What is boaz and jachin

Literal translations of the Hebrew names give Jachin as "it shall be established" (or "God will establish") and Boaz as "in thee is strength" 121. Combined, the two names express a devotional phrase: "O Lord, Thou art mighty, and Thy power is established from everlasting to everlasting" 121. Early eighteenth-century Masonic catechisms treated the names historically, but William Hutchinson introduced their symbolic import into the Craft, a reading William Preston subsequently expanded in his system of lectures 1.

In Craft symbolism, the names represent the twin qualities of strength and stability—both of the Masonic institution itself and of the divine promises 121. Through Preston's lecture system, the names also came to emblemise the pillars of cloud and fire that guided the Israelites in the wilderness, signifying divine guidance and protection 121.

Carl Claudy offers an interpretive reading for the Fellowcraft degree, taking Boaz to mean power or strength and Jachin to signify wisdom, choice, or control 2. In Claudy's view, the candidate's passage between them illustrates that power without control is destructive, while control without power is futile; balance between both is required to establish character 2.

Later scholarly sources cited by Mackey suggest the names may also relate to ancient Phoenician and Hebrew terms for Deity, serving as conventional symbols of the divine presence at the entrance to Solomon's Temple 1.