כֹּהֵן

n.m. priest (NH כֹּהֵן; Aramaic כָּהֵין, כַּהֲנָא ܟܳܗܶܢ, ܟܳܗܢܳܐ; Ethiopic ካህን, all id.; on Ph. and Arabic v. supr.);—כ׳ Gn 14:18 + 439 times; pl. כֹּהֲנִים Ex 19:6 + 272 times; cstr. כֹּהֲנֵי 1 S 5:5 + 13 times; sf. כֹּהֲנַי La 1:19 + 22 times; sfs.— priest-king: e.g. Melchizedek Gn 14:18 (E?), cf. ψ 110:4 (the Messianic priest-King like Melchizedek); Zc 6:13 (Messianic priest and king); Israel מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים Ex 19:6 (E) a kingdom of priests (priests and kings at once in their relation to the nations); cf. Is 61:6 (of Israel ministering as a priest); or a chieftain (exercising priestly functions) כֹּהֵן מִדְיָן Ex 2:16; 3:1; 18:1 (all JE); so also probably the sons of David 2 S 8:18, his grandson 1 K 4:5; and Ira the Jairite 2 S 20:26, who as princes performed priestly functions. With these we may class the כהנים Ex 19:22, 24 (J). priests of other religions than י׳’s: Potiphera כ׳ אֹן Gn 41:45, 50 (E), 46:20 (P); Egyptian כהנים Gn 47:22(×2), 26 (J); כ׳ דָגוֹן 1 S 5:5; Philistine כהנים וקסמים 1 S 6:2; כֹּהֲנָיו his priests: e.g. of Baal 2 K 10:19 = of Ahab 2 K 10:11; of Chemosh Je 48:7; of Malcam Je 49:3; Mattan was כ׳ הבעל 2 K 11:18 = 2 Ch 23:17; הכמרים עם הכהנים Zp 1:4; Josiah burned the bones of the priests of the Baalim and Asherim 2 Ch 34:5. priests of special orders in Israel: Micah in the hill-country of Ephraim consecrated his own son וַיְהִי־לוֹ לְכֹהֵן Ju 17:5; but so soon as he could secure Jonathan ben Gershom, a descendant of Moses (see VB Ju 18:30), he consecrated him, היה ל׳ לכהן Ju 17:10, 12, 13; 18:4, 19; הַכֹּהֵן v 6, 17, 18, 20, 24, 27. He was captured by the Danites, and he and his line became priests at Dan until the Exile, v 19(×2), 30. Jeroboam עשׂה כהנים 1 K 12:31 of those not מבני לוי, as כ׳ (הַ)בָּמוֹת priests of (the) high places 1 K 12:32; 13:2, 33(×2) = כ׳ לבמות 2 Ch 11:15; Amaziah (of this class) was כ׳ בית־אל Am 7:10; v. also 2 Ch 13:9; called by Chr כ׳ לְלֹא אלהים v 9; yet Hosea rebukes them as priests of י׳ Ho 4:4, 9; 5:1; 6:9; at the Exile they were deported by the Assyrians 2 K 17:27, 28. the people imported into Samaria made some of themselves כ׳ במות to worship י׳ the God of the land 2 K 17:32. priests in Israel הכהנים who bore the ark and the trumpets Jos 3:13, 14, 15, 17; 4:3, 9, 10, 17, 18(×2); 6:4(×2), 6(×2), 8, 9, 12, 13, 16 (all JE), 1 K 8:3, 6, 10, 11; Eli was הכהן 1 S 1:9; 2:11; כ׳ יהוה 14:3; and his sons כ׳ ליהוה 1 S 1:3; a מִשְׁפַּט הַכֹּהֲנִים 1 S 2:13 mentions the ministering priest הכהן and the נַעַר הַכּ׳ 1 S 2:13, 14, 15(×2), Ahijah was הַכּ׳ in time of Saul 1 S 14:19(×2); 36; Abimelech הַכּ׳ at Nob, a priestly centre, 1 S 21:2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10; 22:11; where were many כֹּהֲנֵי י׳ 1 S 22:17(×2), 21, all slain by Saul except Abiathar son of Ahimelech 1 S 22:11, 18(×2), 19, who became הַכּ׳ 1 S 23:9; 30:7 1 K 1:7, 19, 25, 42; 2:22, 26; Zadok later was הַכּ׳ 2 S 15:27 1 K 1:8, 26, 32, 34, 38, 39, 44, 45; 2:35; 