אַשְׁכְּנַז
Ashkenaz, a Japhethite, also his descendants
Definition
Ashkenaz is a proper noun referring to a descendant of Japheth, Noah's son, listed among the nations in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:3, 1 Chronicles 1:6). The name also denotes a people group or region, as in Jeremiah 51:27, where it is associated with the kingdoms of Ararat and Minni, called to rise against Babylon. Thus, Ashkenaz represents both an eponymous ancestor and the ethnic or geographical entity derived from him, situated in the ancient Near East.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a proper noun in three Old Testament passages. In the genealogical lists of Genesis 10:3 and 1 Chronicles 1:6, Ashkenaz is listed as a son of Gomer and grandson of Japheth, identifying him within the Japhethite lineage of nations. In the prophetic oracle of Jeremiah 51:27, it appears in a call to arms against Babylon, indicating Ashkenaz as a kingdom or people group allied with Ararat and Minni, likely located in the Anatolian or Armenian region.
Etymology
The etymology of Ashkenaz is uncertain and considered of foreign origin. It is likely not a native Hebrew word but a borrowing, possibly from an ancient Anatolian or Indo-European source. Some scholars associate it with the Assyrian 'Ashkuza,' a people known from ancient inscriptions, which may connect to the Scythians. The biblical usage preserves this external name within the Hebrew genealogical and prophetic framework.
Semantic Range
Ashkenaz contributes to the biblical theme of God's sovereignty over all nations. As part of the Table of Nations (Genesis 10), it underscores the fulfillment of God's command to Noah's sons to repopulate the earth. In Jeremiah 51:27, its mention in a prophecy against Babylon highlights God's use of diverse nations as instruments of judgment, affirming His control over international affairs and the outworking of His justice in history.
In its original context, Ashkenaz would have been understood by ancient Israelites as a distant, likely northern people, part of the known world's ethnic tapestry. The genealogical listing places them among the Japhethites, often associated with regions north and west of Israel. The prophetic call in Jeremiah reflects contemporary geopolitical realities, where such kingdoms were potential agents in the shifting power dynamics of the ancient Near East, particularly in the context of Babylonian dominance.
Gomer (Gōmer, H1586) — Ashkenaz's father, representing another Japhethite people group. Japheth (Yepheth, H3315) — The patriarchal ancestor, whose lineage includes various northern and coastal nations.
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.
Full methodology & sources →