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אַכְשָׁף

𐤀𐤊𐤔𐤐

Akheshaf

H407 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain place name, toponym

Definition

Akshaph is a toponym denoting a Canaanite settlement referenced in biblical texts, specifically a fortified city-state in the northern coastal plain of the land later associated with Israelite settlement. The word functions as a proper noun and designates a specific geographic location rather than possessing an independent semantic range beyond place-name usage.

Semantic Range

city of Akshaph, a Canaanite fortified city-state; proper noun used for a specific geographic site; no broader semantic range in biblical Hebrew

Root / Etymology

Derived from an uncertain root; Strong's links it to כָּשַׁף (kashaf, 'to practice sorcery'), but scholarly consensus finds this connection unsupported and the etymology of the toponym Akshaph uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Akshaph is mentioned as one of the Canaanite cities whose king opposed Joshua (Joshua 11:1; 12:20; 19:25). During the late 2nd millennium BCE (Late Bronze Age), Akshaph appears in Egyptian records as Akšapa, indicating it was a significant regional center prior to Israelite incursion. Its location is generally identified near the plain of Acco, possibly at Tell Keisan. While Strong's links the name to the verb for practicing sorcery, this lacks basis in ancient onomastics; the meaning is likely pre-Israelite and non-Hebrew in origin. Later tradition sometimes renders the name as 'Achshaph,' but it does not refer to an ethnic or religious group; it is exclusively a geographic place-name. English translations typically preserve the name as 'Akshaph' or 'Achshaph,' which accurately reflects its function as a toponym without conveying implied semantic meaning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from כָּשַׁף; fascination; Acshaph, a place in Palestine; Achshaph.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לא ידוע (unknown) — place name, toponym

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H175 אַהֲרוֹן and to Aharon
H176 אוֹ or
H1834 דַּמֶּשֶׂק Damascus
H2051 וְדָן Vedan
H2261 חֲבַצֶּלֶת splendid wildflower

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H407-01 אַכְשָֽׁף akheshaf HNp Achshaph Akshaph 2
H407-02 וְ/אַכְשָֽׁף veakheshaf HC/Np and Achshaph and Akshaph 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H407-01 Joshua 11:1 אַכְשָֽׁף akheshaf HNp of Achshaph Akshaph
H407-01 Joshua 12:20 אַכְשָׁ֖ף akheshaf HNp Achshaph Akshaph
H407-02 Joshua 19:25 וְ/אַכְשָֽׁף veakheshaf HC/Np and Achshaph and Akshaph
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