kā´na ( קנה , ḳānāh , "reeds"):
(1) The name of a "brook," i.e. wādy , or "torrent bed," which formed part of the boundary between Ephraim and Manasseh ( Joshua 16:8; Joshua 17:9 ). The border of Ephraim went out westward from Tappuah to the brook Kanah, ending at the sea; the border of Manasseh from Tappuah, which belonged to Ephraim, "went down unto the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook." There seems no good reason to doubt the identification of "the brook Kanah" with the modern Wādy Kanah . The transition from the heavy ḳ to the lighter k is easy, so the phonetic difficulty is not serious. The stream rises in the Southwest of Shechem, flows through Wādy Ishkar , and, joining the ‛Aujeh , reaches the sea not far to the North of Jaffa. Guerin, influenced, apparently, by the masses of reeds of various kinds which fill the river, argues in favor of Nahr el -Fāliḳ , to the North of Arsūf . He identifies it with Nahr el -Kaṣab , "river of reeds," mentioned by Beha ed-Din, the Moslem historian. But this last must be identified with Nahr el -Mafjir , 13 miles farther North, too far North for "the brook Kanah."
(2) A town on the northern boundary of Asher (Joshua 19:28 ), probably identical with the village of Ḳana , about 7 miles Southeast of Tyre (SWP , I, 51, 64, Sh I).
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
WikipediaThe ISBE is a classic Bible reference compiled from nearly 10,000 entries written by over 200 different Bible scholars and teachers. In addition to the encyclopedia articles, all of the major words of the Bible are represented and defined.
The historical, cultural, and linguistic information in the ISBE can be of great value in Bible study and research.
But as with any writings of men, the careful student of the Bible must always compare them with Scripture. As you use this helpful study resource, remember that only God's word is pure.
Read More