Jastrow: קֵן

קֵן c. (b. h.; 1) nest; birds in a nest. Ḥull. XII, 1, a. fr. שילוח הקן the duty of letting the mother bird go when a nest is taken out (Deut. XXII, 6 sq.). Gen. R. s. 19 אש יוצאה מקִינֹּו fire goes forth from its nest and burns it (the phœnix, v. חוֹל II); Midr. Sam. ch. XII; Yalk. Job 917 מקִנֹּו. Ex. R. s. 20 מצאו להם קן they (the Israelites) found a nest for themselves (with ref. to Ps. LXXXIV, 4); a. fr. —2) (fem.) the couple of sacrificial birds (Lev. XII, 8; XIV, 30; a. e.). Ḳinnim II, 1 קן סתומה a couple of birds concerning which it has not yet been decided which is to be the burnt offering, and which the sin offering; ib. 4 קן מפורשת which has been decided upon; a. fr.—Pl. קִנִּים, קִנִּין, קִי׳. Ker. 28ᵃ אין הק׳ מתפרשות וכ׳ the special designation of the couples is made either by the owner or by the priest’s action. Ned. IV, 3 קִינֵּי זבין the bird sacrifices of those cured from gonorrhœa; ק׳ יולדות those of women after confinement; a. fr.—Ḳinnim, Ḳinnin, name of a treatise of the Mishnah, of the Order of Ḳodashim. —3) cavity, chamber. — Pl. as ab. Lev. R. s. 14, v. כִּינָּה, a. כֹּונָנִית. Koh. R. to I, 9 שלא נבראו בי ק׳ וכ׳ because no chambers (for the reception of prophecy) were created within me until now &c.; (Ex. R. s. 28 לא נתנה לו רשות להתנבאות no permission to prophesy had been given him).