Lexical Summary bachin: Test, Examination Original Word: בּחִין Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tower Another form of bachan; a watch-tower of besiegers -- tower. see HEBREW bachan NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originsee bachun. Brown-Driver-Briggs [בחון] suffix בַּחוּנָיו (daghesh forte implicit Qr; בחיניו Kt) Isaiah 23:13 their siege-towers. בחיניו Isaiah 23:13 Kt; see [ בחון] above Topical Lexicon Occurrences and Canonical Setting The term appears only once, in Isaiah 23:13, describing the Assyrian destruction of the Chaldean homeland: “they erected their siege towers, they stripped its fortresses, and made it a ruin” (Berean Standard Bible). Its singular placement assigns it a concentrated interpretive weight within the oracle against Tyre (Isaiah 23:1-18). Historical Background Isaiah’s ministry (eighth–seventh century B.C.) coincided with the zenith of Assyrian military power. Assyria perfected large-scale siege warfare, employing movable, multi-storied wooden structures that enabled archers and engineers to assault high walls, batter gates, and set fires from an elevated platform. The prophet’s reference evokes the chilling memory of such tactics at cities like Lachish (2 Kings 18:13-17) and Samaria (2 Kings 17:5-6). Archaeological reliefs from Sennacherib’s palace vividly confirm these “towers on wheels,” underscoring the accuracy of Isaiah’s imagery. Military Architecture in the Ancient Near East 1. Purpose: Protected ladder-bearers and battering-ram crews, provided vantage for sling-stones and flaming arrows. Prophetic Function in Isaiah 23 Isaiah employs the term to portray: Theological Significance 1. Divine Judgment: The lone appearance of the word amplifies the sudden, inescapable nature of judgment. The same LORD who “plants the cedars of Lebanon” (Psalm 104:16) can also commission siege engines against the rebellious. Ministry Application • Preaching: The image of the siege tower offers a solemn backdrop for messages on repentance, illustrating the inevitability of divine exposure when sin fortifies itself behind outward prosperity. Practical Reflection Just as the Assyrians methodically assembled and advanced their towers, the forces of unbelief often besiege the heart incrementally. Vigilance in Scripture, prayer, and fellowship erects a spiritual counter-fortification (Ephesians 6:10-18). God promises final deliverance, yet He also commands present obedience: “Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Forms and Transliterations בַחוּנָ֗יו בחוניו ḇa·ḥū·nāw ḇaḥūnāw vachuNavLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 23:13 HEB: [בְחִינָיו כ] (בַחוּנָ֗יו ק) עֹרְרוּ֙ KJV: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up INT: the wilderness up tower stripped palaces 1 Occurrence |
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