be straight
ta.qan denotes making what is crooked straight and, in one context, arranging proverbs.
The attested use chiefly concerns making a crooked condition straight: Ecclesiastes 1:15 states that what is crooked cannot be made straight, and Ecclesiastes 7:13 asks who can make straight what God has made crooked. In Ecclesiastes 12:9, it describes the preacher's ordering of many proverbs.
Senses in use
-
Make a crooked thing straight · dominant
In Ecclesiastes 1:15, the Qal infinitive construct occurs in the statement that what is crooked cannot be made straight. In Ecclesiastes 7:13, the Piel infinitive construct appears in the question of who can make straight what God has made crooked; the APB renders both clauses with “made straight” or “make straight.”
-
Arrange sayings · occasional
In Ecclesiastes 12:9, the Piel perfect form occurs after the preacher “pondered and searched” and before “many proverbs,” describing his handling of those proverbs. The APB renders the clause “and arranged many proverbs.”
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB renders the two clauses about crookedness with “made straight” and “make straight,” while Ecclesiastes 12:9 has “arranged many proverbs.” These renderings confirm the clauses rather than define the term independently.