← H284 H286 →

אֲחִיטוּב

𐤀𐤇𐤉𐤈𐤅𐤁

Achituv

H285 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Masculine personal name primarily meaning 'my brother is good' or 'brother of goodness'; used as the name of multiple priests in the Hebrew Bible. The name constructs a relationship to goodness or beneficence, implying 'a brother (who is) good' or one characterized by favorable qualities.

Semantic Range

(1) personal name designating 'brother of goodness' or 'my brother is good,' (2) name of Israelite priests in the monarchic period, (3) an ancestral or genealogical title within priestly lineages

Root / Etymology

Constructed from אָח ('brother') and טוּב ('goodness, good, beneficence'), with a possessive or relational nuance. The formation indicates a theophoric or laudatory element, common in Israelite personal names.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, אֲחִיטוּב (ʼĂchîyṭûwb) appears as the name of various priestly figures, including the father of Ahimelech (a priest during the reign of Saul, 1 Samuel 22:9) and as an ancestor of later high priests (e.g., 1 Chronicles 6:7-8). The name does not possess explicit theophoric elements (invoking a deity), but rather expresses a familial connection to the concept of 'goodness.' In translation traditions, the name is often rendered as 'Ahitub,' without conveying its semantic components. There is no direct association with later religious identities (such as 'Jew') in these usages; individuals named Ahitub served as priests within the Israelite cultic system. Across different periods (monarchic to post-exilic), the name retains its function as a personal designation for Israelite priests, with its semantic components remaining transparent to Hebrew readers while being opaque in most English translations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָח and טוּב; brother of goodness; Achitub, the name of several priests; Ahitub.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

אח (Echi) — to be joined, to associate, to be related

Root אח brother, kinsman, related male
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H252 אַח your brothers
H253 אָח brother
H255 אֹחַ howling wild creatures
H278 אֵחִי My-Brother
H279 אֲחִיאָם My-Kinsman-is-Mother

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H285-01 אֲחִיטֽוּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv 13
H285-02 וַ/אֲחִיטוּב֙ vaachituv HC/Np and Ahitub and Brother-of-Goodness and Achituv 2

Occurrences in Scripture

15 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H285-01 1 Samuel 14:3 אֲחִט֡וּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-01 1 Samuel 22:9 אֲחִטֽוּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-01 1 Samuel 22:11 אֲחִיט֜וּב achituv HNp of Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-01 1 Samuel 22:12 אֲחִיט֑וּב achituv HNp of Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-01 1 Samuel 22:20 אֲחִט֔וּב achituv HNp of Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-01 2 Samuel 8:17 אֲחִיט֛וּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-01 Ezra 7:2 אֲחִיטֽוּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-01 Nehemiah 11:11 אֲחִיט֔וּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-01 1 Chronicles 5:33 אֲחִיטֽוּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-02 1 Chronicles 5:34 וַ/אֲחִיטוּב֙ vaachituv HC/Np And Ahitub and Brother-of-Goodness and Achituv
H285-01 1 Chronicles 5:37 אֲחִיטֽוּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-02 1 Chronicles 5:38 וַ/אֲחִיטוּב֙ vaachituv HC/Np and Ahitub and Brother-of-Goodness and Achituv
H285-01 1 Chronicles 6:37 אֲחִיט֥וּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-01 1 Chronicles 9:11 אֲחִיט֔וּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
H285-01 1 Chronicles 18:16 אֲחִיט֛וּב achituv HNp Ahitub Brother-of-Goodness Achituv
← H284 Hebrew Lexicon H286 →