קֶ֫רֶן75 H7161a
Horn of an animal or altar; metaphorically, strength, power, or dignity; also a hill or slope, and rays of light from a theophany.
The noun qeren (קֶרֶן) begins with the concrete horn of a ram or ox and spirals outward into some of the most vivid imagery in Scripture. Its literal use dominates: the ram caught by its horns in the thicket (Gen 22:13), the horn-shaped projections on the altar of burnt offering (Exod 27:2), the ram's horn trumpet of Jericho (Josh 6:5), and the horns of Daniel's apocalyptic visions (Dan 8:3–21). From this physical root grows the metaphor of the 'exalted horn' — strength, power, and dignity — as when Hannah sings 'my horn is exalted in the LORD' (1 Sam 2:1). Arabic translators often shift from qarn (horn) to quwwa (power) for these passages, revealing the semantic leap. Two rare but memorable extensions complete the picture: the fertile hillside of Isaiah's vineyard song (Isa 5:1), where Spanish translates 'ladera' (slope), and the dazzling rays streaming from God's hand in Habakkuk 3:4, where Spanish uses 'rayos' and Korean 'gwangseon' — beams of light shaped like horns radiating outward.
Senses
1. horn (literal, physical) — A literal, physical horn — whether of a ram, ox, or wild bull — and by direct extension the horn-shaped projections on the corners of the altar, a horn used as an oil vessel, or a horn trumpet. This is the dominant sense at 67 occurrences, covering Abraham's ram caught by its horns (Gen 22:13), the altar horns smeared with blood (Exod 29:12, 30:2), the horn of anointing oil (1 Sam 16:1, 1 Kgs 1:39), and the apocalyptic horns of Daniel's visions (Dan 8:3–21). Spanish 'cuerno,' French 'corne,' and German 'Horn' all hold steady across these contexts. Ezekiel's oppressive rams that push with their horns (Ezek 34:21) and Zechariah's four horns representing hostile nations (Zech 2:1–4) straddle the line between literal and figurative. 67×
AR["الْقَرْنُ", "قَرْناً", "قَرْنًا", "قَرْنٌ", "قَرْنٌ-", "قَرْنَ", "قَرْنُ", "قَرْنِ", "قُرونَهُ", "قُرونُهُ", "قُرونِهِ"]·ben["-শিং", "এর-শিং-গুলি", "তার-শৃঙ্গগুলি", "শিং", "শিং-", "শিঙ", "শৃঙ্গ"]·DE["Horn", "[קרן]", "der-horn-von", "ein-Horn", "horn-von", "sein-Hoerner"]·EN["a-horn", "a-horn-", "horn", "horn-of", "its-horns", "the-horn", "the-horn-of"]·FR["[קרן]", "corne", "corne-de", "le-corne", "le-corne-de", "son-cornes"]·heb["ה-קרן", "קרן", "קרנותיו"]·HI["उसके-सींग", "उसके-सींगों", "केरेन", "सींग", "सींग-", "सींग-को", "सेएनग"]·ID["-tanduk", "tabung-tanduk", "tanduk", "tanduk-tanduknya"]·IT["[קרן]", "corno", "corno-di", "il-corno-di", "suo-corna"]·jav["sungu", "sungu-sungu-nipun", "sungu-sungu-nipun,", "sungu-sungunipun", "sungunipun"]·KO["그-뿔들을", "그-뿔들이", "그것의-뿔들", "그것의-뿔들을", "뿐", "뿔", "뿔-을", "뿔-이", "뿔을", "뿜을", "뿜이", "뿼", "뿽-을"]·PT["a-ponta", "chifre", "chifre-de", "chifres-dele", "o-chifre", "um-chifre", "um-chifre-"]·RU["рог", "рог-", "рога-его", "рогах-его", "силу"]·ES["cuerno", "cuerno-", "cuerno-de", "el-cuerno", "el-cuerno-de", "sus-cuernos"]·SW["pembe", "pembe-", "pembe-ya", "pembe-zake", "ya-mafuta"]·TR["boynuz", "boynuz-", "boynuzları", "boynuzlarını", "boynuzlarının", "boynuzu", "boynuzunu"]·urd["اُس-کے-سینگ", "اُس-کے-سینگوں", "سینگ"]
Exod 27:2, Exod 27:2, Exod 29:12, Exod 30:2, Exod 30:3, Exod 30:10, Exod 37:25, Exod 37:26, Exod 38:2, Exod 38:2, Lev 4:7, Lev 4:18 (+38 more)
