Lexical Definition
כֵּן kên (kane) right H:Adv
from כּוּן
[phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (thing), surely, [phrase] there (where) -fore, this, thus, true, well, [idiom] you.
- properly, set upright
- hence (figuratively as adjective) just
- but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation
- often with other particles)
adv
1) so, therefore, thus
1a) thus, so
1b) just so
1c) therefore
1d) so...as (paired with adv)
1e) then
1f) forasmuch as (in phrase)
1g) (with prep)
1g1) therefore, this being so (specific)
1g2) hitherto
1g3) therefore, on this ground (general)
1g4) afterwards
1g5) in such case
adj
2) right, just, honest, true, veritable
2a) right, just, honest
2b) correct
2c) true, veritable
2d) true!, right!, correct! (in assent)
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Aramaic form: כֵּן
Also see: כֵּן | כֵּן
I. כֵּן adjective right, veritable, honest (properly firm, upright; Syriac 
recte PS1662) — absolute כֵּן Exod 10:29 + (on possibly construct see 2 near the end); plural כֵּנִים Gen 42:11; Gen 42:19; Gen 42:31; Gen 42:33; Gen 42:34 —
1. right, usually indecl., often as substantive a right thing, especially with vbb. dicendi Exod 10:29 (J) כֵּן דִּבַּרְתָּ, Num 27:7 כֵּן דֹּבְרֹת, Num 36:5 (both P); כֵּן יַאֲרִיךְ Prov 28:2 (the) right (i.e. order and justice) shall last long (see De Now VB); = adverb aright, of pronunciation Judg 12:6 also with verb agendi Eccl 8:10 (on Isa 33:23 see III. כֵּן below כנן); right well Ps 65:10* (Che; al. = so); with לֹא, as adjective, not right דְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹאכֵֿן 2Kgs 17:9 things which were not right (verb agendi); of heart of a fool Prov 15:7; Jer 23:10 as substantive = what is not right, upright Jer 8:6 with verb agendi לֹאכֵֿן 2Kgs 7:9 that which is not right we are doing, Jer 48:30 b.
2. veritable, true, כֵּןצְֿדָקָה Prov 11:19 the veritable of righteousness = true righteousness; Isa 16:6 = Jer 48:30 a may be either their boastings are not true or (Thes Che Di Du Gr Gie and others) the untruth of their boastings (לֹאכֵֿן as compound construct); absolute, in assent to something already said, Right! Correct! True! Josh 2:4.
3. plural concrete honest (men) Gen 42:11; Gen 42:19; Gen 42:31; Gen 42:33; Gen 42:34 (all E). — II. כֵּן thus, so, see below; III. כֵּן place, base, see below כנן; IV. [כֵּן], כִּנִּם, כִּנָּם, see below כנן.
I. כֵּן adverb so (PH. Late Hebrew ᵑ7 id.; Syriac 
is then, Arabic 
, 
, but: probably from the demonstrative √ ka, found in כִּי etc., Köii. 1, 254); (הִיא) כֶּןהֿוּא Gen 44:10 + 4 t.: — so (i.e. usually, as has been described or commanded, with reference to what has preceded), mostly of manner, but sometimes also of quantity, quality, or degree:
1. a. Judg 5:31 כן יאבדו so perish thy enemies, Job 5:27 הִיאכֶּןֿ, Job 8:13 כן ארחות כל שׁכחי אל, Prov 6:29; Prov 8:13; 2Sam 16:23; Isa 36:6; Isa 47:15 כן היו לך, Num 13:33 וכן היינו בעיניהם; Num 9:16 כָן יהיה תמיד Exod 10:14 (twice in verse) לא היה כן ארבה׳כמהו וג (i. e. in such numbers), 1Kgs 10:12 כן עצי אלמגים לא בא, v1Kgs 10:20; 2Chr 1:12 (twice in verse), Judg 21:14 להם כןולא מצאו and they did not suffice for them so (namely in such numbers of them as there were); 1Kgs 6:26 וכן הכרוב השׁני, Ezek 41:7 ׳וכן ל Exod 27:11; 1Kgs 10:29; Ezek 40:16; 2Chr 35:12, compare 1Chr 23:30 ׳כן ל Exod 25:33 (compare Exod 26:24), Josh 21:40.
