Lexical Summary
takan: To measure, weigh, regulate, estimate, balance
Original Word:תָּכַן
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:takan
Pronunciation:tah-KAHN
Phonetic Spelling:(taw-kan')
KJV: bear up, direct, be ((un-))equal, mete, ponder, tell, weigh
NASB:right, weighs, weighed, directed, firmly set, marked off, meted
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to balance, i.e. to measure out (by weight or dimension)
2. (figuratively) to arrange, equalize, through the idea of levelling
3. (mentally) to estimate, test
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bear up, direct, be unequal, mete, ponder, tell, weigh
A primitive root; to balance, i.e. Measure out (by weight or dimension); figuratively, arrange, equalize, through the idea of levelling (ment. Estimate, test) -- bear up, direct, be ((un-))equal, mete, ponder, tell, weigh.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto regulate, measure, estimate
NASB Translationdirected (1), firmly set (1), marked off (1), meted (1), right (9), weighed (2), weighs (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (compare Aramaic Pa`el (rare)
prepare (= , ); according to Ry
Syn. d. Wahren u. Guten 33 a secondary √ from ); —
Participle estimate, figurative:Proverbs 16:2, so ()Proverbs 21:2;Proverbs 24:12.
Perfect3plural []1 Samuel 2:3by him ()are actions estimated
Imperfect, be adjusted to the standard, i.e. right, equitable: subject (of and of Israel), 3 masculine singularEzekiel 18:25 (twice in verse);Ezekiel 18:29 (twice in verse);Ezekiel 33:17 (twice in verse);Ezekiel 33:20; 3masculine pluralEzekiel 18:29,Ezekiel 18:25.
Perfect3masculine singular:mete out,Job 28:25;Isaiah 40:12 ("" , );Isaiah 40:13 (see
; or ); 1 singularPsalm 75:4 Iregulate (oradjust) her pillars (i.e. of earth).
Participle2 Kings 12:12 the silver which wasmeasured out.
Topical Lexicon
Concept of Divine Weighing and MeasuringThe verb conveyed by Strong’s Hebrew 8505 presents Yahweh as the One who sets standards, assigns weight, and calibrates all things. Whether the object is a person’s motive, a nation’s conduct, or the very elements of creation, Scripture consistently portrays the Lord as the infallible Weigher whose scales never misread.
Occurrences in Narrative History
1 Samuel 2:3 places the term on Hannah’s lips: “for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.” In the dawn of Israel’s monarchy, the doctrine of divine evaluation is thus anchored in the nation’s worship. Centuries later,2 Kings 12:11 records that temple repair funds were “weighed out” before being entrusted to craftsmen, reflecting a culture that mirrors God’s precision in its own stewardship.
Occurrences in Wisdom Literature
Job 28:25 locates the verb in the pre-Sinai era, asserting God’s cosmic engineering: “When He imparted weight to the wind and meted out the waters by measure.”Psalm 75:3 shifts from creation to preservation: “When the earth and all its dwellers quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.” Proverbs repeatedly applies the same principle to the moral realm:
•Proverbs 16:2 – “the LORD weighs the motives.”
•Proverbs 21:2 – “the LORD weighs the heart.”
•Proverbs 24:12 – “Does not He who weighs hearts consider it?”
In each instance, the hidden inner life is as measurable to God as mountains on a scale.
Occurrences in Prophetic Literature
Isaiah 40:12-13 magnifies the cosmic scope: God “weighed the mountains on a scale” and none has ever “directed the Spirit of the LORD.” Ezekiel turns the verb toward forensic justice. Five times the prophet relays Israel’s complaint that “The way of the LORD is not just” (Ezekiel 18:25, 18:29; 33:17 twice; 33:20). Each time Yahweh counters that His way is perfectly weighed; it is Israel’s path that is out of balance. Thus the word underlines not only divine equity but the futility of challenging it.
Theological Significance
1. Omniscience with Precision: God’s knowledge is not abstract but quantitative—He can “weigh” motives and mountains alike (Proverbs 16:2;Isaiah 40:12).
2. Moral Accountability: Every action, hidden or public, is placed on God’s scales (1 Samuel 2:3;Proverbs 24:12).
3. Cosmic Order: Creation itself depends on His exact measurements (Job 28:25), guaranteeing stability amid apparent chaos (Psalm 75:3).
4. Impartial Justice: Complaints about divine unfairness are answered by the reminder that His standards are flawless (Ezekiel 18; 33).
Historical Development
The word surfaces from the early judges period (Hannah), through monarchic administration (Joash’s repairs), into wisdom tradition, and finally forms a cornerstone of prophetic preaching during exile. Across this span, the verb consistently unites worship, ethics, and cosmology under one divine rule of measure.
Ministry Applications
• Preaching: Emphasize that God’s evaluation encompasses both deeds and intentions; align calls to repentance with1 Samuel 2:3 andProverbs 21:2.
• Pastoral Counseling: Encourage heart examination before the Lord’s unwavering scales (Proverbs 24:12).
• Stewardship: Model transparent accounting after2 Kings 12:11, recognizing that all resources ultimately pass through divine hands.
• Apologetics: Address accusations of divine injustice with Ezekiel’s rebuttals, demonstrating that God’s ways are consistently balanced.
Christological and New Testament Connections
Jesus embodies the perfect standard: “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). He is the Judge to whom the Father has “given all authority” (John 5:22), ensuring continuity between Old Testament weighing and final judgment (Revelation 20:12). The cross itself reveals a scale where human sin and divine righteousness meet, satisfied through atonement rather than compromise.
Summary
Strong’s Hebrew 8505 paints a portrait of the Lord as universal Weigher—governing creation, probing hearts, adjudicating nations, and sustaining the cosmos. His scales are never tipped by ignorance, partiality, or weakness. For believer and skeptic alike, the word stands as a sober reminder: everything and everyone will be measured, and only what meets His standard endures.
Forms and Transliterations
הַֽמְתֻכָּ֔ן המתכן וְתֹכֵ֖ן ותכן יִתָּֽכְנּוּ֙ יִתָּכֵ֔ן יִתָּכֵ֖ן יִתָּכֵֽן׃ יִתָּכֵֽנוּ׃ יתכן יתכן׃ יתכנו יתכנו׃ נִתְכְּנ֖וּ נתכנו תִּכֵּ֔ן תִּכֵּ֥ן תִכֵּ֥ן תִכַּ֖נְתִּי תֹ֘כֵ֤ן תכן תכנתי ham·ṯuk·kān hamtukKan hamṯukkān niṯ·kə·nū nitkeNu niṯkənū ṯik·kan·tî tik·kên ṯik·kên tikKanti ṯikkantî tikKen tikkên ṯikkên ṯō·ḵên toChen ṯōḵên vetoChen wə·ṯō·ḵên wəṯōḵên yit·tā·ḵê·nū yit·tā·ḵên yit·tā·ḵən·nū yittaChen yittachenNu yittaChenu yittāḵên yittāḵənnū yittāḵênū
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