Hebrew word · H7074

קְנִזִּי

hakenizi

Kenizzite

A clan name (a gentilic, meaning a word that names someone by their people or clan): “belonging to Kenaz / the Kenaz-people.” Used of a people group in Canaan (Gen 15:19), and of Caleb's family (Num 32:12; Josh 14:6, 14).

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

Someone descended from Kenaz who was a man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.32.12;

son of: Jephunneh (H3312);

brother of: Caleb (H3612);

father of: Othniel (H6274) and Seraiah (H8304J); also called Kenizzite at Num.32.12; 1x,14;

Group of qe.naz (קְנַז "Kenaz" H7073I)

§ Kenezite or Kenizzites = "descendant of Kenaz"

descendants of Kenaz

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 Joshua 14:6

Range of meaning

A clan name (a gentilic, meaning a word that names someone by their people or clan): “belonging to Kenaz / the Kenaz-people.” Used of a people group in Canaan (Gen 15:19), and of Caleb's family (Num 32:12; Josh 14:6, 14).

Against the English

English versions simply transliterate (“Kenizzite”, KJV “Kenezite”), which is accurate. But most readers pass over it as a meaningless label, though it may signal that Caleb's family had outside roots.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 15:19 lists Kenizzites among the peoples whose land is promised to Abraham's offspring. Gen 36:11, 15, 42 names Kenaz as a grandson of Esau and an Edomite chief. Within Israel, Kenaz is the father of Othniel, Caleb's younger brother or kinsman (Josh 15:17; Judg 1:13). 1 Chr 4:13–15 lists Kenaz and Caleb in Judah's genealogy. Num 13:6 makes Caleb the representative of the tribe of Judah.

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 15:19 הַקְּנִזִּ֔י the Kenizzite[s]

    the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,

Numbers · 1

  1. Numbers 32:12 הַקְּנִזִּ֔י the Kenizzite

    not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’

Joshua · 2

  1. Joshua 14:6 הַקְּנִזִּ֑י the Kenizzite

    Then the sons of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me.

    Here: A clan label: Caleb's line descends from someone named Kenaz. Kenizzites appear in Gen 15:19 among peoples living in Canaan, and Kenaz is an Edomite name in Gen 36:11. So the label may mark Caleb's family as a group of outside origin who had joined Judah. Here it stands at the head of the scene where he receives his land.

  2. Joshua 14:14 הַקְּנִזִּי֙ the Kenizzite

    Therefore Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel.

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