BDB3931
כֹּהֵן750
noun masculine
priest (Late Hebrew כֹּהֵן; Aramaic כָּהֵין, כַּהֲנָא
,
[untranscribed source text 2460],
[untranscribed source text 2461]; Ethiopic
[untranscribed source text 2462] all id.; on Phoenician and Arabic see above); — ׳
כ
Gen 14:18 + 439
t.; plural כֹּהֲנִים
Exod 19:6 + 272 t.;
construct כֹּהֲנֵי
1Sam 5:5 + 13 t.;
suffix כֹּהֲנַי
Lam 1:19 + 22 t.
suffixes —
1.
priest-king: e.g. Melchizedek Gen 14:18 (
E
?), compare Ps 110:4 (the Messianic priest-king like Melchizedek); Zech 6:13 (Messianic priest
and king); Israel מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים
Exod 19:6 (
E
) a kingdom of priests (priests and kings at once in their relation to the
nations); compare
Isa 61:6 (of Israel ministering as a priest); or a chieftain (exercising
priestly functions) כֹּהֵן מִדְיָן
Exod 2:16; Exod 3:1; Exod 18:1 (all
J
E
); so also probably the sons of David 2Sam 8:18, his grandson 1Kgs 4:5, and Ira the Jairite 2Sam 20:26, who as princes
performed priestly functions. With these we may class the כהנים
Exod 19:22;
Exod 19:24
(
J
).
2.
priests
of other religions than
׳
י
's: Potiphera אֹן
׳
כ
Gen 41:45;
Gen 41:50 (
E
), Gen
46:20 (
P
); Egyptian כהנים
Gen 47:22
(twice in verse);
Gen 47:26 (
J
); דָגוֺן
׳
כ
1Sam 5:5 Philistine
כהנים וקסמים
1Sam 6:2
כֹּהֲנָיו
his priests: e.g. of Baal 2Kgs 10:19 = of Ahab 2Kgs 10:11 of Chemosh Jer 48:7 of Malcam Jer 49:3 Mattan
was הבעל
׳
כ
2Kgs 11:18
= 2Chr
23:17
הכמרים עם
הכהנים
Zeph 1:4 Josiah
burned the bones of the priests of the Baalim and Asherim 2Chr 34:5.
3.
priests
of special orders in Israel:
a. Micah in the hill-country of Ephraim consecrated his own son וַיְהִילֿוֺ לְכֹהֵן
Judg 17:5 but
so soon as he could secure Jonathan ben Gershom, a descendant of Moses (see
VB
Judg 18:30
), he consecrated him, לכהן
׳
היה ל
Judg 17:10;
Judg 17:12;
Judg 17:13;
Judg 18:4; Judg 18:19
הַכֹּהֵן Judg 18:6 Judg 18:17 Judg 18:18 Judg 18:20 Judg 18:24 Judg 18:27. He was captured
by the Danites, and he and his line became priests at Dan until the Exile, Judg 18:19 Judg 18:19 Judg 18:30.
b. Jeroboam עשׂה כהנים
1Kgs 12:31
of those not מבני לוי, as (הַ)בָּמוֺת
׳
כ
priests of (the) high places
1Kgs 12:32
; 1Kgs 13:2
; 1Kgs
13:33 (twice in verse) = לבמות
׳
כ
2Chr 11:15
Amaziah (of this class) was ביתאֿל
׳
כ
Amos 7:10 see
also 2Chr 13:9
called by Chronicler לְלֹא אלהים
׳
כ 2Chr 13:9 yet Hosea rebukes them as priests of ׳
י
Hos 4:4; Hos 4:9; Hos 5:1; Hos 6:9 at the
Exile they were deported by the Assyrians 2Kgs 17:27; 2Kgs 17:28.
c. the people imported
into Samaria made some of themselves במות
׳
כ to worship ׳
י the God of the land 2Kgs 17:32.
4.
