The Hebrew noun qaneh refers to a reed or reed-like stalk — the hollow stem of reeds and canes growing in marshes and river banks. It is used literally for the plant itself, for measuring rods made from reeds, and figuratively for the fragility of human strength. The measuring reed was the standard tool of prophetic vision in Ezekiel.
Qaneh holds profound symbolic freight in Scripture. Isaiah 42:3 declares of the Servant: 'A bruised reed he will not break' — a statement of tender compassion toward the broken and vulnerable, applied to Jesus in Matthew 12:20. The reed also becomes a symbol of false support: trusting in Egypt was like leaning on a 'splintered reed' (2 Kings 18:21; Isa 36:6). In Ezekiel's vision, an angelic figure uses a measuring reed to measure the temple — qaneh thus connects to the theme of God's precise standards for His dwelling. John's Revelation picks up this measuring rod imagery directly (Rev 11:1).