What does כָּהַן (kāhan) mean in the Bible?
כָּהַן (kāhan): Mediating sacred space between God and people; literal priestly function deepens into metaphor of assuming consecrated role.
Hebrew · H3547
כָּהַן
To officiate as a priest; figuratively, to put on regalia
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כָּהַן H3547
Pronunciation kāhan
What does כָּהַן (kāhan) mean in the Bible?
כָּהַן (kāhan): Mediating sacred space between God and people; literal priestly function deepens into metaphor of assuming consecrated role.
Full entry for כָּהַן (H3547) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3547?
The BSB source-word alignment has 23 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include to serve Me as priests (5), to serve as priests (4), as priests (2), served as priests (2), so that they may serve Me as priests (2).
Where does כָּהַן (kāhan) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 28:1. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (12), 1 Chronicles (2), Leviticus (2), Numbers (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It to serve Me as priests 5× Exodus 28:1, Exodus 29:1, Exodus 29:44, Exodus 30:30
to serve as priests 4× Exodus 31:10, Exodus 35:19, Exodus 39:41, Numbers 3:3
as priests 2× Leviticus 7:35, 2 Chronicles 11:14
served as priests 2× Numbers 3:4, 1 Chronicles 24:2
so that they may serve Me as priests 2× Exodus 28:4, Exodus 28:41
as My priests 1× Hosea 4:6
served as priest 1× 1 Chronicles 6:10
so that he may serve Me as a priest 1× Exodus 40:13
so that he may serve Me as priest 1× Exodus 28:3
so that they may also serve Me as priests 1× Exodus 40:15
succeeded him as priest 1× Deuteronomy 10:6
to succeed 1× Leviticus 16:32
wears a priestly 1× Isaiah 61:10
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 28:1 לְכַהֲנוֹ־ to to serve Me as priests Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 28:3 לְכַהֲנוֹ־ to so that he may serve Me as priest Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 28:4 לְכַהֲנוֹ־ to so that they may serve Me as priests Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 28:41 וְכִהֲנ֥וּ to so that they may serve Me as priests Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Exodus 29:1 לְכַהֵ֣ן to to serve Me as priests Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Exodus 29:44 לְכַהֵ֥ן to to serve Me as priests Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Exodus 30:30 לְכַהֵ֥ן to to serve Me as priests Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Exodus 31:10 לְכַהֵֽן׃ to to serve as priests Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Exodus 35:19 לְכַהֵֽן׃ to to serve as priests Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Exodus 39:41 לְכַהֵֽן׃ to to serve as priests Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 28:1
Aligned rows 23
Books represented 9
Exodus 12 Leviticus 2 Numbers 2 Deuteronomy 1 1 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 1 Isaiah 1 Ezekiel 1 Hosea 1
Source forms
לְכַהֵֽן׃ 4x lə·ḵa·hên Exodus 31:10, Exodus 35:19, Exodus 39:41, Numbers 3:3
לְכַהֲנוֹ־ 3x lə·ḵa·hă·nōw- Exodus 28:1, Exodus 28:3, Exodus 28:4
לְכַהֵ֣ן 2x lə·ḵa·hên Exodus 29:1, Ezekiel 44:13
לְכַהֵ֥ן 2x lə·ḵa·hên Exodus 29:44, Exodus 30:30
לְכַהֵ֖ן 2x lə·ḵa·hên Leviticus 7:35, Leviticus 16:32
וַיְכַהֵ֤ן 1x way·ḵa·hên Numbers 3:4
וַיְכַהֵ֛ן 1x way·ḵa·hên Deuteronomy 10:6
וַֽיְכַהֲנ֔וּ 1x way·ḵa·hă·nū 1 Chronicles 24:2
Parsing patterns
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct 10x Exodus 29:1, Exodus 29:44, Exodus 30:30, Exodus 31:10
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular 3x Exodus 28:1, Exodus 28:3, Exodus 28:4
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Exodus 28:41, Exodus 40:15
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Numbers 3:4, Deuteronomy 10:6
Preposition-m | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct 2x 2 Chronicles 11:14, Hosea 4:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 1x Exodus 40:13
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x 1 Chronicles 24:2
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Isaiah 61:10
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Mediating sacred space between God and people; literal priestly function deepens into metaphor of assuming consecrated role.
Source Gloss
to officiate as a priest; figuratively, to put on regalia
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Mediating sacred space between God and people; literal priestly function deepens into metaphor of assuming consecrated role.
to officiate as a priest; figuratively, to put on regalia BDB: act as priest Usage: deck, be (do the office of a, execute the, minister in the) priest('s office).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 2
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 2×
Perfect 1Chr 5:36 1×
Imperfect Isa 61:10 1×
Word Origins
כָּהַן is built from this root:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain