What does טָחַן (ṭāḥan) mean in the Bible?
טָחַן (ṭāḥan): Grinding grain as servile labor metonymically extends to describe the debased social status of concubines.
Hebrew · H2912
טָחַן
To grind meal; hence, to be a concubine (that being their employment)
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טָחַן H2912
Pronunciation ṭāḥan
What does טָחַן (ṭāḥan) mean in the Bible?
טָחַן (ṭāḥan): Grinding grain as servile labor metonymically extends to describe the debased social status of concubines.
Full entry for טָחַן (H2912) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2912?
The BSB source-word alignment has 8 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and grind (2), [and] ground (1), grind [grain] (1), ground [it] (1), ground it (1).
Where does טָחַן (ṭāḥan) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 32:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (2), Deuteronomy (1), Ecclesiastes (1), Exodus (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and grind 2× Isaiah 3:15, Isaiah 47:2
[and] ground 1× Deuteronomy 9:21
grind [grain] 1× Job 31:10
ground [it] 1× Exodus 32:20
ground it 1× Numbers 11:8
to grind 1× Judges 16:21
when those grinding 1× Ecclesiastes 12:3
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 32:20 וַיִּטְחַ֖ן to ground [it] Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 11:8 וְטָחֲנ֣וּ to ground it Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Deuteronomy 9:21 טָחוֹן֙ to [and] ground Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Judges 16:21 טוֹחֵ֖ן to to grind Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Job 31:10 תִּטְחַ֣ן to grind [grain] Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Ecclesiastes 12:3 הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ to when those grinding Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural Isaiah 3:15 תִּטְחָ֑נוּ to and grind Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Isaiah 47:2 וְטַ֣חֲנִי to and grind Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 32:20
Aligned rows 8
Books represented 7
Exodus 1 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 1 Judges 1 Job 1 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 2
Source forms
הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ 1x haṭ·ṭō·ḥă·nō·wṯ Ecclesiastes 12:3
וְטָחֲנ֣וּ 1x wə·ṭā·ḥă·nū Numbers 11:8
וְטַ֣חֲנִי 1x wə·ṭa·ḥă·nî Isaiah 47:2
וַיִּטְחַ֖ן 1x way·yiṭ·ḥan Exodus 32:20
טוֹחֵ֖ן 1x ṭō·w·ḥên Judges 16:21
טָחוֹן֙ 1x ṭā·ḥō·wn Deuteronomy 9:21
תִּטְחַ֣ן 1x tiṭ·ḥan Job 31:10
תִּטְחָ֑נוּ 1x tiṭ·ḥā·nū Isaiah 3:15
Parsing patterns
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural 1x Ecclesiastes 12:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 1x Numbers 11:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Exodus 32:20
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular 1x Isaiah 47:2
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural 1x Isaiah 3:15
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular 1x Job 31:10
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute 1x Deuteronomy 9:21
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 1x Judges 16:21
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Grinding grain as servile labor metonymically extends to describe the debased social status of concubines.
Source Gloss
to grind meal; hence, to be a concubine (that being their employment)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Grinding grain as servile labor metonymically extends to describe the debased social status of concubines.
to grind meal; hence, to be a concubine (that being their employment) BDB: grind Usage: grind(-er).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 4
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 4×
Imperfect Isa 3:15 · Job 31:10 2×
Infinitive absolute Deut 9:21 1×
Participle active Judg 16:21 1×
Word Origins
טָחַן is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain