Lexical Summary
tachanah: Station, Encampment, Resting Place
Original Word:תַּחֲנָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:tachanah
Pronunciation:tah-khah-NAH
Phonetic Spelling:(takh-an-aw')
KJV: camp
NASB:camp
Word Origin:[fromH2583 (חָנָה - camped)]
1. (only plural collectively) an encampment
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Tahan
Fromchanah; (only plural collectively) an encampment -- camp.
see HEBREWchanah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
chanahDefinitionan encamping, encampment
NASB Translationcamp (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] ; — plural suffix (si vera 1.)
2 Kings 6:8,
unto such and such a place is my encamping; but form very strange. Read probably
ye shall hide yourselves, so Th Klo.
Topical Lexicon
Term OverviewThe noun תַּחֲנָה portrays a fixed military encampment or station. It conveys more than a temporary halt; it denotes an organized base of operations, marked by strategy, supply, and a defined sphere of authority.
Biblical Occurrence
2 Kings 6 records the single appearance:
“Now the king of Aram was waging war against Israel, so he conferred with his servants, saying, ‘My camp will be in such and such a place.’” (2 Kings 6:8)
Here תַּחֲנָה identifies the Aramean king’s covert staging ground for repeated raids into Israel.
Historical Setting of2 Kings 6
The narrative unfolds during the prophetic ministry of Elisha in the ninth century B.C. Aram (modern-day Syria) sought to exploit Israel’s political instability after the division of Solomon’s kingdom. Raiding parties were a common tactic: swift, localized strikes launched from secluded encampments near trade routes or border towns. These bases had to be concealed, supplied, and defensible—features implicit in the term.
Military and Cultural Significance of Encampments
1. Strategic Control: An encampment signaled territorial claim (Judges 6:4;1 Samuel 17:1, though different Hebrew terms) and served as a command center for reconnaissance and ambush.
2. Security and Provision: Ancient armies traveled with livestock, armorers, and priests. A settled “station” allowed for worship, rest, and morale building.
3. Intelligence Vulnerability: Fixed camps created patterns that a perceptive enemy—or a prophet guided by God—could exploit.
Divine Intervention at the Encampment
Elisha repeatedly warned the king of Israel of Aram’s secret stations, thwarting every plan. The text stresses omniscient Providence over human stratagems:
“Elisha sent word to the king of Israel: ‘Beware of passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.’” (2 Kings 6:9)
Thus, one earthly תַּחֲנָה was continually exposed by the heavenly Host encamping around the righteous (Psalm 34:7).
Spiritual Principles
• God’s knowledge penetrates every hidden camp; no enemy stronghold escapes His sight.
• Physical strongholds illustrate spiritual ones. Believers must recognize that the real theater of war includes unseen powers (Ephesians 6:12) and depend upon divine revelation rather than fleshly calculation.
• Israel’s safety resided not in numerical strength but in obedience to prophetic word—an enduring lesson for the Church, whose security is “kept by the power of God through faith” (1 Peter 1:5).
Applications for Preaching and Teaching
• Discernment: Encourage congregations to seek God’s wisdom against subtle threats.
• Prayer: Model intercession after Elisha, who intercepted enemy designs through revelation.
• Assurance: Illustrate how God stations His angels (“ministering spirits,”Hebrews 1:14) around His people, countering every hostile encampment.
Intertextual Parallels
While תַּחֲנָה is unique, the idea of an encampment saturates Scripture:
• Israel’s wilderness “camps” (Numbers 9 – 10) demonstrate ordered dependence on God’s presence.
• David’s confidence, “Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear” (Psalm 27:3), echoes Elisha’s calm before Aram’s troops (2 Kings 6:16).
•Revelation 20:9 envisions nations surrounding “the camp of the saints,” yet divine fire prevails—anticipating final victory over every hostile station.
Summary
תַּחֲנָה signifies more than a military campsite; it embodies the clash between human schemes and divine sovereignty. Its lone appearance crystallizes a timeless assurance: God exposes and overrules every hostile encampment, safeguarding His covenant people and vindicating those who trust His word.
Forms and Transliterations
תַּחֲנֹתִֽי׃ תחנתי׃ ta·ḥă·nō·ṯî tachanoTi taḥănōṯî
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
