Original Word: טַחֲנָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tachanah
Pronunciation: tah-khah-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (takh-an-aw')
KJV: grinding
NASB: grinding mill
Word Origin: [from H2912 (טָּחַן - grind)]

1. a hand mill
2. hence (figuratively) chewing

grinding

From tachan; a hand mill; hence (figuratively) chewing -- grinding.

see HEBREW tachan

Word Origin
from tachan
Definition
a mill
NASB Translation
grinding mill (1).

טַחֲנָה noun feminine mill = foregoing, ׳בִּשְׁפַל קוֺל הַטּ Ecclesiastes 12:4 when the sound of the mill is low (compare Ecclesiastes 12:3, below verb above)

טחר (√ of following; compare Arabic eject; Aramaic טְחַר strain at stool, dysentery).

Context within Ecclesiastes 12

The single inspired instance of טַחֲנָה occurs in Solomon’s vivid portrayal of old age (Ecclesiastes 12:4). The “sound of the mill” that once filled the house grows faint, picturing the decline of bodily strength—especially the loss of teeth, here symbolized by the household mill whose stones no longer grind. In Hebrew poetry, daily objects often stand for human faculties; thus the mill’s silence becomes a tender metaphor for life’s waning powers. Solomon’s warning is pastoral: remember the Creator “before the days of adversity come” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

Domestic Milling in Ancient Israel

1. Location and construction
• Small, hand‐driven mills (querns) occupied a corner of most homes. A stationary lower stone and a movable upper stone produced flour for family bread (Exodus 11:5; contrast larger industrial mills).
2. Labor and gender
• Grinding was characteristically women’s work (Matthew 24:41 reflects the same cultural norm). The rhythmic sound of morning grinding announced normal, thriving life.
3. Social significance
• Because bread was the staff of life, the mill symbolized sustenance, routine, and domestic stability (Jeremiah 25:10 speaks of its absence as a sign of judgment).

Symbolic Range of the Mill Motif

Though טַחֲנָה itself appears once, Scripture frequently employs the milling image:
• Frailty: Ecclesiastes 12:4 (fading sound) signals bodily decline.
• Judgment: Judges 16:21 (Samson grinding in prison) and Revelation 18:22 (millstone silenced in Babylon) use grinding to depict humiliation or ruin.
• Gospel warning: Jesus’ reference to a millstone around the neck (Matthew 18:6) underscores the gravity of causing spiritual harm.

Theological Themes

1. Mortality and accountability
• The diminishing mill reminds believers that earthly vigor is temporary. Consequently, the fear of the LORD and obedience today matter eternally.
2. Divine provision
• God supplies daily bread (Matthew 6:11); the household mill is a tangible witness. Its silence therefore highlights dependence on the Creator, not on human strength.
3. Resurrection hope
• Ecclesiastes concludes, “God will bring every deed into judgment” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). The fading mill points forward to the resurrection life wherein decay is reversed (1 Corinthians 15:42–44).

Ministry Applications

• Pastoral care of the elderly: Ecclesiastes 12:4 validates the feelings of those who experience physical diminishment, encouraging congregations to honor and serve them (Leviticus 19:32).
• Discipleship: Teachers may illustrate spiritual lethargy by the silenced mill—urging believers to “redeem the time” (Ephesians 5:16).
• Worship: The contrast between fading earthly sounds and the new song of redemption (Revelation 5:9) fuels thanksgiving for eternal life in Christ.

Related Old Testament Imagery

While טַחֲנָה is unique to Ecclesiastes 12:4, other Hebrew terms convey similar ideas:
• 2912 טַחֲנָה (grindstones) in Numbers 11:8.
• 8642 תֹּחֶן (mill) in Isaiah 47:2.

These parallels deepen an understanding of daily labor and divine sovereignty.

Summary

טַחֲנָה, though rare, contributes profoundly to biblical wisdom. Its solitary appearance encapsulates Solomon’s compassionate call: remember God before life’s “sound of the mill” fades. The image roots theology in ordinary experience, directing every generation to find enduring hope in the Lord who provides bread for today and immortality for tomorrow.

הַֽטַּחֲנָ֑ה הטחנה haṭ·ṭa·ḥă·nāh hattachaNah haṭṭaḥănāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts