Lexical Summary
qinyan: Possession, property, acquisition
Original Word:קִנְיָן
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:qinyan
Pronunciation:kin-yawn'
Phonetic Spelling:(kin-yawn')
KJV: getting, goods, X with money, riches, substance
NASB:goods, property, possessions, acquired, acquiring
Word Origin:[fromH7069 (קָנָה - buy)]
1. creation
2. (concretely) creatures
3. (also) acquisition, purchase, wealth
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
getting, goods, with money, riches, substance
Fromqanah; creation, i.e. (concretely) creatures; also acquisition, purchase, wealth -- getting, goods, X with money, riches, substance.
see HEBREWqanah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
qanahDefinitionsomething gotten or acquired, acquisition
NASB Translationacquired (1), acquiring (1), goods (3), possessions (2), property (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Aramaism, Lag BN:205); absolute
Ezekiel 38:12,13; construct
Leviticus 22:11; suffix
Proverbs 4:7 +, etc.; —
thing acquired by purchaseLeviticus 22:11 (H; compare ); of propertyGenesis 34:23;Genesis 36:6;Joshua 14:4 (all P),Ezekiel 38:12,13 (in all distinguished from cattle); ""Psalm 105:21;Genesis 31:18 (P; probably doublet, omitted);Proverbs 4:7with (or at the price of) all that thou hast acquired, get understanding.
more Generally: collectivecreaturesPsalm 104:24 (compare √ ).
Topical Lexicon
Core Meaning and Scope of קִנְיָןUsed ten times across the Old Testament, קִנְיָן speaks broadly of that which is acquired—livestock, household members, land, wealth, or even intangible treasures such as wisdom. At its heart lies the idea of possession gained through effort, purchase, or divine bestowal. While human beings “acquire,” Scripture never relinquishes the deeper truth that everything remains under the sovereign ownership of the LORD (Psalm 24:1).
Occurrences and Narrative Contexts
•Genesis 31:18 sets the patriarchal tone: “He drove away all his livestock and all his possessions that he had acquired in Paddan-aram”. קִנְיָן frames Jacob’s prosperity as God-granted wealth within covenant promises (Genesis 30:30).
• InGenesis 34:23, Shechem’s men covet Jacob’s “livestock and property and all their animals,” revealing how greed cloaks itself in treaty language.
•Genesis 36:6 recounts Esau relocating “all the property he had acquired in Canaan,” illustrating how possessions can necessitate separation to preserve peace (cf.Genesis 13:6-9).
•Leviticus 22:11 regulates a priest’s purchased servant—“a person he acquires may eat of it”—showing that even human קִנְיָן must submit to holy boundaries.
•Joshua 14:4 notes cities set aside “with pasturelands for their livestock and their property,” underscoring that inheritance distribution factored in movable wealth.
•Psalm 104:24 exults, “The earth is full of Your creatures,” portraying creation itself as the LORD’s קִנְיָן.
•Psalm 105:21 celebrates Joseph, whom Pharaoh made “ruler over all his possessions,” a salvation-history pivot enabling Israel’s preservation.
•Proverbs 4:7 elevates the metaphor: “Wisdom is supreme; therefore acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.” קִנְיָן here shifts from material to moral capital.
•Ezekiel 38:12-13 twice pictures the last-days invader lusting after “livestock and goods,” revealing that rebellion against God often manifests as covetous expansion.
Theological Insights
1. Stewardship: God entrusts קִנְיָן to His people but retains ultimate rights (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).
2. Covenant Blessing and Responsibility: Patriarchal narratives link possessions to divine promise, yet warn against idolatry of wealth (Genesis 35:2-4).
3. Holiness of Ownership: Levitical law insists that even servants acquired as קִנְיָן participate in sacred meals, highlighting inclusivity under God’s covenant.
4. Eschatological Accounting: Ezekiel’s oracle foretells judgment on nations that view Israel’s restored prosperity as mere spoil, indicating that misuse of קִנְיָן invites divine retribution (Ezekiel 39:10).
Practical Ministry Applications
• Teach believers that earnings, assets, and abilities are stewardships for kingdom purposes (Matthew 25:14-30).
• Encourage acquisition of wisdom above wealth, employingProverbs 4:7 as a discipleship core verse.
• Model transparent, generous management of church resources, reflecting Joseph’s faithful oversight (Psalm 105:21;Genesis 41:46-49).
• Confront cultural materialism by contrasting it with the Creator-centered outlook ofPsalm 104:24.
Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions
Ezekiel 38 situates קִנְיָן in an end-time conflict where Gog targets Israel’s restored prosperity. The passage underscores God’s defense of His people and His prerogative over their possessions. Thus, current geopolitical attitudes toward Israel’s land and resources foreshadow an ultimate reckoning orchestrated by God.
Christological and Redemptive Connections
Though קִנְיָן is absent from the New Testament Greek text, its themes converge in Christ’s redemptive purchase of believers (1 Corinthians 6:20). Earthly possessions pale beside the “incomparable riches of His grace” (Ephesians 2:7). Like Joseph—exalted to manage Pharaoh’s קִנְיָן for worldwide blessing—Jesus is exalted “over all things” for the Church (Ephesians 1:22).
Intertextual Echoes in Wisdom Literature and Psalms
Proverbs recasts acquisition as pursuit of wisdom, shifting the value system from tangible to transcendent. Psalms 104 and 105 bracket creation and redemption by ascribing all קִנְיָן to God and celebrating His providential deployment of it through His servants.
Contemporary Relevance for Stewardship and Discipleship
Believers today navigate consumer culture much like Jacob among Laban’s flocks or Israel amid Canaanite wealth. Recognizing every asset as קִנְיָן on loan from the LORD fosters gratitude, justice, and generosity. Churches that cultivate this mindset become countercultural witnesses, displaying the kingdom where “wisdom is supreme” and the earth’s fullness glorifies its true Owner.
Forms and Transliterations
וְקִנְיָ֔ן וְקִנְיָנָם֙ וּלְקִנְיָנָֽם׃ ולקנינם׃ וקנין וקנינם קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ קִנְיַ֣ן קִנְיָנ֔וֹ קִנְיָנֶֽךָ׃ קִנְיָנֽוֹ׃ קנין קנינו קנינו׃ קנינך קנינך׃ kinYan kinyaNecha kinyaNo qin·yā·ne·ḵā qin·yā·nə·ḵā qin·yā·nōw qin·yan qinyan qinyāneḵā qinyānəḵā qinyānōw ū·lə·qin·yā·nām ulekinyaNam ūləqinyānām vekinYan vekinyaNam wə·qin·yā·nām wə·qin·yān wəqinyān wəqinyānām
Links
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Englishman's Greek Concordance •
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