בָּחוֹן
𐤁𐤇𐤅𐤍
bâchôwn
H969 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An assayer or examiner, particularly one who tests or evaluates the quality and purity of precious metals; by extension, a testing tower or structure associated with the assessment of metals. In the single biblical occurrence (Zechariah 11:9), the term designates a place or role dedicated to the examination of metals, highlighting the process of scrutiny or evaluation.
Semantic Range
assayer, examiner (of metals), testing structure or office (possibly a tower), place or person of testing or evaluation
Root / Etymology
Root: בחן (b-ḥ-n), meaning 'to examine, test, try, prove.' The noun בָּחוֹן (bâchôwn) is a rare formation, likely denoting 'one who assays' (i.e., an assayer) or possibly the apparatus or structure used in the assaying process, such as a tower where testing takes place. This derives from the root's core meaning of examining or testing for quality or authenticity.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בָּחוֹן occurs only in Zechariah 11:9, in a context referring to an assayer or an assaying structure related to the examination of metals. The role of assayers was significant in ancient societies, as the quality and authenticity of precious metals determined value and trust in commerce. The translation as 'tower' in some versions (following the Septuagint and Vulgate) likely arises from confusion with similar sounding words (e.g., מִגְדָּל, 'tower'), but the context and root more reliably support the meaning of assayer or testing office. In the monarchic and Second Temple periods, assayers or testing houses were central to economic life, and the image would evoke the idea of scrutiny, trial, and judgment. Later English translations often obscure the technical metallurgical nuance, rendering the term generically as 'tower.' This misses the intended metaphor of evaluation or judgment in the prophetic context. The rare and specialized usage of בָּחוֹן underlines the seriousness of testing or separation between genuine and false, thematically linked to other Hebrew terms like צרף ('to refine, smelt') and בחן ('to examine, test').
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
xlit bâchôwnʼ corrected to bâchôwn; from בָּחַן; an assayer or metals; tower.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בחן (b-ḥ-n) — to examine, to test, to prove (especially metals)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H971 | בַּחִין | his siege-towers |
| H974 | בָּחַן | you examined |
| H975 | בַּחַן | watchtower |
| H976 | בֹּחַן | examination |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H969-01 |
בָּח֛וֹן | bachon | HNcmsa |
assayer | metal-examiner | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H969-01 |
Jeremiah 6:27 | בָּח֛וֹן | bachon | HNcmsa |
assayer | metal-examiner |