the Third Week of Advent
Click here to learn more!
Bible Lexicons
Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's #251 - אָח
- Brown-Driver-Briggs
- Strong
- brother
- brother of same parents
- half-brother (same father)
- relative, kinship, same tribe
- each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
- (figuratively) of resemblance
- Book
- Word
did not use
this Strong's Number
1008) ha (אהה AHh) AC: Protect CO: Hearth AB: Brotherhood: The pictograph a represents strength. The h is a wall. Combined these pictographs mean "strong wall". In Hebrew thought, a wall is more than a vertical barrier but anything that separates or divides. The hearth around the fire protected the house from the heat and embers of the fire.
A) ha (אהה AHh) AC: ? CO: Hearth AB: ?
Nf ) ha (אהה AHh) - I. Hearth:A dividing wall that protects the family from the fire. II. Brother:One who stands between the enemy and the family, a protector. [Hebrew and Aramaic] KJV (634): brethren, brother, another, brotherly, kindred, hearth - Strongs: H251 (אָח), H252 (אַח), H254 (אַח)
Nf3) tfha (אההות AHhWT) - Sister: KJV (114): sister, another - Strongs: H269 (אָחוֹת)
rm) fha (אההו AHhW) - Marsh Grass: The tall grasses that line a marsh as a wall. KJV (3): meadow, flag - Strongs: H260 (אָחוּ)
J) hfa (אוהה AWHh) AC: ? CO: ? AB: ?
Nm ) hfa (אוהה AWHh) - Oahh: An unknown animal. KJV (1): creature - Strongs: H255 (אֹחַ)
K) fha (אההו AHhW) AC: ? CO: Hearth AB: ?
Nf1 ) efha (אההוה AHhWH) - Brotherhood: A company of brothers. KJV (1): brotherhood - Strongs: H264 (אַחֲוָה)
Jeff Benner, Ancient Hebrew Research Center Used by permission of the author.
I. אָח630 noun masculine brother (Phoenician אח, Arabic (construct etc.), Sabean אחֿ (suffix אחֿיהו) CIS iv.1,17,24 and others, Ethiopic Assyrian a—u compare Dl W, Aramaic אַח, ; Palmyreme, Nabataean suffix אחוהי, אחיה); — absolute אָח Genesis 24:29 + ( Ezekiel 18:10 strike out Co compare ᵐ5ᵑ6 ᵑ9; Ew Sm אַח; Dl Ba Ez x defends as = one compare Assyrian a—u) never with article; cstr אֲחִי Genesis 10:21 +; suffix אָחִי Genesis 4:9 +; אָחִיךָ Genesis 4:9 +; אָחִיו Genesis 4:2 +; אָחִיהוּ Jeremiah 34:9 3t. etc.; plural אַחִים Genesis 13:8 +; so read Hosea 13:15 see De Compl. Var. 23 compare below אָחוּ; construct אֲחֵי Numbers 27:10 +; suffix אַחַי Genesis 19:7 +; אֶחָ֑י 1 Samuel 20:29 + (but 1 Samuel 30:23 ᵐ5 We אַחֲרֵי for אֶחָ֑י את); אַחֶיךָ Genesis 37:13 +; אֶחָיו Genesis 44:14 #NAME?
1 brother, born of same mother (& father) Genesis 4:2,8,9,10,11; Genesis 27:6,11; Genesis 44:20; Genesis 49:5; compare Genesis 28:2; Genesis 29:10 (twice in verse) + Exodus 4:14 + often; also of half-brother Genesis 20:5,13,16 (on pa-rentage compare Genesis 20:12) Genesis 37:2,4,5 +, 2 Samuel 13:4,7,8 +.
2 indefinite = relative; Lot, of Abraham Genesis 13:8; Genesis 14:12,14,16; Jacob, of Laban Genesis 29:12,15 (nephew); hence of kinship in wider sense; member of same tribe Numbers 16:10; Numbers 18:2,6; 2 Samuel 19:13; of same people Exodus 2:11 (twice in verse); Exodus 4:18; Deuteronomy 15:12; Judges 14:3; Isaiah 66:20; Nehemiah 5:1,5,8 see especially Leviticus 19:17 compare Leviticus 19:18 ( Exodus -tended to include sojourner גֵּר Leviticus 19:34); of Israel & Judah 2 Samuel 19:42; Israel & Edom Numbers 20:14; compare of Ishmael Genesis 16:12; Genesis 25:18; of friend 2 Samuel 1:26; 1 Kings 9:13; 1 Kings 20:32,33of allies ׳בְּרִית א Amos 1:9.
3 figurative of resemblance Job 30:29 אָח הָיִיתִי לְתַנִּים ("" רֵעַ לִבְנוֺתיַעֲנָה i.e. by reason of his crying, compare Di; Proverbs 18:9 מִתְרַמֶּה בִּמְלַאכְתּוֺ אָח הוּא לְבַעַל מַשְׁחִית.
