Deep Dive into כון

The Hebrew root $\text{כּוּן}$ fundamentally conveys the meaning "to be firm," "straight," or "erect." This core concept evolves across its six active and passive verbal stems to express crucial ideas of stability, establishment, creation, and preparation.

The most frequent verbal form is the Hiphil stem, occurring 110 times. The Hiphil is causative, meaning "to prepare," "make ready," "set up," or "establish." This stem is applied practically, such as preparing food, gifts, or materials for construction, and theologically, as God uses it to establish the world, heavens, and mountains. Its high concentration in 1 and 2 Chronicles highlights its use in detailing the preparation and acquisition of items for the temple.

The Niphal stem, occurring 66 times, expresses the stative or passive result: "to be established," "to be steadfast," or "to be ready." It is frequently used in Psalms, Proverbs, and Job to describe the firmness of the earth, the reliability of words, or the condition of being prepared for an event.

The Po'lel stem, which occurs 29 times, signifies active creation and founding. This stem is central to hymnic statements describing God founding the cosmos, fixing the heavens, constituting man, and establishing cities or nations. It also has the technical meaning of fixing an arrow on a bow to take aim, illustrating the setting up of an object for precise use. The passive forms, Hophal and Po'lal, indicate the result of these actions, meaning "to be made ready" or "to be set up firmly." The Hitpo'lel stem is used reflexively, meaning "to prepare oneself" or "to be firmly founded."

The enduring nature conveyed by the root is also reflected in its noun derivatives. The noun $\text{מָכוֹן}$ refers to a fixed or established place, such as the foundation of the earth or the site of Yahweh's abode. The noun $\text{מְכוֹנָה}$ refers to a fixed resting-place, base, or stand, most notably the stand used for the temple lavers. The consistent semantic range of $\text{כּוּן}$ links physical permanence with divine order and ethical certainty.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

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