priests in Israel
הכהנים who bore the ark and the trumpets Josh 3:13; Josh 3:14; Josh 3:15; Josh 3:17; Josh 4:3; Josh 4:9; Josh 4:10; Josh 4:17; Josh 4:18 (twice in verse); Josh 6:4 (twice in verse); Josh 6:6 (twice in
verse); Josh 6:8;
Josh 6:9; Josh 6:12; Josh 6:13; Josh 6:16 (all
J
E
), 1Kgs 8:3
; 1Kgs 8:6;
1Kgs 8:10;
1Kgs 8:11 Eli
was הכהן
1Sam 1:9; 1Sam 2:11
יהוה
׳
כ
1Sam 14:3 and
his sons ליהוה
׳
כ
1Sam 1:3 a
מִשְׁפַּט הַכֹּהֲנִים
1Sam 2:13
mentions the ministering priest הכהן and the ׳
נַעַר הַכ
1Sam 2:13; 1Sam 2:14; 1Sam 2:15 (twice
in verse), Ahijah was ׳
הַכּ in time of Saul 1Sam 14:19 (twice in verse); 1Sam 14:36 Abimelech ׳
הַכּ at Nob, a priestly center, 1Sam 21:2; 1Sam 21:3; 1Sam 21:5; 1Sam 21:6; 1Sam 21:7; 1Sam 21:10; 1Sam 22:11 where were many ׳
כֹּהֲנֵי י
1Sam 22:17
(twice in verse); 1Sam 22:21, all slain by Saul except Abiathar son of Ahimelech 1Sam 22:11;
1Sam 22:18
(twice in verse); 1Sam 22:19, who became ׳
הַכּ
1Sam 23:9; 1Sam 30:7; 1Kgs 1:7; 1Kgs 1:19;
1Kgs 1:25;
1Kgs 1:42;
1Kgs 2:22;
1Kgs 2:26
Zadok later was ׳
הַכּ
2Sam 15:27
; 1Kgs 1:8;
1Kgs 1:26;
1Kgs 1:32;
1Kgs 1:34;
1Kgs 1:38;
1Kgs 1:39;
1Kgs 1:44;
1Kgs 1:45;
1Kgs 2:35;
1Kgs 3:2; 1Chr 16:39
; 1Chr 24:6:
so that the two were (ה)כהנים
2Sam 8:17 =
1Chr 18:16
(read ׳
וְאֶבְיָתָר בֶּןאֿח
2Sam 8:17
ᵑ6
We
Dr, and correct 1Chr 18:16 accordingly) 2Sam 15:35 (twice in verse); 2Sam 17:15
; 2Sam 19:12
; 2Sam
20:25; 1Kgs
4:4 Solomon removed Abiathar 1Kgs 2:27 and Zadok was anointed לְכֹהֵן according to 1Chr 29:22
compare prediction of rejection of house of Eli and selection of נֶאֱמָן
׳
כ
1Sam 2:28; 1Sam 2:35
Jehoiada ׳
הַכּ led the revolution against Athaliah 2Kgs 11:9 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 11:10; 2Kgs 11:15 (twice in
verse); 2Kgs
11:18;
2Kgs 12:3; 2Kgs 12:8; 2Kgs 12:10 = 2Chr 22:11; 2Chr 23:8 (twice in verse); 2Chr 23:9; 2Chr 23:14
(twice in verse);
2Chr 24:2; 2Chr 24:20; 2Chr 24:25, perhaps also Jer 29:26
הכהנים sustaining him in his reforms 2Kgs 12:5; 2Kgs 12:6; 2Kgs 12:7; 2Kgs 12:8; 2Kgs 12:9;
2Kgs 12:10
; 2Kgs
12:17 Uriah was ׳
הַכּ in the reign of Ahaz 2Kgs 16:10; 2Kgs 16:11 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 16:15; 2Kgs 16:16; Isa 8:2 Hilkiah of
Josiah 2Kgs
22:10; 2Kgs 22:12; 2Kgs 22:14; 2Kgs 23:24; 2Chr 34:14; 2Chr 34:18. Other individual
priests are named, e.g.: Pashhur of Jehoiachin Jer 20:1 Zephaniah of Zedekiah Jer 21:1; Jer 29:25; Jer 29:26; Jer 29:29; Jer 37:3
׳
הַכּ is Ezekiel's title Ezek 1:3. Priests are classed with officials of state: prophets and priests 2Kgs 23:2;
Isa 28:7; Jer 5:31; Jer 6:13; Jer 8:10; Jer 14:18;
Jer 23:11;
Jer 23:33;
Jer 23:34;
Jer 26:7; Jer 26:8; Jer 26:11;
Jer 26:16;
Jer 29:1; Lam 2:20; Lam 4:13
priests and elders
Lam 1:19;
Lam 4:16 king and priest Lam 2:6 kings, priests, and prophets Jer 13:13 kings, princes, and priests Jer 1:18
princes, eunuchs, and priests Jer 34:19 priest, sage, and prophet Jer 18:18 chiefs, priests, and prophets Mic 3:11
prophets, priests, and elders Ezek 7:26 kings, princes, priests, and prophets Jer 2:26; Jer 4:9; Jer 8:1; Jer 32:32 princes, judges,
prophets, and priests
Zeph 3:4 seeming to exclude any other officials. Apparently in the same generic sense הכהנים
Jer 1:1; Jer 2:8; Jer 27:16;
Jer 28:1; Jer 28:5; Jer 29:25;
Jer 31:14
כַּכֹּהֵן
Isa 24:2
כהנים
Job 12:19
כהניה
Lam 1:4; Ezek 22:26
כהניו
Ps 78:64.
