TR: bachan → dokimazo (Test/Examine/Approve)¶
The Chain¶
Hebrew OT LXX (Greek OT) Greek NT
─────────── ─────────────── ────────
בָּחַן (bachan) → δοκιμάζω (dokimazo) → δοκιμάζω (dokimazo)
H974, 28x in OT LXX co-occ: 15x 21x in NT
"test, examine" PMI score: 25.44 "test, prove, approve"
OT Usage (Hebrew)¶
| Strong's | Word | Occurrences | Primary Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| H974 | בָּחַן (bachan) | 28 | test, examine, prove (especially metals and hearts) |
| H976 | בֹּחַן (bochan) | 1 | trial, tested (noun derived from bachan) |
Key OT passages: - Jer 17:10 — "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways" - Psa 26:2 — "Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart" - Mal 3:10 — "prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts"
Library entry: H974-bachan.md
LXX Bridge¶
H974 bachan → Greek (what Greek words translate this Hebrew word in LXX):
| Hebrew | Greek Translation | Strong's | Co-occ | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bachan (H974) | δοκιμάζω (dokimazo) | G1381 | 15 | 25.44 | Primary equivalent |
| bachan (H974) | πυρόω (pyroo) | G4448 | 5 | 14.15 | Fire/refining contexts |
| bachan (H974) | καρδία (kardia) | G2588 | 10 | 8.61 | Object translation, not verb |
| bachan (H974) | δίκαιος (dikaios) | G1342 | 4 | 5.68 | "righteous" in modifier position |
G1381 dokimazo ← Hebrew (what Hebrew words this Greek word translates):
| Greek | Hebrew Source | Strong's | Co-occ | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dokimazo (G1381) | בָּחַן (bachan) | H974 | 15 | 25.44 | Primary source |
| dokimazo (G1381) | צָרַף (tsaraph) | H6884 | 6 | 15.19 | Refining verb |
| dokimazo (G1381) | כִּלְיָה (kilyah) | H3629 | 4 | 11.87 | Object (kidneys/reins) |
| dokimazo (G1381) | חָקַר (chaqar) | H2713 | 3 | 9.65 | Search out/investigate |
Semantic shift in translation: The LXX consistently renders bachan with dokimazo, preserving the sense of evaluative testing. Dokimazo adds an approval dimension absent in bachan — Greek usage implies testing with a view to approval, whereas bachan is neutral (testing may reveal failure). This approval nuance carries into NT usage.
NT Usage (Greek)¶
| Strong's | Word | Occurrences | Primary Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1381 | δοκιμάζω (dokimazo) | 21 | test, prove, approve, discern |
| G1382 | δοκιμή (dokime) | 7 | proof, test, experience |
| G1383 | δοκίμιον (dokimion) | 2 | testing, means of proving |
| G1384 | δόκιμος (dokimos) | 7 | approved, tested, genuine |
Key NT passages: - 1 Th 2:4 — "as we were allowed [dokimazo] of God to be put in trust with the gospel" - 1 Th 5:21 — "Prove [dokimazo] all things; hold fast that which is good" - 1 Co 3:13 — "Every man's work shall be made manifest... the fire shall try [dokimazo] every man's work" - Eph 5:10 — "Proving [dokimazo] what is acceptable unto the Lord" - 1 Ti 3:10 — "let these also first be proved [dokimazo]; then let them use the office of a deacon"
Library entry: TODO(need G1381 study)
Direct OT→NT Quotations¶
No direct citations of bachan passages using dokimazo appear in the NT. However, the conceptual framework transfers powerfully:
| NT Passage | OT Echo | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Th 5:21 "prove all things" | Mal 3:10 "prove me" | Same verb dokimazo; same invitation to test |
| 1 Co 3:13 "fire shall try every man's work" | Pro 17:3 "the fining pot for silver...the LORD trieth hearts" | Metallurgical testing imagery preserved through LXX bridge |
| 1 Pe 1:7 "trial of your faith...though it be tried with fire" | Psa 66:10 "thou hast tried us, as silver is tried" | dokimion (G1383) picks up the bachan-as-refining metaphor |
Continuity and Shifts¶
What stays the same across testaments: - God remains the primary tester of hearts and character (Jer 17:10 → 1 Th 2:4) - The metallurgical metaphor (testing as refining by fire) carries through intact (Pro 17:3, Job 23:10 → 1 Co 3:13, 1 Pe 1:7) - The ethical demand to test/examine remains (Psa 26:2, Mal 3:10 → 1 Th 5:21, Gal 6:4)
What shifts: - The NT expands the subject of testing: believers are commanded to test themselves and all claims (Gal 6:4, 1 Th 5:21), not only God testing humans - Dokimazo gains a stronger "approve" pole — what passes the test is approved (Rom 14:22, 1 Co 16:3), shifting from neutral examination to a test-and-certify model - The NT word family (dokime, dokimion, dokimos) develops the concept into a technical vocabulary for Christian character formation through trial
Generated from: gather_trace_data.py, search_strongs.py (--lxx-map, --hebrew-source, --lookup, --lexicon) Last updated: 2026-05-01