b. the force of כֵּן has sometimes to be elicited from the context : 1Kgs 2:7 כי כן קרבו אלי (that is, with kindness such as that enjoined in va), 1Kgs 20:40 כן משׁפטך, Jer 14:10 לנועכן אהבו (i.e. not less than ׳י has withdrawn from them vJer 14:9, Gf Ke; Gie proposes אָכֵן), Ps 61:9* שִׁמְךָכֵּן אֲזַמְּרָה (Hi כְּצִדְקְךָ, implied in vJer 14:6-8), Ps 63:3* חֲזִיתִךָכֵּן בַּקֹּדֶשׁ (that is, with the longings of vPs 63:2*), vPs 63:5* אֲבָרֶכְךָ בְחַיָּיכֵּן (that is כְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ vPs 63:4*), Ps 65:10* כִּי כֵן תְּכִינֶהָ (i.e. so generously, vPs 65:10*), Ps 90:12 לִמְנוֺת יָמֵינוּ כֵּן הוֺדַע (Hi ׳כְּיִרְאַת י vPs 90:11), Ps 127:2 כֵּן יִתֵּן לִידִידוֺ שֵׁנָא (that is, as abundantly; but Che אָכֵן), Prov 24:14 (see vProv 24:13), Isa 52:14 כֵּן מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ (sufficiently to justify שׁממו עליך רבים).
c. כן occurs frequently in particular phrases, as
(a) with הָיָה, especially ויהי כן and it was so Gen 1:7; Gen 1:9; Gen 1:11 +, 2Kgs 2:10 if thou seest me taken from thee יהילֿך כן let it be to thee so (that is, as thou desirest), 2Kgs 7:20, with עשׂה (especially וַיַּעַשׂ, וַיַּעֲשׂוּ) Gen 29:28; Gen 42:20; Gen 45:21 + often, Judg 7:16 וְכֵן תַּעֲשׂוּמִמֶּנִּי תִּרְאוּ, + ׳ל Gen 42:25 ויעשׂ להם כן, Exod 22:29*; Exod 23:11 ׳כן תעשׂה ל, Deut 22:3; 2Sam 12:31; 1Kgs 11:8 (compare 1Kgs 6:33; 1Kgs 7:18); Gen 29:26 לא יֵעָשֶׂה כן במקומנו, Gen 34:7; 2Sam 13:12 rarer usages, דִּבֶּר כֵּן Exod 6:9, אמר כן 1Kgs 22:8, כֵּן אמרתם Ezek 11:5; Ezek 33:10, ׳אָמֵן כֵּן יאֹמַר י 1Kgs 1:36 (compare Jer 28:6), וגם שׁאול אבי יֹדֵעַ כֵּן 1Sam 23:17 אָהֵב כֵּן (idiomatic) to love (it) so, Jer 5:31; Amos 4:5
(b) Gen 50:3 ימלאו ימי החנֻטים כי כן (compare Judg 14:10; 2Sam 13:18; Esth 2:12);
(c) alone, אִם כֵּן if it be so Gen 25:22; Gen 43:11 כִּיכֵֿןוַיִּרְאוּ 1Sam 5:7, יָדַעְתִּי כִּיכֵֿן Job 9:2
(d) לא כן not so (namely as has been described or implied), with a substantive Num 12:7 לא כן עבדי משׁה, 2Sam 20:21; 2Sam 23:5; Ps 1:4; Job 9:35b כילֿאכֿן אנכי עמדי not so am I with myself (i.e. I am not conscious of being one who would fear him, va), with a verb Deut 18:14 ואתה ׳לא כן נתן לך י (not so, — namely as implied in va), 2Sam 18:14; Isa 10:7 לא כן יְדַמֶּה, לא כן יחשׁב, absolute Gen 48:18 לא כן אבי, Exod 10:11.
