כּוּן (kun)
kun
Cun
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The Hebrew proper noun kun refers to a specific city associated with Hadarezer, an Aramean king defeated by David’s forces. It appears only once in the biblical text, recorded in 1 Chronicles 18:5 as part of the narrative detailing Israel’s military victories.
Lexical sources identify this location as another name for Berothah, a city that belonged to Hadarezer’s kingdom. The name itself translates to "established," reflecting the settled nature of the urban center before it was plundered by David’s army. This single occurrence serves primarily to document the extent of David’s territorial expansion and the subjugation of neighboring powers.
Because the word functions strictly as a geographical identifier in this context, it carries no broader theological or moral weight beyond its historical role. It anchors the reader in the concrete reality of ancient Near Eastern politics, marking a specific point on the map where imperial ambitions clashed and shifted.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kun appears only once in Scripture, marking a specific city associated with Hadarezer, an Aramean king defeated by David. Its name means "established," reflecting a settled urban center that stood firm before being taken. This single mention anchors us in the concrete reality of ancient history, showing how earthly powers rise and fall.
For your faith, this brief reference reminds us that human empires are temporary. The bronze taken from kun was later used to build temple vessels, turning instruments of war into tools for worship. It invites us to trust in God’s sovereignty over history, knowing that He directs the course of nations and repurposes even the spoils of conflict for His glory.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ from/ Kun1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/מִ/כּוּן֙1×
Key Verses
-
I Chronicles 18:8
From Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took very much bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze sea, the pillars, and the vessels of bronze.
This verse shows how resources from a conquered city were ultimately used to craft sacred temple objects, highlighting God's ability to redeem material wealth for holy purposes.