Word Study · Strong's H3547 · Hebrew
כָּהַן
kahan
kaw-han'
Strong's 1890 spelling: kâhan
“to officiate as a priest”
Strong's Dictionary · 1890 · public domain
to officiate as a priest; figuratively, to put on regalia
Rendered in the KJV as
deck, be (do the office of a, execute the, minister in the) priest('s office).
- 23occurrencesin the Old Testament
- 9 of 39Old Testament bookswhere the word stands
- 15inflected formsdistinct spellings
Across 23 occurrences
The word itself
Inflected forms · 15
- לְכַהֵֽן׃4
- לְכַהֲנוֹ־3
- לְכַהֵ֣ן2
- לְכַהֵ֥ן2
- לְכַהֵ֖ן2
- וַיְכַהֵ֤ן1
- וַיְכַהֵ֛ן1
- וַֽיְכַהֲנ֔וּ1
- וְכִהֵ֥ן1
- וְכִהֲנ֥וּ1
- וְכִהֲנ֖וּ1
- יְכַהֵ֣ן1
and 3 more spellings in the ledger below.
How it is rendered · 11
- to serve as priests9
- to serve as priest he3
- and he served as priest2
- and they will serve as priests2
- [who] he acts like a priest1
- and he will serve as a priest1
- and they served as priests1
- from serving as a priest1
- from serving as priests1
- he served as a priest1
- to serve as priest1
The sense the word carries at each spot — how the translators read it there, not a fixed translation.
How it parses · 8
- preposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)12
- preposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singular3
- Hc/Vpq3cp2
- Hc/Vpw3ms2
- Hc/Vpq3ms1
- Hc/Vpw3mp1
- verb · intensive (piel), ongoing or future action · 3rd person masculine singular1
- verb · intensive (piel), completed action · 3rd person masculine singular1
Show the grammar codes as tagged
- HR/Vpcc · 12
- HR/Vpcc/Sp3ms · 3
- Hc/Vpq3cp · 2
- Hc/Vpw3ms · 2
- Hc/Vpq3ms · 1
- Hc/Vpw3mp · 1
- HVpi3ms · 1
- HVpp3ms · 1
All 23, in canonical order
The ledger of occurrences
Where this word lives
- Exodus12 of 23 · 52%
- Leviticus2 of 23 · 9%
- Numbers2 of 23 · 9%
- 1 Chronicles2 of 23 · 9%
- Deuteronomy1 of 23 · 4%
Exodus carries the most and opens below; every other book is one click.
Exodus12 occurrences
- Exodus 28:1לְכַהֲנוֹ־lekhahanov-preposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singular“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.here: to serve as priest he
- Exodus 28:3לְכַהֲנוֹ־lekhahanov-preposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singularYou are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make garments for Aaron’s consecration, so that he may serve Me as priest.here: to serve as priest he
- Exodus 28:4לְכַהֲנוֹ־lekhahanov-preposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singularThese are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that they may serve Me as priests.here: to serve as priest he
- Exodus 28:41וְכִהֲנ֥וּvekhihanuHc/Vpq3cpAfter you put these garments on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them so that they may serve Me as priests.here: and they will serve as priests
- Exodus 29:1לְכַהֵ֣ןlekhahenpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)“Now this is what you are to do to consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without blemish,here: to serve as priests
- Exodus 29:44לְכַהֵ֥ןlekhahenpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)So I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests.here: to serve as priests
- Exodus 30:30לְכַהֵ֥ןlekhahenpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests.here: to serve as priests
- Exodus 31:10לְכַהֵֽן׃lekhahenpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)as well as the woven garments, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests,here: to serve as priests
- Exodus 35:19לְכַהֵֽן׃lekhahenpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)and the woven garments for ministering in the holy place—both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests.”here: to serve as priests
- Exodus 39:41לְכַהֵֽן׃lekhahenpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)and the woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests.here: to serve as priests
- Exodus 40:13וְכִהֵ֥ןvekhihenHc/Vpq3msAnd you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve Me as a priest.here: and he will serve as a priest
- Exodus 40:15וְכִהֲנ֖וּvekhihanuHc/Vpq3cpAnoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve Me as priests. Their anointing will qualify them for a permanent priesthood throughout their generations.”here: and they will serve as priests
Leviticus2 occurrences
- Leviticus 7:35לְכַהֵ֖ןlekhahenpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)This is the portion of the offerings made by fire to the LORD for Aaron and his sons since the day they were presented to serve the LORD as priests.here: to serve as priests
- Leviticus 16:32לְכַהֵ֖ןlekhahenpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest shall make atonement. He will put on the sacred linen garmentshere: to serve as priest
Numbers2 occurrences
- Numbers 3:3לְכַהֵֽן׃lekhahenpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)These were Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.here: to serve as priests
- Numbers 3:4וַיְכַהֵ֤ןvaykhahenHc/Vpw3msNadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.here: and he served as priest
1 Chronicles2 occurrences
- 1 Chronicles 6:10כִּהֵ֔ןkihenverb · intensive (piel), completed action · 3rd person masculine singularJohanan was the father of Azariah, who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem,here: he served as a priest
- 1 Chronicles 24:2וַֽיְכַהֲנ֔וּvaykhahanuHc/Vpw3mpBut Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.here: and they served as priests
