Hebrew word · H3670

כָּנַף

yikanef

to corner

Used as a verb only here. It comes from the noun kānāf, 'wing, edge, extremity, corner (of a garment or of the earth)'. In this passive/reflexive form, lexicons give 'to withdraw, hide oneself, be put in a corner' (BDB, HALOT).

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. · Updated October 23, 2026

What it means

(Niphal) to be put or thrust in or into a corner, be hidden from view, be cornered, be thrust aside

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Isaiah 30:20

Range of meaning: Used as a verb only here. It comes from the noun kānāf, 'wing, edge, extremity, corner (of a garment or of the earth)'. In this passive/reflexive form, lexicons give 'to withdraw, hide oneself, be put in a corner' (BDB, HALOT).
Against the English: KJV has 'be removed into a corner', which keeps the image. BSB and ESV have 'hide himself' and WEB has 'be hidden', which keep the sense but lose the picture. YLT's 'remove' is vague.
Used elsewhere in the period: The word appears nowhere else as a verb in the Hebrew Bible, so its meaning is worked out from the noun. Ancient translators guessed differently: the Vulgate has 'cause to fly away', reading 'wing'.

Where it appears

Isaiah · 1

Isaiah 30:20 יִכָּנֵ֥ף he will hide himself

The Lord will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, but your Teacher will no longer hide Himself—with your own eyes you will see Him.

Here: This is the only place in the Bible where the word is used as a verb. It comes from kānāf, 'wing, edge, corner'. The picture is of being pushed off to the edge or tucked away out of sight. The verb is singular.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.