←
kˁn adv. now
1
now
BAEzra, Nabatean, Qumran, JLAtg, PTA, LJLA
Ezra 5:16↗ וְעַד־כְּעַן מִתְבְּנֵא וְלָא שְׁלִם‏ : up until now it has been under construction but is not complete ; GenApoc 19.13↗ כען חלפנא ארענא ועלנא לארע בני חם‏ ; TgJ Is9:16↗ וְעַד כְעַן מְתַקְפִין מִרדֵיהוֹן‏ : up until now they have been strengthening their rebellions ; TN Gen38:25↗ איתמר לי כען‏ : I have now been told ; PJ Ex9:3↗ הא מחת ידא דייי הויא כען‏ : a blow of the Lord's hand is going to happen now
(1)
mn kˁn, מִכְעַן : from now on, after that
Nabatean, Qumran, JLAtg
NabCvLet 1:.30↗ wẏtẇb wyhwˀ lh mn kˁn : it should go back to being his from now on ; 4QTQah 1,2:1↗ מן כען ולעד‏ : from now on ; TgJ 1Sam18:8↗ וֻמִכְעַן לָא אִשתְאַרַת לֵיה עוֹד אְלָהֵין מַלכוּתָא‏ : so after that nothing more was left to him except the kingship ; TgJ Jer3:1↗ וְתוּבִי מִכְעַן לְפֻלחָנִי‏ : so from now on return to My worship
2
(w./w.o. w_) : introducing direct discourse or a separate subject or logical consequence, often with a sense of polite request
OfAGen, OfAEg-inf, OfAEg, OfAPer, OfAEast, OfAWest, BAEzra, BADan, Qumran, JLAtg, LJLA
IdumMarrDocument 4↗ כען בעה אנה מנך זי ٠[٠٠٠‏ : now I am asking of you that ... ; TAD A2.7 R.2↗ וכען עליכי מתכל אנה הוי‏ : now then I am relying on you ; TAD A6.10 .3↗ וכען תנה כן שמיע לי‏ : now I have heard here ; ADAB A.1:R:10↗ kˁn zy hnṣltm twb htbw lhm : now then return to them what you took away ; Ezra 4:13↗ כְּעַן יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵא לְמַלְכָּא‏ : so now the King should know ; Dan 6:9↗ כְּעַן מַלְכָּא תְּקִים אֱסָרָא‏ : now then the King should establish a prohibition ; 4Q537 A:3↗ וכען סב לוחיא‏ : so now take the tablets ; TgO Gen3:22↗ וֻכעַן דִלמָא יוֹשֵיט יֲדֵיה וְיִסַב אַף מֵאִילָן חַיַיָא‏ ; PJ Gen4:11↗ וכען חלף דקטלתיה ליט את‏ : so now because you killed him you are cursed
(1)
enclitic particle of polite entreaty, often corresponding to Hebrew נָא
JLAtg, PTA, JBAg, LJLA
TgO Gen13:14↗ זְקוֹף כְעַן עֵינָך וֻחזִי‏ ; GT C Gen31:44↗ וְכַדּוּן אֶתָא כְעַן נְקַיֵּים קִיַים‏ : [MT וְעַתָּה לְכָה נִכְרְתָה בְרִית] ; 72300.72300↗ האבי כען ואייבים יתיכי‏ : now please allow me to make levirate marriage with you ; PJ Gen3:18↗ נקום כען ונלעי‏ : now let us get to work
☛▶
🔍▶
✎▶
Meaning 3 for Biblical Hebrew נָא is not due to a misunderstanding of the Hebrew on the part of the targumists. It is rather a discourse marker as is "now" in English and other languages. Compare, for example, the substantial semantic and stress-position differences between "come nów!" and "cóme now".
It is quite possible that in some cases JlAtg מִכְעַן means "therefore" rather then "from now on".
Page refs. in other dictionaries: DJPA: 266aDJBA: 594aJastrow: 656Levy Ch-W: 1:378Tal Sam: 403DNWSI: 526DISO: 125DJA: 57bQumran: 117

© The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon ©
Thu, 05 Nov 2026 20:32:49 -0500