עָכָן
𐤏𐤊𐤍
Akhan
H5912 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name: Achan. Refers to a specific Israelite individual mentioned in the book of Joshua, who became infamous due to his transgression regarding the devoted things (herem) at Jericho, leading to trouble among the Israelite community. The word is used only as this proper noun. Associations with 'trouble' in traditional glosses derive from contextual connection rather than inherent lexical meaning.
Semantic Range
Proper name (Achan), no lexical usage beyond designation of the individual; variant form 'Achar' (1 Chronicles 2:7) meaning 'troubler' appears in later textual tradition.
Root / Etymology
From uncertain root. Possible relation to the root עכר (ʿ-q-r), meaning 'to trouble, disturb,' but the exact derivation is not firmly established. The form עָכָן appears only as a proper name and does not occur as a common noun or verb in the Hebrew Bible.
Historical & Contextual Notes
עָכָן (Achan) occurs exclusively as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible (notably Joshua 7). He is introduced as a member of the tribe of Judah whose taking of items banned under herem resulted in communal punishment for the Israelites. Later biblical tradition (1 Chronicles 2:7) presents a variant form, עָכָר (Achar), explicitly linking the meaning to 'trouble' (עָכַר). However, this word does not function as a general term for 'troublemaker' or 'trouble'— its association with 'trouble' is interpretive and narrative, not lexical. English translations sometimes render the name as 'Achan' and occasionally connect him anachronistically to the term 'Jew.' These translations reflect later perspectives and should not be retrojected into the earlier Israelite context. The substitution of the variant 'Achar' serves to highlight the wordplay in Chronicles but does not alter that עָכָן is a personal name with unclear etymology in its earliest use.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to trouble; troublesome; Akan, an Israelite; Achan. Compare עָכָר.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עכן (ʿ-k-n) — uncertain; possibly trouble, disturb (by association)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3275 | יַעְכָּן | and Yaʿkan |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5912-01 |
עָכָ֣ן | akhan | HNp |
Achan | Achan | 6 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5912-01 |
Joshua 7:1 | עָכָ֣ן | akhan | HNp |
Achan | Achan |
H5912-01 |
Joshua 7:18 | עָכָ֞ן | akhan | HNp |
Achan | Achan |
H5912-01 |
Joshua 7:19 | עָכָ֗ן | akhan | HNp |
Achan | Achan |
H5912-01 |
Joshua 7:20 | עָכָ֛ן | akhan | HNp |
Achan | Achan |
H5912-01 |
Joshua 7:24 | עָכָ֣ן | akhan | HNp |
Achan | Achan |
H5912-01 |
Joshua 22:20 | עָכָ֣ן | akhan | HNp |
Achan | Achan |