4 in phrase one . . . another אִישׁ אָחִיו Genesis 9:5; Joel 2:8; Ze Joel 7:10; אִישׁ ֗֗֗ אָחִיו Genesis 13:11 25t + Exodus 32:27 (where also same phrase with רֵעֵהוּ & קְרֹבוֺ — see these words — & also אִישׁ, אֶחָד; for development of idiom compare Deuteronomy 15:2; Isaiah 19:2; Jeremiah 34:14 (compare15) 17 Ezekiel 38:21; Haggai 2:22; usually of men; of faces of golden cherubim Exodus 25:20; Exodus 37:9; of scales of crocodile Job 41:9. (אָח fire-pot. see below II. אחח.)
אחה (assumed as √ of following; compare Biblical Hebrew אָח).
אָח construct אֲחִי, with suff. אָחִי (“my brother”), אָחִיךָ, אֲחִיכֶם pl. אַחִים (with dag. occult), const. אֲחֵי, with light suff. אַחֶיךָ, with grave suff. אֲחֵיכֶם, with suff. 3 pers. אֶחָיו for אַהָיו (comp. Lehrg. p. 602), a brother. This word is undoubtedly primitive. Arab. أَخُ, const. st. أَخُو, أَخِى, أَخَا Syr. ܐܰܚܳܐ, Chald. אַח. It follows sometimes the analogy of verbs, לח֞, sometimes that of verbs, עע֞; comp. Lehrg. § 118. When used in a sense not quite strict, it is applied also to those who are not own brothers, as those who are children of one father by different mothers (Genesis 42:15, 43:3 ), or vice versâ to brothers by the same mother but by different fathers (Judges 8:19 ), who when greater exactness is used, are called בֶּן אָב, בֶּן אֵם; see בֵּן. Sometimes emphatically used of brethren, both by the father and mother (Genesis 44:20), comp. Genesis 49:5, שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אַחִים “Simon and Levi are (true) brethren,” i.e. not only children of one mother, but brethren truly in disposition also.
The word brother is also of wider use amongst the Hebrews, and is used for
(1) any relative, kinsman, Genesis 14:16, “his brother Lot,” prop. his brother’s son, Genesis 13:8, 29:12, 15 Genesis 29:15.
(2) a man of the same tribe, 2 Samuel 19:13 e.g. used of the Levites, Numbers 8:26, 16:10 Nehemiah 3:1.
(3) one of the same people, Judges 14:3; Exodus 2:11, 4:18 used even of cognate peoples, e.g. of the Edomites and Hebrews, Genesis 9:25, 16:12 25:18 Numbers 20:14.
(4) an ally, confederate; used of people that were allied, as of the Tyrians and Hebrews, Amos 1:9 or of the same religion, Isaiah 66:20 [here of the same nation].
(5) any friend; thus used of the friends of Job, Job 6:15, perhaps also Job 19:13, and of Solomon, who calls Hiram his brother, 1 Kings 9:13 comp. Nehemiah 5:10, 14.
(6) any other man, united to us only by the tie of the human race, i.q. רֵעַ Leviticus 19:17. Hence when preceded by אִישׁ, one … another. Genesis 13:11, וַיּפָּֽרְדוּ אִישׁ מֵעַל אָחִיו “and they separated the one from the other,” Genesis 26:31 and indeed in this phrase it is even used of inanimate things resembling each other, if they be of the masculine gender (of feminines, in the same sense is used אָחוֹת-אִשָּׁה), Exodus 25:20, אִישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו וּפְנֵיהֶם “and their faces (of the cherubim) shall be turned one to another” (gegeneinander), Exodus 37:9.
(7) tropically it expresses some similarity of disposition or manners, Job 30:29, “I am become a brother of the jackals,” i.e. I am forced to howl like a jackal; Proverbs 18:9. Comp. fem. אָחוֹת [also אַחֲוָה], and many compound proper names, as אֲחִימֶלֶךְ and the like [which follow almost immediately].
II. אָח interj. of lamentation (from the sound made), ah! alas! const. with a dat. Ezekiel 6:11, 21:20. In Arabic there is a root derived from this, أَحْأَحَ to cry out, ah! again and again: see below, under אָחַח.
III. אָח f. Arab. إِخُّ a great pot, in which a fire was kept burning in the king’s winter apartment, Jeremiah 36:22, 23 Jeremiah 36:23. The orientals still use pots of this kind for warming instead of fire places, called in Pers. and Turk. تنّور They have the form of a large pitcher, and they are usually placed in a cavity in the middle of the room. When the fire is out, a frame like a table is put over the pot, covered with a carpet; and those who wish to warm themselves, sit on the ground, and cover their feet, legs, and even their belly, with the carpet. The root is אָחַה No. II.