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אַתּוּן

𐤀𐤕𐤅𐤍

ʼattûwn

H861 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A large enclosed structure or chamber used for producing high heat, typically for smelting metals, firing pottery or bricks, or as a site for intense burning; in biblical Aramaic contexts, refers specifically to an industrial or ceremonial furnace. The word denotes not merely a hearth or oven but a well-constructed apparatus capable of extreme temperatures required for metallurgical or other industrial processes. In narrative passages, often contextually signifies a location of ordeal or punishment by fire.

Semantic Range

furnace (industrial or ceremonial), chamber for fiery ordeal, large kiln, smelting furnace

Root / Etymology

Root: uncertain. The form appears to be a noun of place, probably related to the root אֵשׁ ('esh, fire) in Hebrew, though the precise morphological relationship in Aramaic is uncertain. The ending -וּן is consistent with Aramaic noun formation. Etymology uncertain; likely derives from a root meaning 'to burn' or 'to produce fire.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

אַתּוּן appears only in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, notably in Daniel 3 in the narrative of the fiery furnace during the Neo-Babylonian period. The term is distinct from typical Hebrew terms for oven or kiln (e.g., תַּנּוּר‎ tannūr), suggesting an Aramaic lexical influence and a specialized context tied to exilic or diaspora life under Mesopotamian rule. English translations customarily render the term as 'furnace,' aligning with its narrative role as an instrument for punitive execution or testing, but the word is not used for domestic ovens or household baking. Later Jewish tradition and translation (Septuagint, Vulgate) continued the 'furnace' rendering, at times introducing the association of martyrdom. Standard translations thus capture the domain of meaning but may not reflect the specifically industrial or imperial contexts of the original narratives.

Translation Consistency

primary "furnace" 10 occurrences

'Furnace' is the most natural and common English rendering for אַתּוּן, covering industrial smelting kilns, large ovens, and ceremonial/ordeal chambers. It matches the majority of existing translations (and the P2 frequency), conveys the sense of an apparatus for extreme heat, and reads well across technical and narrative contexts.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) probably from the corresponding to אֵשׁ; probably a fire-place, i.e. furnace; furnace.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

אשׁ (uncertain) (ʼattûwn) — to burn, to consume by fire

Root אשׁ (uncertain) to burn, to consume by fire

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H861-01 אַתּ֥וּן atun ANcmsc furnace burning-furnace of furnace of 7
H861-02 לְ/אַתּ֥וּן leatun AR/Ncmsc into the midst to furnace-of into the furnace 1
H861-03 לְ/אַתּוּנָ֔/א leatuna ATo/Ncmsd/Td the furnace the burning-furnace the furnace 1
H861-04 וְ/אַתּוּנָ֖/א veatuna AC/Ncmsd/Td and-furnace-the and the blazing furnace and the furnace 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H861-01 Daniel 3:6 אַתּ֥וּן atun ANcmsc a furnace burning-furnace of furnace of
H861-01 Daniel 3:11 אַתּ֥וּן atun ANcmsc furnace burning-furnace of furnace of
H861-01 Daniel 3:15 אַתּ֥וּן atun ANcmsc of furnace burning-furnace of furnace of
H861-01 Daniel 3:17 אַתּ֨וּן atun ANcmsc furnace burning-furnace of furnace of
H861-03 Daniel 3:19 לְ/אַתּוּנָ֔/א leatuna ATo/Ncmsd/Td the furnace the burning-furnace the furnace
H861-02 Daniel 3:20 לְ/אַתּ֥וּן leatun AR/Ncmsc into the midst to furnace-of into the furnace
H861-01 Daniel 3:21 אַתּ֥וּן atun ANcmsc furnace burning-furnace of furnace of
H861-04 Daniel 3:22 וְ/אַתּוּנָ֖/א veatuna AC/Ncmsd/Td and-furnace-the and the blazing furnace and the furnace
H861-01 Daniel 3:23 אַתּוּן atun ANcmsc of-furnace burning-furnace of furnace of
H861-01 Daniel 3:26 אַתּ֣וּן atun ANcmsc of the furnace burning-furnace of furnace of
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