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

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.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to regulate, measure, estimate
NASB Translation
directed (1), firmly set (1), marked off (1), meted (1), right (9), weighed (2), weighs (3).

[תָּכַן] verb regulate, measure, estimate (compare Aramaic Pa`el תַּכֵּן (rare) prepare (= הֵכִין, כּוֺנֵן); according to Ry^{Syn. d. Wahren u. Guten 33} a secondary √ from כון); —

Qal Participle estimate, figurative: ׳וְתֹכֵן רוּחוֺת י Proverbs 16:2, so (לִבּוֺת) Proverbs 21:2; Proverbs 24:12.

Niph`al 1. Perfect3plural נִתְכְּנוּ עֲלִלוֺת [לוֺ] וְלֹא 1 Samuel 2:3 by him (׳י) are actions estimated

2 Imperfect, be adjusted to the standard, i.e. right, equitable: subject דֶרֶח (of ׳י and of Israel), 3 masculine singular יִתָּכֵן Ezekiel 18:25 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 18:29 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 33:17 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 33:20; 3masculine plural יִתָּֽכְנוּ Ezekiel 18:29, יִתָּכֵ֑נוּ Ezekiel 18:25.

Pi`el Perfect3masculine singular: mete out, מַיִם תִּכֵּן בְּמִדָּה Job 28:25; ׳וְשָׁמַיִם בַּזֶּרֶת ת Isaiah 40:12 ("" מדד, כול); ׳אֶתרֿוּחַ י ׳מִי ת Isaiah 40:13 (see

Qal; read possibly הֵבִין or הֵכִין); 1 singular תִּכַּ֫נְתִּי עַמּוּדֶיהָ Psalm 75:4 I regulate (or adjust) her pillars (i.e. of earth).

Pu`al Participle הַכֶּסֶף הַמְּתֻכָּן 2 Kings 12:12 the silver which was measured out.

Concept of Divine Weighing and Measuring

The 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 with 1 Samuel 2:3 and Proverbs 21:2.
• Pastoral Counseling: Encourage heart examination before the Lord’s unwavering scales (Proverbs 24:12).
• Stewardship: Model transparent accounting after 2 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.

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 yittāḵênūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts