Lexical Summary bachan: To test, examine, try, prove Original Word: בָּחן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance examine, prove, tempt, try trial A primitive root; to test (especially metals); generally and figuratively, to investigate -- examine, prove, tempt, try (trial). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to examine, try NASB Translation assay (2), examine (2), proved (1), test (7), tested (3), tests (3), tried (5), tries (2), try (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs [בָּחַן] verb examine, try (compare Aramaic בְּחַן, Syriac  , try, examine; Arabic  I. VIII. test, compare WSG 65) — Qal Perfect suffix בְּחָנַ֫נִי Job 23:10, בָּחַנְתָּ Psalm 17:3 7t.; Imperfect יִבְחָ֑ן Psalm 11:5 5t.; Imperative suffix בְּחָנֵנִי Psalm 26:2 2t.; Infinitive בְּחֹן Zechariah 13:9; Participle בֹּחֵן Jeremiah 11:20 5t. ("" צרף, נסה); — 1 examine, scrutinize, try Psalm 11:5; Psalm 139:23; Job 7:18; עַפְעַמָּיו יִבְחֲנוּ בְנֵי אָדָם His eyelids try the children of men (search them through and through) Psalm 11:4. 2 prove, test, try. a. with the metaphor of gold Job 23:10; וּבְחַנְתִּים כִּבְחֹן אֶתהַֿזָּהָב and I will try them as one tries gold Zechariah 13:9. b. without metaphor, of God testing persons Psalm Zech 26:2; Zech 66:10; Zech 81:8; Jeremiah 9:6; their ways Jeremiah 6:27; the לֵב Psalm 17:3; Jeremiah 12:3; Proverbs 17:3; 1 Chronicles 29:17; reins Jeremiah 17:10; heart and reins Psalm 7:10; Jeremiah 11:20 (= Jeremiah 20:12). c. of man testing or tempting God Psalm Jer 95:9; Malachi 3:10,15. d. the ear trying words Job 12:11 = Job 34:3. Niph`al Imperfect יִבָּחֵן Job 34:36; Genesis 42:15,16, to be tried, proved. Pu`al בֹּחַן Ezekiel 21:18 the trial has been made (ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Ges MV Ew Ke, but noun בֹּ֫חַן ᵑ0 Symm HaEv.; read בְּחֵן with grace, favour, Hi Co). Topical Lexicon Core Idea and Themes Derived from a verb that portrays careful scrutiny, the word consistently speaks of deliberate examination carried out either by God, by human agents on God’s behalf, or by individuals who apply discerning judgment to themselves or to their surroundings. The contexts fall naturally into three inter-related spheres: (1) Divine examination of the inner person; (2) Refining tests that purge and purify; (3) Judicial or prophetic assessment of people, words, or circumstances. Divine Examination of Hearts and Minds The majority of occurrences describe the Lord searching what lies beneath outward appearance. This is a distinctly covenantal activity; He tries those who belong to Him in order to vindicate or to expose. • Psalm 7:9: “the righteous God searches hearts and minds.” Pastoral significance: because the Lord sees and tests what is hidden, superficial religiosity is stripped away. Assurance and conviction both flow from this truth; it comforts the faithful and unsettles the hypocritical. Refining through Suffering and Circumstance Testing is often pictured with metallurgical imagery, highlighting purification rather than mere evaluation. • Psalm 66:10: “For You, O God, have tested us; You refined us like silver.” Such passages assure the believer that hardship is purposeful. Trials are neither arbitrary nor malicious; they serve to burn away dross and reveal genuine faith (compare 1 Peter 1:6-7, where the New Testament picks up this line of thought). Prophetic and Priestly Assessment of the Community The prophets embody God’s testing work among the people. • Jeremiah 