2. Often, to emphasize the agreement, in answer to כְּ, and כַּאֲשֶׁר: namely
a. כְּ ֗֗֗ כֵּן,
(a) Gen 44:10 = Josh 2:21 כדבריכם כֶּןהֿוּא according to your words, so be it, 1Sam 25:25 כי כשׁמו כֶּןהֿוּא, Ps 48:11*; Prov 23:7 כֶּןהֿוּא (after conjunction כְּמוֺ), Ezek 42:11 כְּאָרְכָּן כֵּן רָחְבָּן;
(b) Lev 27:12 כְּעֶרְכְּךָ כֵּן יִהְיֶה, 2Sam 13:35; Num 8:4; Num 9:14; Num 15:20; Deut 8:20; Judg 11:10, so after כְּפִי Num 6:21
(c) כְּכֹל ֗֗֗ כֵּן ֗֗֗ 1Sam 8:8; 2Sam 7:17; Jer 42:5
(d) in similes,
(a) 2Sam 14:17 כן ׳אדני המלךכמלאך הא, Jer 18:6; Ps 123:2; Ps 127:4; Prov 10:26; Prov 26:8; Prov 26:19; Prov 27:8; Prov 27:19; Song 2:2; Song 2:3 (β) Joel 2:4 כְּפָרָשִׁים כֵּן יְרוּצוּן, Isa 31:5; Isa 38:14; Ps 103:15; Prov 26:1; Prov 26:2 (γ) Ps 42:2* כאיל תערג ֗֗֗ כן׳נפשׁי וג like the hind which etc., Ps 83:16*; Isa 61:11; Isa 63:14; Job 7:3, so after כמו Isa 26:17 (δ) Jer 2:26 גַּנָּב ֗֗֗ כֵּן הוֺבִישׁוּכְּבשֶׁת, Jer 6:7; Jer 34:5 (read כְּמשׂרפות), Ezek 22:22 (compare vEzek 22:20), Ezek 23:44; Ezek 34:12 compare (of degree) Ezek 35:15 (omitted by ᵐ5 Co), Hos 4:7 כְּרֻבָּם כֵּן חָָֽטְאוּ לִי. Of time (un-common) 1Sam 9:13 כְּבֹאֲכֶם הָעִיר כֵּן תִּמְצְאוּן אֹתוֺ.
b. Ezra 10:12 כן כדבריך עלינו לעשׂות.
c. ֗֗֗ כֵּן ֗֗֗ כַּאֲשֶׁר,
(a) Exod 7:6 כן עשׂו ׳כאשׁר צוה י, Exod 12:28; Exod 12:50; Exod 39:43 (compare Exod 27:8), Num 8:22 (compare Num 5:4), Num 17:26*; Num 36:10; Josh 14:5 (all P); Gen 41:13 כאשׁר פתר כן היה, Josh 10:1; Josh 10:39; Josh 11:15; Judg 1:7; Judg 15:11b Ps 48:9*
(b) (frequently) Num 2:17 כֵּן יִסָּ֑עוּכאשׁר יַחֲנוּ, Exod 1:12 (of degree = the more . . . the more) כַּאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֺ כֵּן יִרְבֶּה וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ;
(c) Gen 6:22 אשׁר צוה אתו אלהים כן עשׂהככל, Exod 39:32; Exod 39:42; Exod 40:16; Num 1:54; Num 2:34; Num 8:20; Num 9:5 (all P), compare Exod 25:9 (וְכֵן), simil. 2Sam 9:11; 2Kgs 16:11, compare Josh 1:17; Jer 42:20
(d) Exod 27:8 הֶרְאָה אתך כן יעשׂוכאשׁר, 2Sam 16:19; 1Kgs 2:38; Isa 20:4; Isa 52:14f.; with the same verb repeated Lev 24:19; Lev 24:20; Deut 28:63 כאשׁר שׂשׂ ֗֗֗ כן ישׂישׂ, Josh 23:15; 1Sam 15:33; 1Sam 26:24; 1Kgs 1:37; Isa 10:11; Jer 5:19; Jer 31:28; Jer 32:42; Jer 42:18; Ezek 12:11; Ezek 20:36; Zech 7:13; Prov 24:29; Num 14:28 אעשׂהאם לא כאשׁר דברתם כן, Isa 14:24, so after הלא Isa 10:11, after asseverative כי 2Sam 3:9; 1Kgs 1:30 so ֗֗֗ כֵּן ׳כָּלעֻֿמַּת שֶׁ Eccl 5:15*
(e) Judg 7:17b כאשׁר אעשׂה כן תעשׂון, Lev 27:14; Num 15:14, compare Jer 39:12
(f) in similes, Deut 12:22; Deut 22:26; Amos 3:12; Isa 65:8; Jer 13:11.
