אַח
Definition
The Hebrew word אַח (ʼach) is an Aramaic form meaning 'brother.' It specifically appears in the Aramaic portions of the Old Testament, carrying the same core meaning as its Hebrew counterpart (H251). In its sole biblical occurrence in Ezra 7:18, it refers to a fellow Israelite or member of the covenant community, as King Artaxerxes instructs Ezra to use royal funds for the service of 'the God of Israel' and 'your brethren.' This context emphasizes a shared religious and ethnic identity. While this Aramaic term can denote a literal, biological brother, its use here highlights the broader, relational sense of kinship within the people of God.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in the Aramaic section of the book of Ezra (Ezra 7:18). It is used in a royal decree from the Persian king Artaxerxes to Ezra the scribe. The context is administrative and religious, referring to Ezra's fellow Israelites ('your brethren') as the community who will benefit from and participate in the temple worship restored in Jerusalem. This singular usage reflects the post-exilic setting where Aramaic was the language of imperial administration.
Etymology
אַח (ʼach, H252) is the direct Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew noun אָח (ʼach, H251), both meaning 'brother.' It derives from a common Semitic root (*ʾḫ) signifying fraternal relationship. The word entered the biblical text in the sections composed in or influenced by Imperial Aramaic, the lingua franca of the Persian Empire. Its meaning and usage in the biblical Aramaic passages perfectly mirror the semantic range of its Hebrew equivalent.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, this Aramaic term reinforces the important biblical concept of covenant brotherhood. In Ezra 7:18, 'your brethren' are not merely biological relatives but the collective body of Israelites bound by God's covenant. This reflects a key theological identity: God's people as a family. Understanding that this term is Aramaic highlights the historical context of God's word speaking through and into the language of a dominant empire, assuring His people of His care even under foreign rule.
In the ancient Near East, the term 'brother' (whether Hebrew or Aramaic) often extended beyond immediate family to include members of the same tribe, nation, or covenant community. Its use in a Persian royal decree (Ezra 7:18) shows the king acknowledging and utilizing this Israelite social structure. The shift to Aramaic in this passage itself reflects the cultural and political reality of the Jewish people living under Persian administration, where Aramaic was the official language of communication and governance.
אָח (ʼach, H251) — The standard Hebrew word for 'brother,' with a wider range of biblical usage. רֵעַ (reaʿ, H7453) — Often translated 'friend,' 'companion,' or 'neighbor'; emphasizes association rather than familial kinship. אָחוֹת (ʼachoth, H269) — The feminine form, 'sister.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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