kane · reed, stalk; branch

What it means

kane (קָנֶה) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “reed, stalk; branch”.

Reed, stalk; a measuring rod; on the lampstand, each of its branches.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A tall hollow marsh plant; or a fragrant one.
2. A measuring reed.
3. A branch of the lampstand.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Reed: the hollow-stemmed plant that grows by water; from there the measuring reed, the stalk of a plant, the fragrant cane, and each branch of the lampstand. In Job 31:22 it is the bone of the arm.

• The reed by the water; the broken reed 1 Kings 14:15Isaiah 42:3Isaiah 36:6
• Ezekiel's measuring reed Ezekiel 40:3Ezekiel 42:17
• The branches and the shaft of the lampstand Exodus 25:31Exodus 25:32
• A stalk of grain Genesis 41:5
• Fragrant cane Exodus 30:23Isaiah 43:24

Historical and cultural background

The Rabshakeh compared Egypt to “the staff of this broken reed… on which a man leans, and it goes into his palm and pierces it” (Isaiah 36:6). Fragrant cane was part of the anointing oil (Exodus 30:23).

How we translate it

“Reed” 24 times and “reeds” 6; “branches” 18 and “branch” 4 on the lampstand, “shaft” 2 for its stem (Exodus 25:31); “stalk” 2 (Genesis 41:5); “cane” 5 for the fragrant cane (Exodus 30:23). In Isaiah 46:6 it is “the rod {of the scale}”, and in Job 31:22 “my arm be broken from its reed”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• reed ×24
• branches ×18
• reeds ×6
• cane ×5
• branch ×4
• shaft ×2
• stalk ×2
• rod of the scale ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×2
• Exodus×25
• 1 Kings×1
• 2 Kings×1
• Job×2
• Psalms×1
• Song of Songs×1
• Isaiah×6
• Jeremiah×1
• Ezekiel×22

• Genesis 41:5

  He fell asleep and dreamed a second time, and look, seven ears of grain were coming up on one stalk, plump and good.

• Genesis 41:22

  I saw in my dream, and look, seven ears coming up on one stalk, full and good.

• Exodus 25:31

  You shall make a lampstand of pure gold; of hammered work the lampstand shall be made: its base and its shaft, its cups, its knobs, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it.

• Exodus 25:32

  Six branches shall go out from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it;

• Exodus 25:33

  three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the one branch, with knob and flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the other branch, with knob and flower; so for the six branches that go out from the lampstand.

• Exodus 25:35

  and a knob under two of the branches of one piece with it, and a knob under two of the branches of one piece with it, and a knob under two of the branches of one piece with it, for the six branches that go out from the lampstand.

• Exodus 25:36

  Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece with it, all of it one hammered work of pure gold.

• Exodus 30:23

  “And you, take for yourself the finest spices: of liquid myrrh five hundred, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty,

• Exodus 37:17

  And he made the lampstand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lampstand, its base and its shaft; its cups, its knobs, and its flowers were of one piece with it.

• Exodus 37:18

  And six branches went out from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from its one side, and three branches of the lampstand from its second side.

• Exodus 37:19

  Three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the one branch, a knob and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms on another branch, a knob and a flower; so for the six branches that went out from the lampstand.

• Exodus 37:21

  And a knob was under two branches from it, and a knob under two branches from it, and a knob under two branches from it, for the six branches that went out from it.

• Exodus 37:22

  Their knobs and their branches were of one piece with it; all of it was one hammered work of pure gold.

• 1 Kings 14:15

  YHWH will strike Israel, as the reed sways in the water; and he will uproot Israel from off this good land that he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River Euphrates, because they have made their Asherahs, provoking YHWH to anger.

• 2 Kings 18:21

  Now, look, you have trusted in the staff of this broken reed, in Egypt, on which a man leans, and it goes into his palm and pierces it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

• Job 31:22

  let my shoulder fall from its blade, and my arm be broken from its reed.

• Job 40:21

  Under the lotus plants it lies, in the hiding place of the reeds and the marsh.

• Psalms 68:30

  Rebuke the beast of the reeds, the community of bulls with the calves of the peoples, the one who humbles himself with pieces of silver; he has scattered the peoples who delight in battles.

• Song of Songs 4:14

  nard and saffron, cane and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the finest balsams;

• Isaiah 19:6

  And the rivers will stink; the canals of Egypt will dwindle and dry up; reed and rush will wither.

• Isaiah 35:7

  And the burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the abode of jackals, its lair, grass will become reed and papyrus.

• Isaiah 36:6

  Look, you have trusted in the staff of this broken reed, in Egypt, on which a man leans, and it goes into his palm and pierces it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

• Isaiah 42:3

  A broken reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; in truth he will bring out justice.

• Isaiah 43:24

  You have not bought me with silver aromatic cane, and with the fat of your sacrifices you have not satisfied me; but you have made me serve with your sins, you have wearied me with your iniquities.

• Isaiah 46:6

  Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh silver on the rod of the scale, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; they fall down, also they bow down.

• Jeremiah 6:20

  What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or the good cane from a land far away? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”

• Ezekiel 27:19

  Vedan and Javan from Uzal paid for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and aromatic cane were in your exchange.

• Ezekiel 29:6

  And all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am YHWH, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

• Ezekiel 40:3

  And he brought me there, and look, a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a linen cord in his hand and the measuring reed; and he was standing in the gate.

• Ezekiel 40:5

  And look, a wall outside the house all around, and in the hand of the man the measuring reed of six cubits, each a cubit and a handbreadth; and he measured the width of the structure, one reed, and the height, one reed.

• Ezekiel 40:6

  And he came to the gate that faced toward the east, and went up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed wide, and the other threshold, one reed wide.

• Ezekiel 40:7

  And the guardroom, one reed long and one reed wide; and between the guardrooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate beside the portico of the gate on the house side, one reed.

• Ezekiel 40:8

  And he measured the portico of the gate on the house side, one reed.

• Ezekiel 41:8

  And I saw that the house had a height all around; the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed, six cubits to the joint.

• Ezekiel 42:16

  He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed all around.

• Ezekiel 42:17

  He measured the north side, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed all around.

• Ezekiel 42:18

  The south side he measured, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

• Ezekiel 42:19

  He turned to the side of the sea, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

And 24 more times.