What does כֵּן (kēn) mean in the Bible?
כֵּן (kēn): Small biting insect; in plagues narrative, symbol of divine judgment on Egypt's arrogance and uncontrollable proliferation
Hebrew · H3654
כֵּן
A gnat
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כֵּןH3654
Pronunciationkēn
What does כֵּן (kēn) mean in the Bible?
כֵּן (kēn): Small biting insect; in plagues narrative, symbol of divine judgment on Egypt's arrogance and uncontrollable proliferation
Full entry for כֵּן (H3654) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3654?
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include gnats (4), . . . (1), And the gnats (1), swarms of gnats (1).
Where does כֵּן (kēn) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 8:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (5), Isaiah (1), Psalms (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itgnats4×Exodus 8:17, Exodus 8:18, Psalms 105:31
. . .1×Isaiah 51:6
And the gnats1×Exodus 8:18
swarms of gnats1×Exodus 8:16
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 8:16לְכִנִּ֖םtoswarms of gnatsPreposition-l | Noun - masculine pluralExodus 8:17הַכִּנָּ֔םtognatsArticle | Noun - masculine singularExodus 8:17כִנִּ֖יםtognatsNoun - masculine pluralExodus 8:18הַכִּנִּ֖יםtognatsArticle | Noun - masculine pluralExodus 8:18הַכִּנָּ֔םtoAnd the gnatsArticle | Noun - masculine singularPsalms 105:31כִּ֝נִּ֗יםtognatsNoun - masculine pluralIsaiah 51:6כֵ֣ןto. . .Adverb
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowExodus 8:16
Aligned rows7
Books represented3
Exodus5Psalms1Isaiah1
Source forms
הַכִּנָּ֔ם2xhak·kin·nāmExodus 8:17, Exodus 8:18
הַכִּנִּ֖ים1xhak·kin·nîmExodus 8:18
כֵ֣ן1xḵênIsaiah 51:6
כִנִּ֖ים1xḵin·nîmExodus 8:17
כִּ֝נִּ֗ים1xkin·nîmPsalms 105:31
לְכִנִּ֖ם1xlə·ḵin·nimExodus 8:16
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine singular2xExodus 8:17, Exodus 8:18
Noun - masculine plural2xExodus 8:17, Psalms 105:31
Adverb1xIsaiah 51:6
Article | Noun - masculine plural1xExodus 8:18
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural1xExodus 8:16
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Small biting insect; in plagues narrative, symbol of divine judgment on Egypt's arrogance and uncontrollable proliferation
Source Gloss
a gnat
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Small biting insect; in plagues narrative, symbol of divine judgment on Egypt's arrogance and uncontrollable proliferation
a gnat BDB: gnat Usage: lice, × manner.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Small insects that infested Egypt as the third plague, covering man and beast
Showing 1 selected witness from 7 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כֵּן is built from this root:
כָּנַןH3661