Moses and Aaron among his priests
Ps 99:6
includes Moses (against
P
). Zion's priests clothed with righteousness and salvation Ps 132:9; Ps 132:16 = 2Chr 6:41,
probably here also.
5.
Levitical priests
הַכֹּהֲנִים
הַלְוִיִּם
Deut 17:9; Deut 17:18;
Deut 18:1; Deut 24:8; Deut 27:9; Josh 3:3; Josh 8:33 (all
D
), Jer
33:18 (inverted), Jer 33:21 (neither in
ᵐ5
), 2Chr 5:5
(= ׳
הַכּ
׳
וְהַלּ
1Kgs 8:4:
Chronicler retains original Deuteronomic reading), Ezek 43:19; Ezek 44:15 (compare 6);
בְּנֵי לִוֵי
׳
הַכּ
Deut 21:5; Deut 31:9
׳
לל
׳
לקח לכ
Isa 66:21
take for priests, for Levites (of the nations in Messianic age). Doubtless of same class
are: הַכֹּהֲנִים
Deut 18:3; Deut 19:17;
Josh 3:6; Josh 3:8; Josh 4:11 (
D
); and הַכֹּהֵן, the priest officiating on a particular occasion Deut 18:3; Deut 20:2 or holding a
particular dignity Deut 17:12; Deut 26:3; Deut 26:4. The כהנים of the other cities of Judah,
הבמות
׳
כ, who were not allowed to minister in Jerusalem 2Kgs 23:8 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 23:9; 2Kgs 23:20
, may be an attempt to enforce an exclusion from the priesthood of all but Levitical priests.
6.
Zadokite priests: Ezekiel distinguishes among הכהנים הלוים those of the seed of
Zadok, בְּנֵי צָדוֺק; all but the latter excluded by him from priesthood Ezek 40:46; Ezek 43:19
; Ezek 44:15
; Ezek
48:11 the priests of his code being all Zadokites Ezek 40:45; Ezek 40:46; Ezek 42:13; Ezek 42:14; Ezek 43:24
; Ezek 43:27
; Ezek
44:21; Ezek 44:22; Ezek 44:30 (twice in verse); Ezek 44:31; Ezek 45:4; Ezek 45:19
; Ezek 46:2;
Ezek 46:19
; Ezek
46:20; Ezek 48:10; Ezek 48:13.
7.
Aaronic priests. In H. it is taken for granted that a priest is of the seed of Aaron; the plural
is never used; כֹּהֵן is used for any priest Lev 21:9; Lev 22:10; Lev 22:11; Lev 22:12; Lev 22:13
הַכֹּהֵן for Aaron Lev 21:21, and for the official priest (acting for the priesthood, almost
collective) Lev 17:5
; Lev 17:6
; Lev 22:14;
Lev 23:10;
Lev 23:11;
Lev 23:20
(twice in verse); Lev
27:8 (3 t. in verse); Lev 27:11; Lev 27:12 (twice in verse); Lev 27:14 (twice in verse); Lev 27:18;
Lev 27:21;
Lev 27:23.
The priests of
P
are בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן
Lev 1:5; Lev 1:8; Lev 1:11; Lev 2:2; Lev 3:2; Lev 21:1; Num 3:3; Num 10:8; Josh 21:19
so in Chronicles
2Chr 13:9; 2Chr 13:10; 2Chr 26:18; 2Chr 29:21; 2Chr 31:19; 2Chr 35:14 (twice in verse);
הַכֹּהֵן is used of Aaron 22 t., Eleazar 29 t., Phinehas Josh 22:30 and elsewhere; 180 t. of
ministering priests, or generic of the priests; הכהנים
Lev 6:22; Lev 7:6; Lev 13:2; Lev 16:33;
כהן
Lev 6:16.
