Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 16, 2026

Kenan

Kenan is an Antediluvian patriarch first mentioned in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible.

Last revised
Jul 16, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
350 w
Citations
31
Source
Kenan
קֵינָן
Kenan as depicted in Jacques de Charron's Histoire universelle (1630)
SpouseMualeleth
ChildrenMahalalel
more sons and daughters
ParentEnos
RelativesSeth (grandfather)
Adam and Eve (great-grandparents)
Cain (granduncle)
Abel (granduncle)
Irad (second cousin)
Jared (grandson)
Enoch (great-grandson)
Methuselah (great-great-grandson)
Lamech (great-great-great-grandson)
Noah (great-great-great-great-grandson)

Kenan (also spelled Qenan, Kaynan, Caynam or Cainan) (Hebrew: קֵינָן, Modern: Qēnan, Tiberian: Qēnān; Arabic: كِنَاْنْ, romanizedKinān; Biblical Greek: Καϊνάμ, romanized: Kaïnám) is an Antediluvian patriarch first mentioned in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible.

The Sefer ha-Yashar describes Cainan, the possessor of great astrological wisdom, which had been inscribed on tables of stone, as the son of Seth; i.e., the antediluvian Kenan grandson of Seth according to the Bible. He is revered within Islamic tradition as well.

In scriptures

According to Genesis 5:9–14, Kenan was a son of Enosh and a grandson of Seth. Born when Enosh was 90 years old (3679 BC),12 Kenan fathered Mahalalel when he was 70 years old.31 Other sons and daughters were born to Kenan before he died at 910 years of age (when Noah was aged 179 as per the Masoretic chronology).

According to the Book of Jubilees, Kenan's mother was Noam, wife and sister of Enosh; and Kenan's wife, Mualeleth, was his sister.

He is also mentioned in the Genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:36–37.

Family tree

The following family tree has been constructed from a variety of biblical and extra-biblical sources:

AdamaEvea
CainaAbelbSethc
EnochdEnose
IradfKenang
MehujaelfMahalalelh
MethushaelfJaredi
AdahjLamechfZillahjEnochk
JaballJubalmTubal-CainnNaamahnMethuselaho
Lamechp
Noahq
ShemrHamrJaphethr
  1. Genesis 4:1
  2. Genesis 4:2
  3. Genesis 4:25; 5:3
  4. Genesis 4:17
  5. Genesis 4:26; 5:6–7
  6. Genesis 4:18
  7. Genesis 5:9–10
  8. Genesis 5:12–13
  9. Genesis 5:15–16
  10. Genesis 4:19
  11. Genesis 5:18–19
  12. Genesis 4:20
  13. Genesis 4:21
  14. Genesis 4:22
  15. Genesis 5:21–22
  16. Genesis 5:25–26
  17. Genesis 5:28–30
  18. Genesis 5:32

In Islam

In Islam, Kinān ibn Anūsh (Arabic: قينان بن أنوش) was the son of Anūsh and possibly a prophet in islam. He is mentioned in the various collections of tales of the Islamic prophets, which honor him in an identical manner.

References

References

  1. Larsson, Gerhard (1983). "The Chronology of the Pentateuch: A Comparison of the MT and LXX". Journal of Biblical Literature. 102 (3): 401–409. doi:10.2307/3261014. JSTOR 3261014.
  2. Genesis 5:9
  3. Genesis 5:12