975. bachan
Lexical Summary
bachan: To test, to examine, to try, to prove

Original Word: בּחן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: bachan
Pronunciation: bä-khän'
Phonetic Spelling: (bakh'-an)
KJV: tower
NASB: watch-tower
Word Origin: [from H974 (בָּחַן - test) (in the sense of keeping a look-out)]

1. a watch-tower

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
tower

From bachan (in the sense of keeping a look-out); a watch-tower -- tower.

see HEBREW bachan

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from bachan
Definition
a watchtower
NASB Translation
watch-tower (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
בַּ֫חַן noun [masculine] watch-tower, Isaiah 32:14.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Context

Isaiah 32 contrasts the false security of Judah’s elite with the righteous reign that will follow the outpouring of the Spirit (Isaiah 32:15). Verse 14 employs בָּחַן (bachan) to picture a “watchtower” abandoned after judgment: “For the palace will be forsaken, a busy city deserted; the hill and watchtower will become caves forever, the delight of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks …” (Isaiah 32:14). The single use of the noun heightens the starkness of the vision: every visible symbol of human vigilance and power comes to nothing when the Lord removes His protection.

Historical Background

Ancient watchtowers rose above city walls or agricultural fields to give early warning against raiders (2 Chronicles 26:10; Judges 9:51). They testified to civic pride and military readiness. Isaiah spoke when Assyrian aggression exposed Judah’s vulnerability. By announcing the desolation of even the lookout posts, the prophet declared that no amount of human foresight could avert the divine sentence decreed for covenant unfaithfulness.

Imagery and Symbolism

1. Collapse of Human Confidence – The silent tower illustrates how worldly defenses crumble under God’s hand (Psalm 33:16-17).
2. Exposure to Divine Scrutiny – The wider lexical family (to “examine, test”) reminds hearers that God tests hearts (Jeremiah 17:10) while dismantling the structures people build to avoid such scrutiny.
3. Wilderness Motif – Wild donkeys and grazing flocks reclaim the site, linking the scene to other prophecies in which judgment reduces proud cities to wilderness (Isaiah 13:19-22).

Theological Significance

• Judgment Clears the Way for Renewal – Verses 15-18 reveal that the Spirit’s future work follows the demolition of false security.
• True Refuge Is in the Lord – While bachan’s tower falls, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).
• God Tests, Then Restores – The fall of physical watchtowers parallels God’s testing of hearts, purifying a remnant for His kingdom (Zechariah 13:9).

Intertextual Connections

Psalm 61:3; Psalm 62:8; Proverbs 18:10; Isaiah 26:1-4; Jeremiah 9:7; Zechariah 2:5 collectively underscore the contrast between flimsy human fortifications and the Lord Himself as an unfailing wall of salvation.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Preaching – Use Isaiah 32:14 to warn against trusting political, economic, or religious institutions rather than the Lord.
2. Discipleship – Encourage believers to embrace God’s testing (Psalm 139:23-24) as a gracious means of refinement rather than resist it through self-made defenses.
3. Pastoral Care – When congregations face the collapse of cherished structures (buildings, programs, reputations), redirect hope to the unshakeable kingdom promised in Isaiah 32:17-18 and Hebrews 12:28.

Mission and Evangelism

The image of the deserted tower offers a bridge for gospel proclamation: every culture erects its own bachan, yet only Christ provides lasting safety. Present Him as the tested and proven cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6-7) who cannot be moved when every earthly watchtower falls.

Devotional Reflection

Ask: “Where have I built my own watchtower?” Invite the Spirit to examine motives, topple idols, and replace them with “righteousness, peace, and quiet confidence forever” (Isaiah 32:17).

Forms and Transliterations
וָבַ֜חַן ובחן vaVachan wā·ḇa·ḥan wāḇaḥan
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Isaiah 32:14
HEB: עֻזָּ֑ב עֹ֣פֶל וָבַ֜חַן הָיָ֨ה בְעַ֤ד
NAS: Hill and watch-tower have become
KJV: the forts and towers shall be for dens
INT: forsaken Hill and watch-tower have become about

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 975
1 Occurrence


wā·ḇa·ḥan — 1 Occ.

974
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