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H932 · Hebrew · Old Testament
בֹּהַן
Bohan
Proper noun
Thumb, big toe

Definition

The Hebrew noun/name bohan means 'thumb' or 'big toe' and appears as a place name — the 'Stone of Bohan son of Reuben' — marking a boundary stone in the tribal allotments of Joshua. The specific landmark was perhaps a stone shaped like a thumb or named after a Reubenite hero.

Usage & Theological Significance

The boundary markers in Joshua 15 and 18 — including the 'Stone of Bohan' — reflect the precision of God's covenant land grants. God does not give Israel a vague territory but specific, delineated boundaries established by identifiable landmarks. This specificity testifies to the reality of the covenant: God's promises are not abstract but concrete, geographical, and historically verifiable. Every landmark in Joshua's surveys is a monument to the faithfulness of God who kept His word to Abraham.

Key Bible Verses

Joshua 15:6 And the boundary goes up to Beth-hoglah and passes along north of Beth-arabah. And the boundary goes up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
Joshua 18:17 Then it bends in a northerly direction going on to En-shemesh, and from there goes to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim. It goes down to the stone of Bohan.
Numbers 34:2 Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders).
Joshua 21:45 Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'To your offspring I give this land.'

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