קֶרֶן
keren · horn
Hebrew word · Strong’s number H7161 · appears 76 times in the Bible
What is the Strong number?
Strong’s number identifies this word: use it to find the same word in other study tools.What it means
keren (קֶרֶן) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “horn”.
Figuratively, strength. Also the projections at the corners of the altar.
How to say it
ke·ren
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
- The hard point that grows from the head of bulls, rams and goats.
- Strength, power: "the horn of my salvation".
- The horns of the altar.
- A long-backed hill; or the rays that come out of something.
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)
Word study
Horn, of an animal; also a container made of horn, the projections at the corners of the altar and, figuratively, someone's strength or power. BDB: a horn; by implication, a ray of light; figuratively, power. The verb of the same root (קָרַן) is “shine”.
- The ram caught by its horns Genesis 22:13
- The horns of the altar Exodus 27:2Leviticus 4:71 Kings 1:50
- The horn of oil for anointing 1 Samuel 16:1
- “My horn is lifted high in YHWH”; “the horn of my salvation” 1 Samuel 2:1Psalms 18:2
- “Rays from his hand” Habakkuk 3:4
Historical and cultural background
Taking hold of the horns of the altar was seeking refuge: Adonijah “held fast to the horns of the altar” (1 Kings 1:50), and so did Joab (1 Kings 2:28).
How we translate it
“Horns” 45 times and “horn” 28. The image of the horn as strength is kept (“my horn is lifted high in YHWH”, 1 Samuel 2:1). In Habakkuk 3:4, “rays”, the other sense BDB gives; once it is part of the place name Karnaim.
How it is translated
The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.
- horns ×45
- horn ×28
- Karnaim ×1
- hill ×1
- rays ×1
Related words
Comes from
Words that come from it
Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.
Where it appears
- Genesis×1
- Exodus×10
- Leviticus×8
- Deuteronomy×2
- Joshua×1
- 1 Samuel×4
- 2 Samuel×1
- 1 Kings×5
- 1 Chronicles×1
- 2 Chronicles×1
- Job×1
- Psalms×13
- Isaiah×1
- Jeremiah×2
- Lamentations×2
- Ezekiel×5
- Daniel×9
- Amos×2
- Micah×1
- Habakkuk×1
- Zechariah×5
- Genesis 22:13
Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw, and look, a ram behind him, caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.
- Exodus 27:2
You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.
- Exodus 29:12
and you shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and all the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar.
- Exodus 30:2
A cubit its length and a cubit its width; it shall be square, and two cubits its height; its horns shall be of one piece with it.
- Exodus 30:3
You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns, and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around.
- Exodus 30:10
Aaron shall make expiation on its horns once in the year; with the blood of the sin offering of expiation once in the year he shall make expiation for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to YHWH.”
- Exodus 37:25
And he made the altar of incense of acacia wood; a cubit was its length, and a cubit its width, square, and two cubits its height; of one piece with it were its horns.
- Exodus 37:26
And he overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made for it a molding of gold all around.
- Exodus 38:2
And he made its horns on its four corners; its horns were of one piece with it; and he overlaid it with bronze.
- Leviticus 4:7
The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before YHWH that is in the tent of meeting, and all the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
- Leviticus 4:18
He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before YHWH that is in the tent of meeting, and all the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
- Leviticus 4:25
The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering.
- Leviticus 4:30
The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
- Leviticus 4:34
The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
- Leviticus 8:15
He slaughtered it, and Moses took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar all around with his finger, and purified the altar; and the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar, and consecrated it to make expiation for it.
- Leviticus 9:9
The sons of Aaron presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar.
- Leviticus 16:18
Then he shall go out to the altar that is before YHWH and make expiation for it, and he shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar all around.
- Deuteronomy 33:17
The firstborn of his bull, splendor is his, and his horns are the horns of a wild ox; with them he will gore the peoples, all together, to the ends of the earth. And they are the myriads of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”
- Joshua 6:5
And it shall be, when they make a long blast with the horn of the ram, when you hear the sound of the horn, that all the people shall raise a great acclamation, and the wall of the city will fall in its place, and the people shall go up, each man straight ahead.”
- 1 Samuel 2:1
And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in YHWH; my horn is lifted high in YHWH. My mouth opens wide over my enemies, for I rejoice in your salvation.
- 1 Samuel 2:10
YHWH: those who contend with him will be shattered; against them he will thunder in the heavens. YHWH will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and lift high the horn of his anointed.”
- 1 Samuel 16:1
YHWH said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, when I have despised him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have seen among his sons a king for myself.”
- 1 Samuel 16:13
Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the spirit of YHWH came mightily upon David from that day onward. Samuel rose and went to Ramah.
- 2 Samuel 22:3
Elohim, my Rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high refuge and the place where I flee, my savior; from violence you save me.
- 1 Kings 1:39
And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”
- 1 Kings 1:50
And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he rose and went and held fast to the horns of the altar.
- 1 Kings 1:51
And it was told to Solomon, saying, “Look, Adonijah fears King Solomon; and look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put to death his servant with the sword.’”
- 1 Kings 2:28
And the news came to Joab — for Joab had inclined toward Adonijah, though toward Absalom he had not inclined — and Joab fled to the tent of YHWH and held fast to the horns of the altar.
- 1 Kings 22:11
Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says YHWH: ‘With these you will gore Aram until they are finished.’”
- 1 Chronicles 25:5
All these were sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of Elohim, to lift up the horn; Elohim gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
- 2 Chronicles 18:10
Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says YHWH: ‘With these you will gore Aram until they are finished.’”
- Job 16:15
Sackcloth I have sewn on my skin, and thrust my horn into the dust.
- Psalms 18:2
YHWH is my crag and my fortress and the one who brings me to safety; my El, my Rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high refuge.
- Psalms 22:21
Save me from the mouth of the lion, and from the horns of the wild bulls you have answered me.
- Psalms 75:4
I have said to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn;
- Psalms 75:5
do not lift up on high your horn; nor speak with an insolent neck.’”
- Psalms 75:10
And all the horns of the wicked I will cut off; the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
- Psalms 89:17
For the beauty of their strength are you, and by your favor our horn is exalted.
- Psalms 89:24
And my faithfulness and my loyal love will be with him, and in my name his horn will be exalted.
- Psalms 92:10
But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil.
And 36 more times.