d. כן כאשׁר ֗֗֗ ,
(a) Exod 7:10 ׳ויעשׂו כן כאשׁר צוה י, vExod 7:20; Josh 4:8; 2Sam 5:25; Ezek 12:7, compare Gen 50:12; Num 8:3 iron. Amos 5:14 אתּכם כאשׁר ׳אמרתם יהי כן י, Exod 10:10
(b) Gen 18:5 כן תעשׂה כאשׁר דברת, Neh 5:12. — Occasionally in poetry כאשׁר is not expressed : Isa 54:9 (De), Isa 55:9; Jer 3:20; Job 7:9; Hos 11:2 קראו להם כן הלכו מפניהם (of degree: so = in the same proportion), Ps 48:6* המה ראו כן תמהו (i.e. in the same measure that they saw); Jer 33:22 (according to many, but dubious; read probably כאשׁר Gie) it is represented by אשׁר (so Isa 54:9 Hi Ew Di): Judg 5:15 כ is not expressed. — Nah 1:12 is probably corrupt; Zech 11:11 for כן עניי read כְּנַעֲנֵי. — כֹּה, כָּכָה, כָּזֹאת are synonyms, but differ considerably in usage.
3. With prepositions: —
a. אַחַרכֵּֿן, אַחֲרֵיכֵֿן, מֵאַחֲרֵיכֵֿן, literally after so, i.e. afterwards: see אַחַר.
b. בְּכֵן (late), literally in such circumstances, i.e. thereupon, then, Eccl 8:10; Esth 4:16 (ᵑ7 בְּכֵין often for אָז; e.g. Exod 15:1 SyrJerusalem 
= τότε).
c. כֵּןכְּמוֺֿ Isa 51:6, according to some, like so, i.e. (Vrss Rabb) in like manner, or (De) like this (accompanied by a contemptuous gesture) = like a mere nothing: but see IV. כֵּן.
d. לָכֵן200 according to such conditions, that being so, therefore Num 16:11; 1Sam 27:6; Ps 16:9; Ps 73:6; Ps 73:10 especially in prophets, where it often introduces, after statement of the grounds, a divine declaration or command: Judg 10:13; 2Kgs 1:6; Amos 4:12; Isa 5:13; Isa 5:14; Isa 5:24; Isa 7:14; Isa 10:16; Isa 16:7; Isa 27:9; Jer 6:15; Jer 8:10 etc.; ׳לכן כה אמר י 2Kgs 21:12; Isa 10:24; Isa 28:16; Isa 29:22; Isa 30:12; Isa 37:33; Jer 5:14; Jer 6:21 + often; followed by נאם האדון Isa 1:24 ׳נאם י 1Sam 2:30; Jer 2:9 ׳לכן הנה ימים באים נאם י Jer 7:32; Jer 16:14; Jer 19:6 +; ׳לכן חי אני נאם י Ezek 5:11; Ezek 35:6; Ezek 35:11; Zeph 2:9 הנני ֗֗֗ לכן 1Kgs 14:10; Hos 2:8*; Hos 2:16*; Isa 29:14; Jer 16:21; Ezek 16:37; Ezek 22:19 b Ezek 25:4; Ezek 25:7; Ezek 25:9 +; לכן אֱמֹר Exod 6:6; Num 25:12 (both P), Ezek 11:16; Ezek 11:17; Ezek 14:6; Ezek 20:30; Ezek 33:25; Ezek 36:22 לָכֵן דַּבֵּר Ezek 14:4; Ezek 20:27 לָכֵן הִנָּכֵא Ezek 11:4; Ezek 36:3; Ezek 36:6; Ezek 37:12; Ezek 38:14 . . . . לָכֵן שִׁמְעוּ Isa 28:14; Isa 51:21; Jer 6:18; Jer 44:26 +. In answer to יען, Num 20:12 (P), 1Kgs 14:10; 2Kgs 1:16; 2Kgs 21:12; 2Kgs 22:20; Isa 29:14; Isa 30:13; Jer 19:6 +, Ezek 5:8; Ezek 13:23 +; so, once, וְלָכֵן Isa 8:7 to כי Isa 28:16; Jer 35:17 על Jer 9:14* אם Jer 23:38; Jer 42:15. Special usages: —
