קְנָא (qe.na)
qe.na
to buy
A:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:V
Word Overview
The Aramaic verb qe.na means to acquire or purchase something. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Ezra 7:17, where it describes using funds to buy sacrificial animals for the temple. This single occurrence highlights its practical use in a commercial or legal context rather than a metaphorical one.
It is the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew qanah (H7069), which carries a broader range of meanings including "to possess" or "to create." In this specific instance, however, the focus remains strictly on the act of buying. The word underscores the tangible resources required to restore worship in Jerusalem.
Its limited usage makes it a specialized term for transactional language in post-exilic texts. Translators typically render it as "buy" or "purchase," reflecting its straightforward economic sense without adding theological nuance beyond the immediate context of temple restoration.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read about buying sacrifices in Ezra, it might feel like a distant historical detail. Yet this word reminds us that worship often involves tangible effort and resources. God cared about the practical restoration of His temple, not just spiritual ideas.
Your faith is not separate from your daily life or finances. Using what you have to support God’s work is a valid form of devotion. This verse shows that ordinary acts of provision can be sacred when offered with diligence.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you will buy1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תִקְנֵ֜א1×
Key Verses
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Ezra 7:17
Therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, and shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
This verse uses the word to describe the specific act of purchasing sacrificial animals, highlighting how financial resources were directly applied to restore temple worship.