permeated the monarchy period. Solomon’s forced labor levy included “all the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—who were not Israelites” (1 Kings 9:20-21). Prophets denounced lingering Canaanite values under symbolic labels: “For all of them are adulterers like a burning oven” (Hosea 7:4) and “On that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts” (Zechariah 14:21), foreseeing ultimate purification.

Prophetic Destiny

Isaiah 19:17 predicts that “the land of Judah will bring terror to Egypt; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be afraid,” hinting that Canaan would stand secure under Messianic rule. Ezekiel, in his lament for Jerusalem’s apostasy, traces her ancestry metaphorically to “your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite” (Ezekiel 16:3), indicting the city for reverting to Canaanite ways and reaffirming the covenant’s moral dimension.

Typological and Theological Significance

1. Inheritance Rest: Hebrews 4:8-11 interprets entry into Canaan as a type pointing to final rest in Christ.
2. Spiritual Warfare: Israel’s battles model the believer’s conflict against sin and principalities (Ephesians 6:12). Complete obedience remains essential lest “Canaanites” linger in the heart.
3. Covenant Faithfulness: The land promise undergirds God’s irrevocable covenant with Abraham, serving as evidence of divine veracity (Romans 11:29).

New Testament Echoes

Though the Greek term Χανααν appears sparingly (Acts 7:11; Acts 7:19 references Egypt, but Stephen recounts Canaan in verse 45), the concept permeates Scripture; Matthew substitutes “land” for “Canaan” in genealogies (Matthew 1). Jesus’ ministry along the Phoenician coast (Tyre and Sidon, descendants of Canaan) previews Gentile inclusion (Matthew 15:21-28).

Practical Ministry Lessons

• Promise and Patience: God may delay fulfillment, yet His word proves sure, as the four-century span between promise (Genesis 15:13) and conquest illustrates.
• Holiness amid Culture: The Canaanite legacy warns churches to guard against incremental compromise.
• Missionary Outlook: Just as Rahab left Canaanite idolatry for Israel’s God, modern converts forsake former identities, becoming fellow heirs (Ephesians 2:12-19).

Key References

Genesis 9:25-27; 10:15-19; 12:5-7; 17:8; Exodus 3:8; Leviticus 18:24-30; Numbers 13–14; Deuteronomy 7:1-6; Joshua 1–24; Judges 1:27-36; 1 Kings 9:20-21; Psalm 105:11; Isaiah 23; Zechariah 14:21; Hebrews 4:8-11.

Canaan, therefore, is more than a geographical term; it is a theological arena where God’s holiness, judgment, mercy, and redemptive purpose intersect, reaching their climax in Christ and projecting forward to the ultimate inheritance reserved for the saints.

Forms and Transliterations
וּכְנַ֗עַן וּכְנָֽעַן׃ וכנען וכנען׃ כְּנַ֔עַן כְּנַ֖עַן כְּנַ֗עַן כְּנַ֙עַן֙ כְּנַ֡עַן כְּנַעַן֒ כְּנָ֑עַן כְּנָ֔עַן כְּנָֽעַן׃ כְנַ֔עַן כְנַ֖עַן כְנָ֑עַן כְנָֽעַן׃ כנען כנען׃ cheNaan kə·na·‘an kə·nā·‘an ḵə·na·‘an ḵə·nā·‘an kəna‘an kənā‘an ḵəna‘an ḵənā‘an keNaan ū·ḵə·na·‘an ū·ḵə·nā·‘an ucheNaan ūḵəna‘an ūḵənā‘an
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Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 9:18
HEB: ה֖וּא אֲבִ֥י כְנָֽעַן׃
NAS: and Ham was the father of Canaan.
KJV: and Ham [is] the father of Canaan.
INT: he was the father of Canaan

Genesis 9:22
HEB: חָ֚ם אֲבִ֣י כְנַ֔עַן אֵ֖ת עֶרְוַ֣ת
NAS: the father of Canaan, saw
KJV: the father of Canaan, saw
INT: Ham the father of Canaan the nakedness of his father

Genesis 9:25
HEB: וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אָר֣וּר כְּנָ֑עַן עֶ֥בֶד עֲבָדִ֖ים
NAS: Cursed be Canaan; A servant
KJV: Cursed [be] Canaan; a servant
INT: said Cursed be Canaan A servant of servants

Genesis 9:26
HEB: שֵׁ֑ם וִיהִ֥י כְנַ֖עַן עֶ֥בֶד לָֽמוֹ׃
NAS: of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.
KJV: of Shem; and Canaan shall be
INT: of Shem shall be Canaan be his servant at

