אֲחִיתֹפֶל
𐤀𐤇𐤉𐤕𐤐𐤋
Achitofel
H302 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name: Ahithophel. An Israelite individual known primarily as a counselor in the royal court of King David. The name carries the likely meaning 'my brother is foolishness' or 'the brother of foolishness,' though this etymology is debated. It does not refer to a general type or group but serves as a proper name with possible negative connotations implied by its components.
Semantic Range
personal name (Ahithophel); literal etymology: brother of folly, brother of foolishness; no attested generic usage
Root / Etymology
Formed from two presumed roots: אָח ('āch, 'brother') and תֹּפֶל (tofel, possibly 'folly' or 'nonsense'), yielding the composite meaning 'brother of folly.' The root for 'tofel' is t-p-l (ת-פ-ל), associated elsewhere with 'insipid,' 'unseasoned,' or 'worthless.' However, the etymological compound is uncertain and could reflect a personal or familial association rather than an abstract concept. There is no evidence that this was an inherited or common name in ancient Israel.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ahithophel is a prominent figure in 2 Samuel, serving as a counselor to David and later to Absalom during the latter's rebellion. The name's seemingly negative etymology ('brother of folly') may reflect a later editorial assessment or may be coincidental, as is sometimes the case with biblical personal names. The term appears only in personal reference and does not have a broader lexical usage. Modern English translations uniformly use the transliteration 'Ahithophel.' While Jewish and Christian traditions often interpret his story with moral or theological overtones, the actual lexical meaning remains tied to the proper name. No evidence exists that the name was used to describe a type of person or bear a common meaning outside this individual.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָח and תָּפֵל; brother of folly; Achithophel, an Israelite; Ahithophel.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אח תפל (ʾ-ḥ / t-p-l) — brother, tastelessness, foolishness, insipidity
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H302-01 |
אֲחִיתֹ֨פֶל | achitofel | HNp |
Ahithophel | My Brother is Folly | 17 |
H302-02 |
וַ/אֲחִיתֹ֖פֶל | vaachitofel | HC/Np |
And Ahithophel | and Brother-of-Folly | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
20 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H302-01 |
2 Samuel 15:12 | אֲחִיתֹ֨פֶל | achitofel | HNp |
Ahithophel | My Brother is Folly |
H302-01 |
2 Samuel 15:31 | אֲחִיתֹ֥פֶל | achitofel | HNp |
Ahithophel | My Brother is Folly |
H302-01 |
2 Samuel 15:31 | אֲחִיתֹ֖פֶל | achitofel-2 | HNp |
of Ahithophel | My Brother is Folly |
H302-01 |
2 Samuel 15:34 | אֲחִיתֹֽפֶל | achitofel | HNp |
of Ahithophel | My Brother is Folly |
H302-02 |
2 Samuel 16:15 | וַ/אֲחִיתֹ֖פֶל | vaachitofel | HC/Np |
and Ahithophel | and Brother-of-Folly |
H302-01 |
2 Samuel 16:20 | אֲחִיתֹ֑פֶל | achitofel | HNp |
Ahithophel | My Brother is Folly |
H302-01 |
2 Samuel 16:21 | אֲחִיתֹ֨פֶל֙ | achitofel | HNp |
Ahithophel | My Brother is Folly |
H302-01 |
2 Samuel 16:23 | אֲחִיתֹ֗פֶל | achitofel | HNp |
of Ahithophel | My Brother is Folly |
H302-01 |
2 Samuel 16:23 | אֲחִיתֹ֔פֶל | achitofel-2 | HNp |
of Ahithophel | My Brother is Folly |
H302-01 |
2 Samuel 17:1 | אֲחִיתֹ֖פֶל | achitofel | HNp |
Ahithophel | My Brother is Folly |