Chronicles distinguishes הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם
1Chr 13:2;
1Chr 15:11
; 1Chr
15:14;
1Chr 23:2; 1Chr 24:6; 1Chr 24:31; 1Chr 28:13; 1Chr 28:21; 2Chr 8:15; 2Chr 11:13; 2Chr 13:9;
2Chr 13:10
; 2Chr 23:4
; 2Chr 24:5
; 2Chr 29:4
; 2Chr
30:15; 2Chr 30:25; 2Chr 31:2 (twice in verse); 2Chr 31:4; 2Chr 31:9; 2Chr 34:30; 2Chr 35:8;
2Chr 35:18
(the variants without וְ
2Chr 23:18
; 2Chr
30:27 are due to copyists' errors), Ezra 1:5; Ezra 2:70; Ezra 3:8; Ezra 3:12; Ezra 6:20; Ezra 7:7; Ezra 8:29; Ezra 8:30; Ezra 9:1; Neh 7:72; Neh 8:13; Neh 11:3; Neh 12:1; Neh 12:30; Neh 12:44 (twice in verse); Neh 13:30
הלוים והכהנים
2Chr 19:8;
2Chr 30:21
priests, Levites, and others 1Chr 9:2; Ezra 10:5; Neh 10:1; Neh 10:29; Neh 10:35; Neh 11:20
בְּנֵי לֵוִי antith. to ׳
הַכּ
Ezra 8:15
הכהן
בן אהרן עם הלוים
Neh 10:39
(ה)כהנים in Chronicles 67 t. has the same reference, as also כֹּהֲנֵינוּ
Ezra 9:7; Neh 9:32; Neh 9:34
כֹּהֵן
Ezra 2:63 =
Neh 7:65
ליחוה
׳
כ
2Chr 26:17
כהניו
His (God's) priests
2Chr 13:12
מוֺרֶה
׳
כ
teaching priest
2Chr 15:3
הַכֹּהֵן is used of Jehoiada in time of David 1Chr 27:5, and Azariah in the reign of Uzziah
2Chr 26:17
. In the literature of the restoration הַכֹּהֵן is used of Ezra, Ezra 7:11; Ezra 10:10
; Ezra 10:16
; Neh 8:2;
Neh 8:9; Neh 12:26
Uriah Ezra 8:33
Eliashib Neh
13:4 Shelemiah Neh 13:13
הכהנים
Joel 1:9; Joel 1:13;
Joel 2:17;
Hag 2:11; Hag 2:12; Hag 2:13; Zech 7:5; Mal 1:6; Mal 2:1 priests and
prophets Zech 7:3
כהן
Mal 2:7.
8.
the high priest:
הַכֹּהֵן is frequently used (see 4) to designate the priest who was at
the head of priestly affairs. The adjective הַגָּדוֺל first appears of Jehoiada
2Kgs 12:11
, then of Hilkiah 2Kgs 22:4; 2Kgs 22:8; 2Kgs 23:4; 2Kgs 2:9 after the exile, of Joshua Hag 1:1; Hag 1:12; Hag 1:14; Hag 2:2; Hag 2:4; Zech 3:1; Zech 3:8; Zech 6:11, and Eliashib Neh 3:1; Neh 3:20; Neh 13:28.
But
P
uses it of Aaron and his eldest descendants who are anointed with holy oil Lev 21:10 (
H
; הַגָּדוֺל מֵאֶחָיו
׳
הכ), Num 35:25; Num 35:28 (twice in verse); Josh 20:6, and so הַמָּשִׁיחַ
׳
הַכּ
Lev 4:3; Lev 4:5; Lev 4:16; Lev 6:15, compare
Lev 16:32.
הָראֹשׁ
׳
כ is used of Seraiah 2Kgs 25:18 = Jer 52:24 and, in Chronicler, of Amariah 2Chr 19:11, Jehoiada 2Chr 24:11
, Azariah 2Chr
26:20; 2Chr 31:10 of Aaron, Ezra 7:5. (We also supposes
הרואה in 2Sam 15:27 to be a corruption of הראשׁ, which he regards as
post-exilic insertion. The test is corrupt [see DrSm. 1.c.];
but this correction is improbable. Lists of high priests occur 1Chr 5:30-41; 1Chr 6:35-38.) A priest of second
rank ((ה)מִשְׁנֶה כֹּהֵן) appears in 2Kgs 23:4 (construct plural incorrect), 2Kgs 25:18
= Jer 52:24
׳
זִקְנֵי הַכּ
2Kgs 19:2 =
Isa 37:2; Jer 19:1
׳
שָׂרֵי הַכּ
2Chr 36:14
; Ezra 8:24
; Ezra 8:29
; Ezra 10:5
׳
רָאשֵׁי הַכּ
Neh 12:7.
BDB9607
[כָּהֵן] noun masculine
priest (see Biblical Hebrew
כהן
); — emphatic כָּהֲנָא
Ezra 7:12; Ezra 7:21 plural
emphatic נַיָּא- Ezra 6:9; Ezra 6:16; Ezra 6:18; Ezra 7:16; Ezra 7:24 suffix (of Israel) נ֫וֺהִי- Ezra 7:13.