3:2 1 Ch 16:39; 24:6: so that the two were (ה)כהנים 2 S 8:17 = 1 Ch 18:16 (read וְאֶבְיָתָר בֶּן־אח׳ 2 S 8:17 𝔖 We Dr, and correct 1 Ch 18:16 accordingly) 2 S 15:35(×2); 17:15; 19:12; 20:25 1 K 4:4; Sol. removed Abiathar 1 K 2:27 and Zadok was anointed לְכֹהֵן according to 1 Ch 29:22; cf. prediction of rejection of house of Eli and selection of כ׳ נֶאֱמָן 1 S 2:28, 35; Jehoiada הַכּ׳ led the revolution against Athaliah 2 K 11:9(×2), 10, 15(×2), 18; 12:3, 8, 10 = 2 Ch 22:11; 23:8(×2), 9, 14(×2); 24:2, 20, 25, perhaps also Je 29:26; הנהנים sustaining him in his reforms 2 K 12:5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17; Uriah was הַכּ׳ in the reign of Ahaz 2 K 16:10, 11(×2), 15, 16 Is 8:2; Hilkiah of Josiah 2 K 22:10, 12, 14; 23:24 2 Ch 34:14, 18. Other individual priests are named, e.g.: Pashhur of Jehoiachin Je 20:1; Zephaniah of Zedekiah Je 21:1; 29:25, 26, 29; 37:3; הַכּ׳ is Ezekiel’s title Ez 1:3. Priests are classed with officials of state: prophets and priests 2 K 23:2 Is 28:7 Je 5:31; 6:13; 8:10; 14:18; 23:11, 33, 34; 26:7, 8, 11, 16; 29:1; La 2:20; 4:13; priests and elders La 1:19; 4:16; king and priest La 2:6; kings, priests, and prophets Je 13:13; kings, princes, and priests Je 1:18; princes, eunuchs, and priests Je 34:19; priest, sage, and prophet Je 18:18; chiefs, priests, and prophets Mi 3:11; prophets, priests, and elders Ez 7:26; kings, princes, priests, and prophets Je 2:26; 4:9; 8:1; 32:32; princes, judges, prophets, and priests Zp 3:4; seeming to exclude any other officials. Apparently in the same generic sense הכהנים Je 1:1; 2:8; 27:16; 28:1, 5; 29:25; 31:14; כַּכֹּהֵן Is 24:2; כהנים Jb 12:19; כהניה La 1:4 Ez 22:26; כהניו ψ 78:64. Moses and Aaron among his priests ψ 99:6 includes Moses (against P). Zion’s priests clothed with righteousness and salvation ψ 132:9, 16 = 2 Ch 6:41, prob. here also. Levitical priests הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם Dt 17:9, 18; 18:1; 24:8; 27:9; Jos 3:3; 8:33 (all D), Je 33:18 (inverted), v 21 (neither in 𝔊), 2 Ch 5:5 (= הַכּ׳ וְהַלּ׳ 1 K 8:4: Chronicler retains original Deuteronomic reading), Ez 43:19; 44:15 (cf. 6); הַכּ׳ בְנֵי לֵוִי Dt 21:5; 31:9; לקח לכ׳ לל׳ Is 66:21 take for priests, for Levites (of the nations in Messianic age). Doubtless of same class are: הַכֹּהֲנִים Dt 18:3; 19:17; Jos 3:6, 8; 4:11 (D); and הַכֹּהֵן, the priest officiating on a partic. occasion Dt 18:3; 20:2; or holding a partic. dignity 17:12; 26:3, 4. The כהנים of the other cities of Judah, כ׳ הבמות, who were not allowed to minister in Jerusalem 2 K 23:8(×2), 9, 20, may be an attempt to enforce an exclusion from the priesthood of all but Levitical priests. Zadokite priests: Ezekiel distinguishes among הכהנים הלוים those of the seed of Zadok, בְּנֵי צָדוֹק; all but the latter excluded by him from priesthood 40:46; 43:19; 44:15; 48:11; the priests of his code being all Zadokites 40:45, 46; 42:13, 14; 43:24, 27; 44:21, 22, 30(×2), 31; 45:4, 19; 46:2, 19, 20; 48:10, 13. Aaronic priests. In