Original Word: תָּקַן
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: taqan
Pronunciation: tah-KAHN
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-kan')
KJV: set in order, make straight
NASB: arranged, straighten, straightened
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to equalize, i.e. straighten (intransitive or transitive)
2. (figuratively) to compose

set in order, make straight

A primitive root; to equalize, i.e. Straighten (intransitive or transitive); figuratively, to compose -- set in order, make straight.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to become straight
NASB Translation
arranged (1), straighten (1), straightened (1).

[תָּקַן] verb become straight (Late Hebrew תִּקֵּן arrange, put right; Ecclus 47:9 תיקן set in order; Assyrian takânu, be well ordered, especially Pi`el as Late Hebrew; Aramaic be established, firm, Pa`el , תֵּקֵּין fix, arrange, prepare, etc.; Palmyrene Pa`el erect); —

Qal Infinitive construct לִתְקֹן Ecclesiastes 1:15 (opposed to מְעֻוָּת bent).

Pi`el Infinitive construct לְתַקֵּן Ecclesiastes 7:13 make straight (opposed to עִוָּה); Perfect3masculine singular תִּקֵּן Ecclesiastes 12:9 put straight, arrange in order (proverbs).

[תְּקַן] verb be in order (ᵑ7 Syriac; Biblical Hebrew (late)); —

Hoph`al Perfect1singular הָתְקְנֵת (W^{CG 225}) Daniel 4:33 I was established, עַל of kingdom.

Overview

The verb תָּקַן (taqan, Strong’s 8626) appears three times in the Book of Ecclesiastes, each time highlighting the tension between human effort and divine sovereignty. While the preacher repeatedly urges an honest reckoning with the human condition, תָּקַן underscores both God’s prerogative to “set in order” and humanity’s inability to reduce life’s mysteries to manageable formulas.

Occurrences and Literary Context

1. Ecclesiastes 1:15—“What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.” The statement frames the book’s opening lament. Human wisdom, though diligent, cannot rectify the fundamental “crookedness” of a fallen world.
2. Ecclesiastes 7:13—“Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?” Here תָּקַן sharpens the preacher’s call to submission before providence. If God has permitted a circumstance, no merely human ingenuity can reverse it apart from His will.
3. Ecclesiastes 12:9—The preacher “taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs.” In contrast to the first two uses, this verse portrays תָּקַן in a constructive sense: the wise teacher “sets in order” sayings for the benefit of the covenant community.

Teaching on Human Limitations

Ecclesiastes consistently tempers human ambition. Through תָּקַן, the book presents an epistemological boundary: some realities remain unfixed not because humans lack creativity but because God has imposed limits (compare Job 38–41). This humble acknowledgment fosters reverence rather than resignation (see Proverbs 1:7).

Divine Sovereignty and Providence

The bent realities of life (Ecclesiastes 7:13) point to a divine design that directs history toward ultimate justice. God both ordains what He will straighten (Isaiah 40:4) and leaves certain matters unresolved to drive His people to trust. Thus תָּקַן serves as a litmus test for whether one will strive in frustration or rest in faith (Psalm 46:10).

Wisdom and Instruction in Preaching

Ecclesiastes 12:9 models faithful proclamation: the preacher “arranged” proverbs so that listeners might grasp truth in memorable form. This invites ministers today to craft sermons that are both orderly and Spirit-dependent. Application without dependence may mirror the futile straightening of 1:15; Spirit-led arrangement mirrors the constructive work of 12:9.

Christological Foreshadowing

The apparent impossibility of straightening what is crooked anticipates the need for a Redeemer. In Luke 3:5, Isaiah’s promise that “the crooked shall become straight” begins fulfillment in the ministry of John the Baptist and culminates in Jesus Christ, who alone rectifies humanity’s deepest crookedness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Thus תָּקַן points beyond human wisdom to the One who makes “all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

Practical Ministry Application

• Counseling: Encourage believers to discern which burdens can be addressed through responsible action (Galatians 6:5) and which must be entrusted to God (1 Peter 5:7).
• Leadership: Arrange teaching, liturgy, and community life with intentionality, reflecting the preacher’s diligence in 12:9.
• Suffering: Offer pastoral care that neither trivializes pain nor undermines God’s sovereignty; instead, call sufferers to “consider the work of God” (Ecclesiastes 7:13).

Implications for Worship and Discipleship

The recurring motif of straightening invites worship that confesses both human frailty and divine mastery. Corporate prayers of lament honor the crooked places left unstraightened, while songs of hope celebrate the future rectification guaranteed in Christ. Discipleship anchored in this tension teaches believers to labor faithfully, pray expectantly, and rest securely in the wisdom of God, who alone can fully תָּקַן what sin has bent.

לְתַקֵּ֔ן לִתְקֹ֑ן לתקן תִּקֵּ֖ן תקן lə·ṯaq·qên letakKen ləṯaqqên liṯ·qōn litKon liṯqōn tikKen tiq·qên tiqqênInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts