אַחְרַח

Achrach, an Israelite

Definition

Achrach is a proper name of an Israelite man, appearing only once in the Bible as a son of Benjamin in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 8:1. The name is a compound word meaning 'after (his) brother' or 'one who comes after a brother.' In the parallel genealogy of 1 Chronicles 8:38, the name appears as Aharah, which is the form used in the KJV translation. As a personal name, it carries no other distinct meanings or senses beyond identifying this specific individual within the tribal lineage of Benjamin.

Biblical Usage

This word is used exclusively as a proper name in a single genealogical list. It appears in 1 Chronicles 8:1 as 'Achrach,' one of the five sons of Benjamin. The context is purely historical and genealogical, serving to document the descendants of the tribe of Benjamin. There are no patterns of usage across different books or narrative contexts, as it is a hapax legomenon (a word occurring only once).

Etymology

The name Achrach is derived from the Hebrew preposition אַחַר (ʼachar, H310), meaning 'after,' and the noun אָח (ʼach, H251), meaning 'brother.' Thus, it is a compound name literally meaning 'after (his) brother.' This type of name construction is common in Hebrew, often reflecting circumstances of birth (e.g., being born after an older brother) or expressing a relational concept.

Semantic Range

In ancient Israelite culture, names were often meaningful and descriptive. A name like Achrach ('after a brother') likely indicated birth order or a family relationship, possibly that this son was born after another son had died or was born subsequent to an older brother. Such names embedded personal or familial history into an individual's identity, a practice common in the biblical world.

Aharah (ʼAharah, H315) — This is a variant spelling of the same name, used in the KJV translation of the parallel list in 1 Chronicles 8:38.

Word Details

Scripture References