969. bachown'

Lexical Summary

bachown': Tested, proven

Original Word: בָּחוֹן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: bachown'
Pronunciation: bä-khōn'
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-khone')
KJV: tower
Word Origin: [from H974 (בָּחַן - test)]

1. an assayer or metals

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

tower

From bachan; an assayer or metals -- tower.

see HEBREW bachan

Brown-Driver-Briggs

בָּחוֺן noun [masculine] assayer, one who tries metals Jeremiah 6:27 (Ges^{§ 84}, 3 Ew^{§ 152 b}).

Topical Lexicon

Hebrew Background

The term denotes an expert who examines ore to determine its purity. By extension it came to describe any person commissioned to test and reveal what is genuine or counterfeit.

Context in Jeremiah 6:27

“ I have appointed you to test My people as ore is tested, so you may discern and examine their way.” (Jeremiah 6:27)

Spoken on the eve of Babylon’s advance, the verse defines Jeremiah’s public ministry. Judah claimed covenant fidelity, yet its worship was alloyed with idolatry and injustice (Jeremiah 6:13-15). The prophet is positioned like a metal-tester at a furnace door: his preaching, intercession, and lived example expose dross for what it is, leaving the remnant without excuse (Jeremiah 6:28-30).

Imagery of Metallurgy and Refinement

1. The furnace picture links Jeremiah to earlier Scriptures where Yahweh proves His people:
• “The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests hearts.” (Proverbs 17:3)
• “I will put this third into the fire… They will call on My name.” (Zechariah 13:9)
2. Genuine metal is revealed, not created, by heat. Likewise the prophetic word does not generate righteousness; it uncovers whether faith already exists.
3. Ore that resists refinement is discarded (Jeremiah 6:30). The warning anticipates the exile and foreshadows eternal judgment.

Role of the Prophet as an Examiner

Jeremiah is more than a watchman (compare Ezekiel 3:17); he is an assayer.
• A watchman sounds alarm; an examiner pronounces quality.
• His message separates the precious from the worthless (Jeremiah 15:19).
• The office demands personal integrity; the tester cannot be compromised by the same impurities he must identify.

Broader Biblical Theology of Testing

Old Testament
• Abraham’s faith is tested (Genesis 22:1).
• Israel is tested in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2).

New Testament
• Jesus discerns hearts (Luke 2:35; John 2:25).
• Believers’ works pass through fire (1 Corinthians 3:13).
• “The proven character of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though refined by fire—may result in praise.” (1 Peter 1:7)

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Preaching must be probing, not merely comforting. Clear exposition of Scripture functions today as the assayer’s touchstone.
2. Church discipline reflects the same principle: examine, warn, and restore (Galatians 6:1).
3. Personal devotion includes self-examination: “Test yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Christological Fulfillment

Jesus Christ embodies the perfect Examiner. In Revelation 1-3 He walks among the lampstands, commending what is pure and rebuking what is dross. At His return the refining will be final, separating wheat from chaff (Matthew 3:12).

Applications for the Church Today

• Expect Scripture to confront hidden alloy in doctrine and lifestyle.
• Welcome trials as instruments of divine refinement.
• Equip leaders to function as faithful testers—maintaining both truth and love.
• Hold fast to the promise that the Bride will emerge “in splendor, without spot or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:27), fully purified by her gracious Assayer.

Forms and Transliterations

בָּח֛וֹן בחון bā·ḥō·wn baChon bāḥōwn

Englishman's Concordance

Jeremiah 6:27
HEB: בָּח֛וֹן נְתַתִּ֥יךָ בְעַמִּ֖י
NAS: I have made you an assayer [and] a tester
KJV: I have set thee [for] a tower [and] a fortress
INT: an assayer have made my people

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 969
1 Occurrence

bā·ḥō·wn — 1 Occ.