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Glite Dictionary
✡️ Jewish priests 🧑‍🦱 A Jewish surname
Kohanim

Kohanim

9.9
A group of Jewish priests who come from Aaron
  • noun
  • /koʊˈhɑːnɪm/
translation icon : Cohanim
  • The Kohanim hold a special status within the Jewish community as descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses.

Examples

  • According to tradition, the Kohanim are required to perform the priestly blessing during certain Jewish ceremonies.

  • The rabbinic text requires the kohanim to remove their shoes before ascending the platform to bestow the blessing.

    Academic text (1992)

  • High priest, the, the Kohanim, the priests, the Levis, the Israelites.

  • In synagogue services, the Kohanim are called upon to offer blessings to the congregation.

Surface Forms

Kohanim plural
Kohen singular

Morphology

Kohanim = kohen (semi-transparent) = kohen + im

Formally the Hebrew singular 'kohen' plus the Hebrew plural suffix '-im' is clear, but the plural morphology is not productive in English and may not be obvious to average learners.

Etymology

Kohanim comes from the Hebrew kohen, which means 'priest' and is the plural form. Think of the common surname Cohen, which shares the same root, so Kohanim today are members of the Jewish priestly class and are traditionally seen as descendants of Aaron.