H. it is taken for granted that a priest is of the seed of Aaron; the pl. is never used; כֹּהֵן is used for any priest Lv 21:9; 22:10, 11, 12, 13; הַכֹּהֵן for Aaron Lv 21:21, and for the official priest (acting for the priesthood, almost collective) Lv 17:5, 6; 22:14; 23:10, 11, 20(×2); 27:8(×3), 11, 12(×2), 14(×2), 18, 21, 23. The priests of P are בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן Lv 1:5, 8, 11; 2:2; 3:2; 21:1 Nu 3:3; 10:8 Jos 21:19; so in Chronicles 2 Ch 13:9, 10; 26:18; 29:21; 31:19; 35:14(×2); הַכֹּהֵן is used of Aaron 22 times, Eleazar 29 times, Phinehas Jos 22:30 and elsewhere; 180 times of ministering priests, or generic of the priests; הכהנים Lv 6:22; 7:6; 13:2; 16:33 Jos 4:16; כהן Lv 6:16. Chronicles distinguishes הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם 1 Ch 13:2; 15:11, 14; 23:2; 24:6, 31; 28:13, 21 2 Ch 8:15; 11:13; 13:9, 10; 23:4; 24:5; 29:4; 30:15, 25; 31:2(×2), 4, 9; 34:30; 35:8, 18 (the variants without וְ 2 Ch 23:18; 30:27 are due to copyists’ errors). Ezr 1:5; 2:70; 3:8, 12; 6:20; 7:7; 8:29, 30; 9:1 Ne 7:72; 8:13; 11:3; 12:1, 30, 44(×2); 13:30; הלוים והכהנים 2 Ch 19:8; 30:21; priests, Levites, and others 1 Ch 9:2 Ezr 10:5 Ne 10:1, 29, 35; 11:20; בְּנֵי לֵוִי antith. to הַכּ׳ Ezr 8:15; הכהן בן אהרן עם הלוים Ne 10:39; (ה)כהנים in Chr 67 times has the same reference, as also כֹּהֲנֵינוּ Ezr 9:7 Ne 9:32, 34; כֹּהֵן Ezr 2:63 = Ne 7:65; כ׳ ליהוה 2 Ch 26:17; כהניו His (God’s) priests 2 Ch 13:12; כ׳ מוֹרֶה teaching priest 2 Ch 15:3; הַכֹּהֵן is used of Jehoiada in time of David 1 Ch 27:5, and Azariah in the reign of Uzziah 2 Ch 26:17. In the literature of the restoration הַכֹּהֵן is used of Ezra, Ezr 7:11; 10:10, 16 Ne 8:2, 9; 12:26; Uriah Ezr 8:33; Eliashib Ne 13:4; Shelemiah Ne 13:13; הכהנים Jo 1:9, 13; 2:17 Hg 2:11, 12, 13 Zc 7:5 Mal 1:6; 2:1; priests and prophets Zc 7:3; כהן Mal 2:7. the high priest: הַכֹּהֵן is frequently used (see 4) to designate the priest who was at the head of priestly affairs. The adj. הַגָּדוֹל first appears of Jehoiada 2 K 12:11, then of Hilkiah 2 K 22:4, 8; 23:4; 2 Ch 34:9; after the exile, of Joshua Hg 1:1, 12, 14; 2:2, 4 Zc 3:1, 8; 6:11, and Eliashib Ne 3:1, 20; 13:28. But P uses it of Aaron and his eldest descendants who are anointed with holy oil Lv 21:10 (H; הכ׳ הַגָּדוֹל מֶאֶהָיו), Nu 35:25, 28(×2) Jos 20:6, and so הַכּ׳ הַמָּשִׁיהַ Lv 4:3, 5, 16; 6:15, cf. 16:32. כ׳ הָרֹאשׁ is used of Seraiah 2 K 25:18 = Je 52:24; and, in Chronicler, of Amariah 2 Ch 19:11, Jehoiada 2 Ch 24:11, Azariah, 2 Ch 26:20; 31:10; of Aaron Ezr 7:5. (We also supposes הרואה in 2 S 15:27 to be a corruption of הראשׁ, which he regards as postexilic insertion. The text is corrupt [see DrSm. l.c.]; but this correction is improbable. Lists of high priests occur 1 Ch 5:30–41; 6:35–38.) A priest of second rank (כֹּהֵן (ה)מִשְׁנֶה) appears in 2 K 23:4 (cstr. pl. incorrect), 25:18 = Je 52:24; זִקְנֵי הַכּ׳ 2 K 19:2 = Is 37:2, Je 19:1; שָׂרֵי הַכּ׳ 2 Ch 36:14 Ezr 8:24, 29; 10:5; רָאשֵׁי הַכּ׳ Ne 12:7.