---
title: כִּנּוֹר — lyre · The Tanakh dictionary
description: כִּנּוֹר (3658), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 42 times: lyre. BDB 1906: n.m. lyre. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# כִּנּוֹר

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«כִּנּוֹר» in the Tanakh dictionary: **lyre** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 42 times · **Key:** 3658 · **BDB:** כִּנּוֹר

### Glosses

harps (16); harp (14); a.harp (9)

### Meaning (OSHB)

lyre [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3658/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. lyre [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3658/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. ψ 81:3 lyre (on formation cf. LagBN 89, Anm.; NH id.; Aramaic כִּנָּרָא, ܟܶܢܳܪܳܐ; Mand. כינאר(א) NöM § 104 (who questions Shemitic origin); Arabic كِنَارٌ, كَنَّارَةٌ; as loan-word in Hellen. Gk. κινύρα (𝔊 and Joseph); in Egyptian kn-an-aul according to Bondi79)—abs. כ׳ Gn 4:21 +; sf. כִּנֹּרִי Jb 30:31; pl. כִּנֹּרוֹת 1 K 10:12 +; sf. כִּנּוֹרַיִךְ Ez 26:13, כִּנֹּרוֹתֵינוּ ψ 137:2;—lyre, stringed instrument used for popular as well as sacred music (cf. BenzArch. 273 ff. NowArch. i. 273 ff.);—כ׳ וְעוּגָב Gn 4:21, בְּתֹף וּבְכ׳ 31:27; אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ מְנַגֵּן בַּכּ׳ 1 S 16:16 a man skilled in playing on the lyre, cf. v 23 (וִנִגֵּן בְּיָדוֹ); at banquets Is 5:12 (+ נֶבֶל, תֹּף, חָלִיל), token of merriment 24:8 (+ תֻּפִּים), Ez 26:13, cf. וַיְהִי לְאֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִ֑י וְעֻגָבִי לְקוֹל בֹּכִים Jb 30:31, יִשְׂאוּ כְתֹף וְכ׳ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ לְקוֹל עוּגָב Jb 21:12; carried by a loose woman Is 23:16 (fig. of Tyre); in sim. Is 16:11 (of murmuring sound of bowels = heart, in pity); used also in praising י׳, usually as accompainment of song (cf. 1 Ch 15:16) נֵבֶל וְתֹף וְחָלִיל וְכ׳ 1 S 10:5; Is 30:32 (‖ תֻּפִּים); especially before the ark 2 S 6:5 (+ נְבָלִים, תֻּפִּים, etc.) ‖ 1 Ch 13:8, and in sanctuary (usually + נֵבֶל, etc.) 1 K 10:12, but especially Chr ψψ:—1 Ch 13:8 (pl., and so chiefly in Chr), 15:16, 21, 28; 16:5; 25:1, 3, 6 2 Ch 5:12; 9:11; 20:28; 29:25 Ne 12:27; ψ 33:2 (sg., and so chiefly in ψψ), 43:4; 49:5; 57:9; 71:22; 81:3; 92:4; 98:5(×2); 108:3; 147:7; 149:3; 150:3; cf. כִּנֹּרוֹתֵינוּ ψ 137:2.—Vbs. used with כ׳ are:—תָּפַשׂ Gn 4:21, נִגֵּן בְּ 1 S 16:16, מְשַׂחֵק בְּ 2 S 6:5 = 1 Ch 13:8, מְשֹׁרֲרִים בּ 1 Ch 15:16, מַשְׁמִיעִים בְּ v 28, נִבָּא בְּ 25:1, 3, הוֹדָה בְּ ψ 33:2; 42:4, זמּר בְּ ψ 71:22; 98:5; 147:7; 149:3, הַלֲלוּהוּ בְּ 150:3.—On ancient lyres v. reff. ap. Dr Amos, p. 236 f.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 40 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «כִּנּוֹר» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3658/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 108:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.108.3/)

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ע֭וּרָֽה הַנֵּ֥בֶל וְכִנּ֗וֹר אָעִ֥ירָה שָּֽׁחַר׃

*Word for word:* awake O lyre and harp I.will.waken \[the\].dawn

*JPS 1917:* Awake, psaltery and harp; I will awake the dawn.

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[Psalms 137:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.137.2/)

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עַֽל־עֲרָבִ֥ים בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃

*Word for word:* on poplars in the.midst of.it we.hung.up harps our

*JPS 1917:* Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps.

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