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Bible Lexicons
Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's #974 - בָּחַן
- Brown-Driver-Briggs
- Strong
1) to examine, try, prove
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to examine, scrutinise
1a2) to test, prove, try (of gold, persons, the heart, man of God)
1b) (Niphal) to be tried, proved
1c) (Pual) to make a trial
- Book
- Word
2011) nhb (בההנ BHhN) AC: Examine CO: Watchtower AB: ?: A close and careful examination of a place or something. An inspection to determine effectiveness. [from: hb- examination to select a choice one]
V) nhb (בההנ BHhN) - Examine: To test, try or scrutinize. KJV (29): (vf: Paal, Niphal, Pual) try, prove, examine, tempt, trial - Strongs: H974 (בָּחַן)
Nm) nhb (בההנ BHhN) - Watchtower: A place of inspection. KJV (1): tower - Strongs: H975 (בַּחַן)
bm) nihb (בההינ BHhYN) - Watchtower: A place of inspection. KJV (1): tower - Strongs: H971 (בָּחִין)
cm) nfhb (בההונ BHhWN) - Watchtower: A place of inspection. KJV (1): tower - Strongs: H969 (בָּחוֹן)
gm) nhfb (בוההנ BWHhN) - Tested: Something that has been tested through inspection and found worthy. KJV (1): tried - Strongs: H976 (בֹּחַן)
Jeff Benner, Ancient Hebrew Research Center Used by permission of the author.
, try, examine; Arabic 
I. VIII. test, compare W SG 65) — Qal Perfect suffix בְּחָנַ֫נִי Job 23:10, בָּחַנְתָּ Psalm 17:3 7t.; Imperfect יִבְחָ֑ן Psalm 11:5 5t.; Imperative suffix בְּחָנֵנִי Psalm 26:2 2t.; Infinitive בְּחֹן Zechariah 13:9; Participle בֹּחֵן Jeremiah 11:20 5t. ("" צרף, נסה); —
1 examine, scrutinize, try Psalm 11:5; Psalm 139:23; Job 7:18; עַפְעַמָּיו יִבְחֲנוּ בְנֵי אָדָם His eyelids try the children of men (search them through and through) Psalm 11:4.
2 prove, test, try.
a. with the metaphor of gold Job 23:10; וּבְחַנְתִּים כִּבְחֹןאֶתהַֿזָּהָב and I will try them as one tries gold Zechariah 13:9.
b. without metaphor, of God testing persons Psalm Zechariah 26:2; Zechariah 66:10; Zechariah 81:8; Jeremiah 9:6; their ways Jeremiah 6:27; the לֵב Psalm 17:3; Jeremiah 12:3; Proverbs 17:3; 1 Chronicles 29:17; reins Jeremiah 17:10; heart and reins Psalm 7:10; Jeremiah 11:20 (= Jeremiah 20:12).
c. of man testing or tempting God Psalm Jeremiah 95:9; Malachi 3:10,15.
d. the ear trying words Job 12:11 = Job 34:3.
Niph`al Imperfect יִבָּחֵן Job 34:36; Genesis 42:15,16, to be tried, proved.
Pu`alבֹּחַן Ezekiel 21:18 the trial has been made (ᵐ5ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Ges MV Ew Ke, but noun בֹּ֫חַןᵑ0 Symm HaEv.; read בְּחֵן with grace, favour, Hi Co).
בָּחַן fut. יִבְחַן.
(1) to search out, to examine, to try, to prove, especially metals (like the syn. עָרַף), Jeremiah 9:6; Zechariah 13:9; Psalms 66:10 whence metaph. Job 23:10, בְּחָנַנִי כַּזָּהָב אֵצֵא “let him prove me, I shall go forth like gold;” and neglecting the primary power, Job 12:11, הֲלֹא אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן “doth not the ear try words?” Job 34:3. Often
(a) used of God examining the hearts of men, Psalms 7:10, 17:3 Proverbs 17:3; Psalms 81:8 especially by sending calamities upon them, Job 7:18.
(b) used of men tempting God (i.q. נִסָּה), i.e. of unbelievers, Malachi 3:10, 15 Malachi 3:15; Psalms 95:9.
(2) to look out, to watch, i.q. צָפָה; whence בַּחַן, בַּחִין watch-towers. (Ch. בְּחַן, Syr. ܒܰܚܶܢ to examine. The Arabs have in this sense ملحن Conj. I, VIII. ب and م being interchanged; which prop. has the meaning, to rub, to rub upon; used in the sense of trying, proving by rubbing on the lapis Lydius, called in the Greek βάσανος, which appears to be a word formed from the Oriental בחן.)
Niphal, to be proved, tried, Genesis 42:15, 16 Genesis 42:16; Job 34:36.
Pual בֹּחַן id., Ezekiel 21:18, כִּי בֹחַן “because a trial is made;” compare Schnurrer on the passage; LXX. ὅτι δεδικαίωται. Others take בֹּחַן as a noun, trial, proof, sc. is made.
Derived nouns besides the following are בָּחוֹן, בַּחוּן, בַּחִין.