Genesis 9:27
HEB: שֵׁ֑ם וִיהִ֥י כְנַ֖עַן עֶ֥בֶד לָֽמוֹ׃
NAS: of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.
KJV: of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
INT: of Shem become Canaan be his servant at

Genesis 10:6
HEB: וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וּפ֥וּט וּכְנָֽעַן׃
NAS: and Mizraim and Put and Canaan.
KJV: and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
INT: and Mizraim and Put and Canaan

Genesis 10:15
HEB: וּכְנַ֗עַן יָלַ֛ד אֶת־
NAS: Canaan became the father of Sidon,
KJV: And Canaan begat Sidon
INT: Canaan became of Sidon

Genesis 11:31
HEB: לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד־
NAS: the land of Canaan; and they went
KJV: into the land of Canaan; and they came
INT: to enter the land of Canaan went far

Genesis 12:5
HEB: לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אַ֥רְצָה
NAS: out for the land of Canaan; thus they came
KJV: into the land of Canaan; and into the land
INT: for the land of Canaan came to the land

Genesis 12:5
HEB: וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן׃
NAS: thus they came to the land of Canaan.
KJV: and into the land of Canaan they came.
INT: came to the land of Canaan

Genesis 13:12
HEB: יָשַׁ֣ב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ כְּנָ֑עַן וְל֗וֹט יָשַׁב֙
NAS: in the land of Canaan, while Lot
KJV: in the land of Canaan, and Lot
INT: settled the land of Canaan Lot settled

Genesis 16:3
HEB: אַבְרָ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ
NAS: in the land of Canaan, Abram's
KJV: in the land of Canaan, and gave
INT: Abram's the land of Canaan and gave Abram

Genesis 17:8
HEB: כָּל־ אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן לַאֲחֻזַּ֖ת עוֹלָ֑ם
NAS: the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
KJV: all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
INT: all the land of Canaan possession an everlasting

Genesis 23:2
HEB: חֶבְר֖וֹן בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיָּבֹא֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם
NAS: in the land of Canaan; and Abraham
KJV: in the land of Canaan: and Abraham
INT: the same Hebron the land of Canaan went and Abraham

Genesis 23:19
HEB: חֶבְר֑וֹן בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃
NAS: in the land of Canaan.
KJV: in the land of Canaan.
INT: the same Hebron the land of Canaan

Genesis 28:1
HEB: אִשָּׁ֖ה מִבְּנ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן׃
NAS: a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
KJV: a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
INT: A wife the daughters of Canaan

Genesis 28:6
HEB: אִשָּׁ֖ה מִבְּנ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן׃
NAS: a wife from the daughters of Canaan,
KJV: a wife of the daughters of Canaan;
INT: A wife the daughters of Canaan

Genesis 28:8
HEB: רָע֖וֹת בְּנ֣וֹת כְּנָ֑עַן בְּעֵינֵ֖י יִצְחָ֥ק
NAS: that the daughters of Canaan displeased
KJV: that the daughters of Canaan pleased
INT: displeased the daughters of Canaan pleased Isaac

Genesis 31:18
HEB: אָבִ֖יו אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן׃
NAS: to the land of Canaan to his father
KJV: his father in the land of Canaan.
INT: to his father to the land of Canaan

Genesis 33:18
HEB: אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בְּבֹא֖וֹ מִפַּדַּ֣ן
NAS: is in the land of Canaan, when he came
KJV: which [is] in the land of Canaan, when he came
INT: which the land of Canaan came Paddan-aram

Genesis 35:6
HEB: אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן הִ֖וא בֵּֽית־
NAS: is in the land of Canaan, he and all
KJV: which [is] in the land of Canaan, that [is], Bethel,
INT: who the land of Canaan he that Bethel

Genesis 36:2
HEB: נָשָׁ֖יו מִבְּנ֣וֹת כְּנָ֑עַן אֶת־ עָדָ֗ה
NAS: from the daughters of Canaan: Adah
KJV: of the daughters of Canaan; Adah
INT: his wives the daughters of Canaan Adah the daughter

Genesis 36:5
HEB: ל֖וֹ בְּאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃
NAS: to him in the land of Canaan.
KJV: unto him in the land of Canaan.
INT: were born the land of Canaan

Genesis 36:6
HEB: רָכַ֖שׁ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל־
NAS: in the land of Canaan, and went
KJV: in the land of Canaan; and went
INT: had acquired the land of Canaan and went about

Genesis 37:1
HEB: אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃
NAS: had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.
KJV: was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
INT: his father the land of Canaan

93 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3667
93 Occurrences


ḵə·nā·‘an — 7 Occ.
kə·nā·‘an — 82 Occ.
ū·ḵə·nā·‘an — 4 Occ.

3666
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