Lexical Summary Tsoan: Zoan Original Word: צֹעַן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Zoan Of Egyptian derivation; Tsoan, a place in Egypt -- Zoan. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tsaan Definition a place in Eg. NASB Translation Zoan (7). Brown-Driver-Briggs בְּצַעֲנַנִּים, בצענים, perhaps proper name, of a location in Naphtali: ׳אֵלוֺן ב Joshua 19:33; Judges 4:11. compare צענים. בְּצַעֲנַנִּים, בצענים, perhaps proper name, of a location in Naphtali: ׳אֵלוֺן ב Joshua 19:33; Judges 4:11. compare צענים. בצץ (? compare Arabic צֹ֫עַן proper name, of a location Τανις: Tanis, in Egypt (Egyptian Da±n§(t) SteindBAS 600, in Assyrian ‚i°inu, Sa°anu Ibid.598 ff. DlPa 315); it was built 7 years after Hebron according to Numbers 13:22; Isaiah 19:11,13; Isaiah 30:4; Ezekiel 30:14; Psalm 78:12; Psalm 78:43 modern ‚ân, in northwest part of Delta; see also EbGS 512 ff. BdLower.Eg.3 (1895), 228 PetrieTanis{1885}. Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting Zoan was an important urban center in the eastern Nile Delta, identified with the site of modern-day San el-Hagar (ancient Tanis). Strategically located on distributaries of the Nile, it served at various times as a royal residence and administrative hub for Lower Egypt. Its prominence spanned from the Twelfth Dynasty through the Twenty-First, making it a fitting symbol of Egyptian power in the biblical record. Canon of Scripture 1. Numbers 13:22 – Its antiquity is underscored when Hebron is said to have been “built seven years before Zoan in Egypt,” highlighting Zoan’s status as one of Egypt’s most venerable cities. Historical Significance Archaeology confirms that Tanis functioned as a capital during the Twenty-First and Twenty-Second Dynasties and housed massive temples to Amun-Ra among other deities. Royal inscriptions from Rameses II onward celebrate its canals, storehouses, and military garrisons. Such evidence explains why biblical writers treat Zoan as the political and intellectual heart of Egypt. A powerful memory of Israel’s oppression and God’s deliverance was therefore linked to this very soil. Theological Themes God’s Superiority over Earthly Powers Psalm 78 deliberately juxtaposes God’s wonders with Zoan’s grandeur. In a city celebrated for engineering and learning, the LORD performed plagues that dismantled Egyptian theology (e.g., Nile-to-blood, darkness over Ra’s domain). The psalmist’s emphasis magnifies divine supremacy: “He performed wonders… in the plain of Zoan” (Psalm 78:12). False Wisdom Exposed Isaiah mocks the “wise counselors of Pharaoh,” declaring, “The princes of Zoan have become fools” (Isaiah 19:11). Egypt’s intellectual center cannot solve the crisis God ordains. This motif reappears when Judah’s diplomats lodge in Zoan (Isaiah 30:4), trusting Egyptian advice rather than prophetic revelation. Scripture contrasts human expertise with the fear of the LORD, the true beginning of wisdom. Judgment and Redemption Through Ezekiel, the LORD vows, “I will lay waste Pathros, set fire to Zoan, and execute judgment on Thebes” (Ezekiel 30:14). The oracle anticipates a day when national pride falls and a remnant learns to acknowledge the LORD (Ezekiel 30:19). Zoan stands as both monument to past arrogance and object lesson in future grace: God judges in order to be known (Ezekiel 30:8). Ministry Applications 1. Trust in God, not Alliances Just as Judah’s messengers found only disappointment in Zoan, modern believers must resist substituting political leverage or cultural prestige for prayerful dependence upon God. Mission strategy, church advancement, and personal security must be grounded in covenantal trust, not “horses and chariots” (Psalm 20:7). 2. Confronting Cultural Idols Zoan’s temples once framed the worldview of Egypt; yet the plagues demolished that confidence. Contemporary ministry likewise calls for proclaiming Christ where secular ideologies claim unassailable authority, demonstrating the gospel’s power through holy living and Spirit-empowered witness. 3. Remembering God’s Mighty Acts Psalm 78 teaches parents to rehearse God’s deeds “so that the next generation would know them” (Psalm 78:6). Zoan becomes a pedagogical tool: recalling how God humbled the greatest empire encourages faithfulness amid present trials. Prophetic Echoes and Christological Insight The Exodus events in Zoan foreshadow the greater redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ. As Pharaoh’s false wisdom was undone by signs, so worldly rulers were disarmed by the cross (Colossians 2:15). The message proceeding from Zoan—human power cannot restrain God’s saving purpose—finds ultimate fulfillment in an empty tomb outside Jerusalem. Summary Zoan occupies a small footprint in the Old Testament but a vast one in biblical theology. Serving variously as benchmark of antiquity, stage for Exodus miracles, seat of vaunted wisdom, and object of divine judgment, the city illustrates the perennial lesson that “the LORD reigns forever” (Psalm 146:10). Its account calls every generation to reverent trust, steadfast obedience, and confident proclamation of the gospel that still topples the idols of this age. Forms and Transliterations בְּצֹ֑עַן בְצֹ֖עַן בצען צֹ֔עַן צֹ֥עַן צֹֽעַן׃ צען צען׃ bə·ṣō·‘an ḇə·ṣō·‘an bəṣō‘an ḇəṣō‘an beTzoan ṣō‘an ṣō·‘an Tzoan veTzoanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 13:22 HEB: נִבְנְתָ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י צֹ֥עַן מִצְרָֽיִם׃ NAS: years before Zoan in Egypt.) KJV: years before Zoan in Egypt.) INT: was built before Zoan Egypt Psalm 78:12 Psalm 78:43 Isaiah 19:11 Isaiah 19:13 Isaiah 30:4 Ezekiel 30:14 7 Occurrences |
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be 
, i.e. one soft, tender, impossible in body, etc.)