CHENAANAII (r)m, Sept. Xavavciv ; Vulg. Clianana. Fiirst, in Hebr. Wortb. s. v., says it is the original form of the noun pin, Canaan ; and suggests that the prevalence of such names as this, and Tharsish and Cush among the Benjamites, indicates special connection by intermarriage with the earlier race ; the straits to which this tribe was specially reduced may have driven its mem bers to special alliances with their Phoenician neighbours). This proper name occurs five times.
I. In I Chron. vii. so it designates a great-grand son of•the patriarch Benjamin ; CHENAANAH being the fourth of seven sons of Bilhan, who was the son of Jediael, the third son of Benjamin. Chenaanah is described as, like his brethren, the head of a Mishpachah or clan, and a ' mighty man of valour.' 2. In t Kings xxii.24, and 2 Chron. xviii. to, 23, CHENAANAII is Ate father of the false pro phet Zedekiah, who smote Micaiah the son of Imlah on the cheek, and induced Ahab to under take the military expedition to Ramoth-Gilead, in which he perished.—P. H.
CHENANI (+):z, shortened from ro:)n, from • r • to prepare), jab is preparing,' Ftirst) is men tioned but once ; in Neb. ix. 4. IIe was one of the Levites who took part in the solemn service of confession and praise to God, after the public read ing of the law. There is much variation in the text of this verse. Thus in the name before us one of Kennicott's MSS. (iSo), and six of De Rossi's, read +n3 +n 'sons of Chenani,' instead of Chenani' (for there is no conjunction • in the original). This reading is very probable, for there is not only another Bani in the verse, but the Sept. supports the MSS., its version being vial Xwvevi (or as the Cod. Alex. has it, vid Xavavi). The Peschito version assimilates the names of verse 4 to those of verse 5, omits Chenani, and in place of it reads Pethahia. In the omission of Chenani, it is supported by the Cod. Fric1.-August of LXX., which omits viol Lopevt, prim& manic. The Latin Vulgate translates as A. V.—P. II.