WG: Testing / Examining
Overview
The Hebrew concept of testing and examining involves four primary verbs that each approach the act of evaluation from a distinct angle: scrutinizing evaluation (bachan), metallurgical refining (tsaraph), experiential ordeal (nasah), and investigative probing (chaqar). These words frequently co-occur — Psalm 26:2 combines three of them in a single verse.
Word Group Members
| Strong's |
Word |
Transliteration |
POS |
Occurrences |
Role in Concept |
Library Entry |
| H974 |
בָּחַן |
bachan |
verb |
28 |
Evaluative testing — assaying for quality or truth |
H974-bachan.md |
| H6884 |
צָרַף |
tsaraph |
verb |
29 |
Refining test — smelting/purifying metals; purging impurity |
H6884-tsaraph.md |
| H5254 |
נָסָה |
nasah |
verb |
34 |
Experiential test — proving through ordeal or trial |
TODO(need H5254 study) |
| H2713 |
חָקַר |
chaqar |
verb |
26 |
Investigative test — searching out, penetrating inquiry |
TODO(need H2713 study) |
| H976 |
בֹּחַן |
bochan |
noun |
1 |
The result — "trial," "tested" (Isa 28:16 "tried stone") |
TODO(need H976 study) |
Relationships
Shared Roots
- bachan (H974) and bochan (H976) share the root ב-ח-ן
- The other three verbs are from distinct roots, united by semantic overlap rather than etymology
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)
| Word A |
Word B |
Shared Verses |
Typical Context |
| bachan (H974) |
tsaraph (H6884) |
5 |
"proved...tried as silver" — evaluative + metallurgical testing paired (Psa 17:3, 66:10, Zec 13:9) |
| bachan (H974) |
nasah (H5254) |
2 |
"Examine me...prove me" — inviting both scrutiny and experiential testing (Psa 26:2, 95:9) |
| bachan (H974) |
chaqar (H2713) |
2 |
"Search me...try me" — investigative + evaluative testing together (Psa 139:23, Jer 17:10) |
| tsaraph (H6884) |
nasah (H5254) |
1 |
Three-way cluster in Psa 26:2 |
Multi-Word Passages
- Psa 26:2 — bachan + tsaraph + nasah: "Examine me [bachan], O LORD, and prove me [nasah]; try [tsaraph] my reins and my heart"
- Psa 139:23 — bachan + chaqar: "Search me [chaqar], O God, and know my heart: try me [bachan], and know my thoughts"
- Jer 17:10 — bachan + chaqar: "I the LORD search [chaqar] the heart, I try [bachan] the reins"
LXX Overlaps
| Hebrew Words |
Shared Greek |
Notes |
| bachan + tsaraph |
δοκιμάζω (dokimazo) G1381 |
Both rendered by dokimazo; Greek conflates the evaluative and refining senses |
| bachan + tsaraph |
πυρόω (pyroo) G4448 |
Both rendered by pyroo in fire-refining contexts |
Roles in the Concept
- Evaluator: bachan (בָּחַן) — the assaying judgment itself; determining quality, truth, or character
- Refiner: tsaraph (צָרַף) — the purification process; removing impurity through heat and pressure
- Prover: nasah (נָסָה) — the experiential ordeal; putting through a trial to reveal what is present
- Investigator: chaqar (חָקַר) — the search and penetration; uncovering hidden realities
- Result: bochan (בֹּחַן) — what has been tested; the proven/tried product (Isa 28:16)
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together
- Psa 26:2 — bachan + nasah + tsaraph: The fullest single-verse expression of the testing concept. David invites all three forms of divine examination.
- Psa 139:23 — bachan + chaqar: Testing and searching as synonymous acts of divine omniscience.
- Jer 17:10 — bachan + chaqar: YHWH's self-description as the one who both searches and tests.
- Psa 17:3 — bachan + tsaraph: Testing and refining as the nighttime visitation of God.
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py, co-occurrence queries
Last updated: 2026-05-01