2. horn as strength/power — Metaphorical horn as strength, might, dignity, or political power — the 'exalted horn' idiom. Hannah's song declares 'my horn is exalted in the LORD' (1 Sam 2:1); the psalmist trusts that God will 'exalt the horn of his anointed' (Ps 89:17, 24; 92:10). Arabic renderings shift from qarn (physical horn) to quwwa (power/strength), exposing the metaphorical transfer. Spanish keeps 'cuerno' but the surrounding verbs — 'ensalzar' (to exalt), 'levantar' (to raise) — mark the figurative domain. Job's humiliation is expressed as 'I have laid my horn in the dust' (Job 16:15), where the horn is personal dignity brought low. 6×
AR["قَرنُهُ", "قَرْنِي", "قُوَّتُنَا", "قُوَّتُهُ"]·ben["আমাদের-শিং", "আমার-শিং", "তার-শিং"]·DE["Horn", "mein-Horn", "mein-horn", "sein-Horn", "unser-Horn"]·EN["his-horn", "my-horn", "our-horn"]·FR["corne", "mon-corne", "mon-קרני-moi"]·heb["קרנו", "קרני", "קרננו"]·HI["अपना-सींग", "उसका-सींग", "मेरा-सींग", "सींग", "हमारा-सींग"]·ID["tanduk-kami", "tanduk-ku", "tanduk-nya", "tandukku", "tanduknya"]·IT["corno", "corno-mio", "il-suo-corno", "le-mie-corna", "mio-corno"]·jav["sungu-kawula", "sungu-kita", "sungu-kula", "sungu-nipun", "sungunipun"]·KO["그-의-뿔-이", "그-의-뿜-이", "나-의-뿔-을", "나-의-뿜", "나의-뿍을", "우리-의-뿜-을"]·PT["chifre-meu", "meu-chifre", "nosso-chifre", "o-meu-chifre", "o-seu-chifre", "seu-poder"]·RU["рог-его", "рог-мой", "рог-наш"]·ES["cuerno-de-el", "cuerno-de-nosotros", "mi-cuerno", "su-cuerno"]·SW["pembe-yake", "pembe-yangu", "pembe-yetu"]·TR["boynuzu", "boynuzum", "boynuzumu", "boynuzumuz"]·urd["اُس-کا-سینگ", "اپنا-سینگ", "میرا-سینگ", "ہمارا-سینگ"]
3. hill or peak (topographic) — A horn-shaped geographical feature — a projecting hill, fertile slope, or promontory. Isaiah 5:1 places the beloved's vineyard on a 'qeren of a fertile hill,' where the image is a terraced hillside jutting outward like a horn. Spanish renders 'ladera' (hillside/slope), and German paraphrases the topography. This single occurrence preserves an ancient metaphorical mapping from animal anatomy to landscape that is well attested in other Semitic languages. 1×
AR["فِي-رَبوَةٍ"]·ben["-শিখরে"]·DE["[בקרן]"]·EN["in-horn"]·FR["dans-corne"]·heb["ב-קרן"]·HI["कोने-पर"]·ID["di-lereng"]·IT["corno"]·jav["ing-punthuk"]·KO["뿔-에"]·PT["em-chifre-de"]·RU["на-вершине"]·ES["en-ladera-de"]·SW["juu-ya-kilima"]·TR["boynuzunda"]·urd["ٹیلے-پر"]
4. rays of light — Rays or beams of light radiating outward from a divine theophany, shaped metaphorically like horns projecting from a source. Habakkuk 3:4 describes radiance streaming from God's hand, where 'horns' become beams of glory. Spanish translates 'rayos' (rays), Korean uses 'gwangseon' (light beams), and Swahili 'miale' (rays) — all confirming that translators across traditions understood qeren here as luminous projections rather than animal appendages. This verse also lies behind the tradition of depicting Moses with horns, since the related verb qaran in Exodus 34:29 was famously rendered cornuta in the Vulgate. 1×
AR["قُرُونٌ"]·ben["কিরণ"]·DE["Horn"]·EN["rays"]·FR["corne"]·heb["קרניים"]·HI["सींग"]·ID["tanduk-tanduk"]·IT["corno"]·jav["sorot"]·KO["광선-들이"]·PT["raios"]·RU["лучи"]·ES["rayos"]·SW["miale"]·TR["ışınlar"]·urd["سینگ"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
קֶ֫רֶן75 n.f. Je 48:25 horn;—abs. ק׳ Is 5:1 +, קָ֑רֶן, ψ 75:5; cstr. קֶ֫רֶן Jos 6:5 +; sf. קַרְנִי 1 S 2:1 ψ 92:11, etc.; du. קַרְנַיִם Hb 3:4, קְרָנַיִם Dn 8:3, 6, -נָ֑יִם v 3, 20; cstr. קַרְנֵי, קַרְנוֹת ψ 75:11, sf. קַרְנָיו Gn 22:13 Dt 33:17, קְרָנָיו Dn 8:7, קַרְנֵיכֶם Ez 34:21; pl. (usually in der. senses) קְרָנוֹת Ez 43:15 +; cstr. קַרְנֹת Ex 29:12 +, sf. קַרְנֹתָיו 27:2 +, etc.;—horn: †1.…