Lexical Summary bochan: Test, trial, examination Original Word: בֹּחן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tried From bachan; trial -- tried. see HEBREW bachan NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bachan Definition a testing NASB Translation tested (1), testing (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בֹּ֫חַן noun [masculine] testing, Isaiah 28:16 אֶבֶן בֹּחַן a tested, tried stone, i.e. approved for use as a foundation-stone. On Ezekiel 21:18 ᵑ0 see foregoing near the end. Topical Lexicon Biblical Context בֹּחן (bochan) appears once, in Isaiah 28:16, describing the stone Yahweh sets in Zion as “a tested stone.” The term signals that the stone has passed every examination and is wholly reliable as the foundation for God’s redemptive plan. Historical Background In ancient Near Eastern architecture, builders scrutinized cornerstone candidates for flaws, discarding any that might compromise structural integrity. Isaiah’s audience—familiar with Solomon’s Temple and the massive quarry-hewn stones of Jerusalem’s fortifications—understood that a “tested stone” signified absolute trustworthiness amid political upheaval from Assyrian aggression (Isaiah 28:1–13). Prophetic Significance Isaiah contrasts God’s “tested stone” with Judah’s misplaced confidence in foreign alliances (“a covenant with death,” Isaiah 28:15). The prophet’s oracle stands as a call to renounce human strategies and rest upon the divinely approved foundation. The imagery anticipates a Messianic figure whose reliability supplants every inferior refuge. Christological Fulfillment New Testament writers identify Jesus Christ with Isaiah’s tested cornerstone: By meeting every demand of the law, resisting every temptation, and conquering death, Christ embodies בֹּחן—the One proven flawless through trial. Apostolic Witness Peter invokes the passage before the Sanhedrin: “This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone’” (Acts 4:11). He presents Christ as God’s definitive standard, validated by resurrection. The apostolic preaching thus roots salvation, ecclesiology, and eschatology in the tested Stone. Theological Themes 1. Divine Assurance: God provides an enduring foundation; believers need never fear collapse (Isaiah 28:16b). Ministry and Pastoral Application • Preaching: Highlight Christ as the only sure foundation amid cultural uncertainty. Worship and Hymnody Historic hymns—“The Church’s One Foundation,” “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less”—draw directly from Isaiah’s imagery, reminding congregations that their security rests on the Stone God Himself examined and approved. Summary בֹּחן magnifies God’s provision of a flawlessly vetted foundation in Jesus Christ. The single Old Testament occurrence radiates through redemptive history, inviting every generation to build, rest, and rejoice upon the tested Stone who will never fail. Forms and Transliterations בֹּ֜חַן בחן bō·ḥan Bochan bōḥanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 28:16 HEB: אָ֑בֶן אֶ֣בֶן בֹּ֜חַן פִּנַּ֤ת יִקְרַת֙ NAS: a stone, a tested stone, KJV: for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, INT: A stone stone A tested cornerstone A costly |
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