(a) idiomatic, in conversation, in reply to an objection, to state the ground upon which the answer is made; Gen 4:15 therefore — this being so — whoso killeth Cain, etc., Gen 30:15; Judg 8:7; Judg 11:8; 1Sam 28:2; 1Kgs 22:19; Job 20:2 (ᵐ5 in Genesis Kings Job, not perceiving the idiom, renders οὐχοὕτως (as though לאכֿן): so also strangely, elsewhere, as 1Sam 3:14; 2Kgs 1:4; 2Kgs 1:6; 2Kgs 21:12).
(b) inferring the cause from the effect, or developing what is logically involved in a statement, Isa 26:14b (compare De) therefore thou hast visited and destroyed them (not a consequence of va 'the dead rise not,' but the development of what is implicit in it), Isa 61:7; Jer 2:33; Jer 5:2 (because namely אין אמונה vJer 5:1), Job 34:25; Job 42:3. — Zech 11:7 read לִכְנַעֲנֵי הַצּאֹן.
e. עַדכֵּֿן hitherto (of time), as yet Neh 2:16. feminine עַלכֵּֿן145 upon ground of such conditions, therefore (introducing, more generally than לָכֵן, the statement of a fact, rather than a declaration: never used in the phrases noted under לָכֵן), Gen 20:6; Gen 42:21; Exod 5:8; Exod 5:17; Exod 16:29; Exod 20:11; 1Sam 20:29; 1Sam 28:18; 2Sam 7:22; 2Sam 7:27; 1Kgs 20:23; Isa 5:25; Isa 9:16*; Isa 13:7; Isa 13:13; Isa 15:4; Isa 15:7; Isa 16:9; Isa 16:11; Isa 17:10; Isa 21:3; Isa 10:21; Isa 12:8; Isa 20:11; Isa 31:3; Isa 31:20; Isa 22:4; Isa 31:5 etc., Ps 1:5; Ps 42:7*; Ps 45:3* c (the poet's inference from va. b), vPs 1:8; Ps 110:7; Job 6:3; Job 9:22; Job 17:4; Job 20:21 etc., Song 1:3 and regularly where the origin of a name, or custom, or proverb is assigned, Gen 2:24 ׳עלכֿן יעזב אישׁ וג, Gen 10:9 יֵאָמַ֔רעלכֿן, Gen 11:9 עלכֿן קרא שׁמה בבל, Gen 16:14; Gen 19:22; Gen 21:31; Gen 25:30; Gen 26:33; Gen 29:34; Gen 29:35; Gen 30:6; Gen 32:33*; Gen 47:22; Exod 13:15; Exod 15:23; Num 18:24; Num 21:14; Num 21:27; Deut 10:9 (compare Deut 15:11; Deut 15:15; Deut 19:7; Deut 24:18; Deut 24:22), Josh 7:26; Josh 14:14; Judg 15:19; Judg 18:12; 1Sam 5:5; 1Sam 10:12; 1Sam 23:28 (? read so 1Sam 27:6) 2Sam 5:8; 2Sam 5:20 etc.; הַעַלכֵּֿן Hab 1:17. — Esth 9:26 the 2nd על כן (unless dittograph) points unusually onwards to האגרתעל כל דברי on this account, on account, namely, etc.
II. כֵּן see כון; III. כֵּן see I. כנן; IV. כֵּן see II. כנן. p. 467, below
Brown-Driver-Briggs References