Strong's Number: H7069
Original Word: qanâ
Usage Notes: "to get, acquire, create, buy." A common Semitic word, qanâ is found in ancient and modern Hebrew and in ancient Akkadian and Ugaritic. It occurs in the text of the Hebrew Old Testament 84 times. The first occurrence of qanâ in the Old Testament is in Gen 4:1: "I have gotten a man from the Lord." In this passage, qanâ expresses a basic meaning of God's "creating" or "bringing into being," so Eve is really saying, "I have created a man-child with the help of the Lord." This meaning is confirmed in Gen 14:19, 22 where both verses refer to God as "creator of heaven and earth" (kjv, nasb, "possessor"; rsv, "maker").
In Deut 32:6, God is called the "father" who "created" Israel; a father begets or "creates," rather than "acquires" children. In the Wisdom version of the Creation story (Prov 8:22-36), Wisdom herself states that "the Lord created me at the beginning of his work" (rsv, neb, jb, tev). "Possessed" (kjv, nasb) is surely not as appropriate in such a context. When the Psalmist says to God, "Thou didst form my inward parts" (Psa 139:13, rsv) he surely meant "create" (jb). Qanâ is used several times to express God's redeeming activity in behalf of Israel, again reflecting "creativity" rather than "purchase." Exod 15:16 is better translated, "…Thy people … whom thou hast created," rather than "thou hast purchased" (rsv). See also Psa 74:2; Psa 78:54.
The meaning "to buy" is expressed by qanâ frequently in contexts where one person makes a purchase agreement with another. The word is used to refer to "buying" a slave (Exod 21:2) and land (Gen 47:20).
