Kenaz

Kenaz (meaning this purchase or hunter) was the name of several figures in the Old Testament. The most historically significant was a son of Eliphaz and grandson of Esau, who became one of the chiefs of Edom (Genesis 36:11, 15, 42). From this Kenaz descended the Kenizzites, a people associated with the southern regions of Canaan and later absorbed into the tribe of Judah. The Kenizzite connection is significant because both Caleb and Othniel, prominent figures in the conquest period, are identified as Kenizzites who became fully integrated into the tribe of Judah.

Othniel son of Kenaz was the first judge of Israel, delivering the nation from the oppression of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia (Judges 3:9–11). He was the younger brother of Caleb (or Caleb's nephew, depending on how the genealogical language is construed), and his exploits included capturing Kiriath-sepher and winning Achsah, Caleb's daughter, as his wife. A third Kenaz was a grandson of Caleb through his son Elah (1 Chronicles 4:15). The Kenaz lineage thus produced two of Israel's greatest early leaders and represents one of the most successful examples of non-Israelite integration into the covenant people.