תֹּכֶן
𐤕𐤊𐤍
tôken
H8506 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A measured amount, a quantity that has been determined or fixed by measurement; in some contexts, refers to evaluation or assessment of quantity. Used to denote both concrete measures (such as volumes or weights) and abstract estimations or calculations.
Semantic Range
measured quantity, evaluated amount, assessment, measurement, standard, fixed quantity, content
Root / Etymology
From the root תָּכַן (t-k-n), which fundamentally means 'to weigh, measure, evaluate, assess.' The noun תֹּכֶן (tôken) is formed on the pattern of masculine abstract nouns, indicating the result or the process of measuring or evaluating. While the root focuses on the action of evaluating or balancing, the noun denotes the actual quantity or measure derived from such evaluation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, תֹּכֶן appears infrequently (e.g., Exodus 5:18, Ezekiel 45:11) and is always associated with the act or result of measurement, especially in the context of assessment, such as the amount of bricks required by the Egyptian taskmasters or standardized capacities for dry and liquid measure in the temple context. Its usage is technical and administrative, rarely if ever serving as a general word for 'amount.' The more common word for standard 'measure' is מִדָּה (middah), which can emphasize both the measuring process and the standard used. By contrast, תֹּכֶן underscores the evaluated quantity or content. Later translations have sometimes rendered תֹּכֶן as 'tale,' an archaic English term for 'count' or 'account,' which can be misleading to modern readers. The semantic nuance of quantitative assessment or evaluation is particularly clear in the priestly and exilic writings, reflecting developments in administrative language. The concept is distinct from weights or balances (such as מֹאזְנַיִם moznayim 'scales').
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from תָּכַן; a fixed quantity; measure, tale.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
תכן (t-k-n) — to measure, to weigh, to evaluate, to estimate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4971 | מַתְכֹנֶת | by her prescribed measure |
| H8498 | תְּכוּנָה | to the established arrangement |
| H8505 | תָּכַן | the measured one |
| H8507 | תֹּכֶן | and Measurement-place |
| H8508 | תׇּכְנִית | measured pattern |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8506-01 |
תֹּ֤כֶן | tokhen | HNcmsa |
measure | measured quantity | 1 |
H8506-02 |
וְ/תֹ֥כֶן | vetokhen | HC/Ncmsc |
yet the quota of | and measured-quantity of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8506-02 |
Exodus 5:18 | וְ/תֹ֥כֶן | vetokhen | HC/Ncmsc |
yet the quota of | and measured-quantity of |
H8506-01 |
Ezekiel 45:11 | תֹּ֤כֶן | tokhen | HNcmsa |
measure | measured quantity |