6:27: the prophet is appointed as a “tester” of his generation, charged with determining “their way.” The ministry of examining doctrine, conduct, and communal life is therefore not optional but mandated. In the contemporary church this undergirds faithful preaching and church discipline. Human Ability to Discern Truth A handful of occurrences highlight the faculty of discernment planted in humanity. • Job 12:11 and Job 34:3 compare the ear’s appraisal of words to the palate’s tasting of food, teaching that believers are to exercise tested judgment when they hear claims about God. For ministry, this stresses the role of self-examination before the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 11:28) and the call to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1). Redemptive-Historical Trajectory Old Testament testing anticipates the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ, whose forty-day wilderness ordeal answers Israel’s failures and proves Him flawless (Matthew 4). In Him believers receive both the model of trust under trial and the assurance that every test is under sovereign control (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15-16). Practical Applications for Discipleship 1. Worship: incorporate prayers that invite God’s searching eye (Psalm 26:2; Psalm 139:23-24). Summary Across roughly thirty Old Testament instances the word charts a coherent biblical pattern: God lovingly yet relentlessly examines, refines, and authenticates His people; He equips prophets and wise men to extend that testing ministry; and He calls every believer to submit willingly to His searching gaze. Confidence in His righteous testing sustains worship, fortifies endurance, and guards the purity of the covenant community. Forms and Transliterations אֶבְחָֽנְךָ֨ אבחנך בְּ֝חָנ֗וּנִי בְּ֝חָנֵ֗נִי בְּ֝חָנַ֗נִי בְּחָנֵ֣נִי בְחַנְתָּ֥נוּ בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ בָּחֲנ֛וּ בֹ֔חַן בֹּחֵ֣ן בֹּחֵ֥ן בחן בחנו בחנוני בחנני בחנת בחנתנו וְיִבָּֽחֲנוּ֙ וּבְחַנְתִּ֑ים וּבְחַנְתִּ֖ים וּבְחָנ֤וּנִי וּבָחַנְתָּ֖ וּבָחַנְתָּ֥ וּבֹחֵ֖ן וּבֹחֵ֣ן ובחן ובחנוני ובחנת ובחנתים ויבחנו יִ֝בְחֲנ֗וּ יִ֫בְחָ֥ן יִבָּחֵ֣ן יבחן יבחנו כִּבְחֹ֣ן כבחן תִּבְחָ֑ן תִּבְחָנֶֽנּוּ׃ תִּבָּחֵ֑נוּ תבחן תבחנו תבחננו׃ ’eḇ·ḥā·nə·ḵā ’eḇḥānəḵā bā·ḥă·nū bā·ḥan·tā baChanta bachaNu bāḥantā bāḥănū bə·ḥā·na·nî bə·ḥā·nê·nî bə·ḥā·nū·nî ḇə·ḥan·tā·nū bechaNani bechaNeni bechaNuni bəḥānanî bəḥānênî ḇəḥantānū bəḥānūnî ḇō·ḥan bō·ḥên boChen ḇōḥan bōḥên evchaneCha kiḇ·ḥōn kiḇḥōn kivChon tib·bā·ḥê·nū tiḇ·ḥā·nen·nū tiḇ·ḥān tibbaChenu tibbāḥênū tiḇḥān tiḇḥānennū tivChan tivchaNennu ū·ḇā·ḥan·tā ū·ḇə·ḥā·nū·nî ū·ḇə·ḥan·tîm ū·ḇō·ḥên ūḇāḥantā ūḇəḥantîm ūḇəḥānūnî ūḇōḥên uvachanTa uvechanTim uvechaNuni uvoChen vechanTanu veyibbachaNu Vochan wə·yib·bā·ḥă·nū wəyibbāḥănū yib·bā·ḥên yiḇ·ḥă·nū yiḇ·ḥān yibbaChen yibbāḥên yiḇḥān yiḇḥănū yivChan yivchaNuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 42:15 HEB: בְּזֹ֖את תִּבָּחֵ֑נוּ חֵ֤י פַרְעֹה֙ NAS: by this you will be tested: by the life KJV: Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life INT: Hereby will be tested the life of Pharaoh Genesis 42:16 1 Chronicles 29:17 Job 7:18 Job 12:11 Job 23:10 Job 34:3 Job 34:36 Psalm 7:9 Psalm 11:4 Psalm 11:5 Psalm 17:3 Psalm 26:2 Psalm 66:10 Psalm 81:7 Psalm 95:9 Psalm 139:23 Proverbs 17:3 Jeremiah 6:27 Jeremiah 9:7 Jeremiah 11:20 Jeremiah 12:3 Jeremiah 17:10 Jeremiah 20:12 Ezekiel 21:13 29 Occurrences |
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