בֹּהַן
𐤁𐤄𐤍
Bohan
H932 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun referring to 'Bohan,' a named individual among the early Israelites, specifically identified as a son of Reuben. The term occasionally appears in a topographic context as part of a boundary marker, 'the stone of Bohan son of Reuben.' The word itself does not denote 'thumb' in these contexts, despite the similar consonantal form to the common noun.
Semantic Range
Bohan as a personal name, stone of Bohan as a geographic marker; does not mean 'thumb' or carry anatomical significance in this usage.
Root / Etymology
The lexical item בֹּהַן (Bôhan) superficially resembles the Hebrew common noun בֹּהֶן (bohen, meaning 'thumb' or 'big toe') but here functions as a proper name. The two may share a root in unused Hebrew בָּהָן or be homographic; the exact etymology is uncertain, as proper names may be preserved from a non-Hebrew substrate or assigned for reasons unknown. The proper noun does not carry the semantic content of 'thumb' but is simply the personal name 'Bohan.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, בֹּהַן (Bôhan) appears only as a personal name, notably in Joshua 15:6 and 18:17, as part of the phrase 'stone of Bohan son of Reuben,' which served as a geographical landmark on the border of the tribe of Benjamin. This reflects a common ancient Near Eastern practice of marking a region’s edge by notable stones named after ancestors or significant individuals. The similarity to the noun for 'thumb' is orthographic only; context makes clear that the meaning is the personal name. The Septuagint transliterates the name and does not interpret it as 'thumb.' English translations often use 'Bohan' directly. There is no evidence that the name was associated with the anatomical meaning during biblical or post-exilic periods. Unlike στάχυς (Stachys) in Greek, which can mean both 'ear/spike' and serve as a personal name, בֹּהַן in this case is not a meaning-bearing proper name but likely one with a distinct etymological trajectory or ancient significance now obscure.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
an orthographical variation of בֹּהֶן; thumb, Bohan, an Israelite; Bohan.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בהן (b-h-n) — thickness, swelling; thumb, big toe; personal name
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H931 | בֹּהֶן | prominent digits of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H932-01 |
בֹּ֖הַן | bohan | HNp |
Bohan | Bohan | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H932-01 |
Joshua 15:6 | בֹּ֖הַן | bohan | HNp |
of Bohan | Bohan |
H932-01 |
Joshua 18:17 | בֹּ֖הַן | bohan | HNp |
Bohan | Bohan |