Ahiman
(brother of the right hand).
One of the three giant Anakim who inhabited Mount Hebron, (Numbers 13:22,23) seen by Caleb and the spies. (B.C. 1490.) The whole race was cut off by Joshua, (Joshua 11:21) and the three brothers were slain by the tribe of Judah. (Judges 1:10) A Levite porter. (1 Chronicles 9:17)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Ahiman
Ahiman a-hi'-man ('achiman, perhaps, "brother of fortune," or, "my brother is fortune"): ⇒See a list of verses on AHIMAN in the Bible. (1) One of the names given as those of the three "children of the Anak" (Nu 13:22; Jos 15:14; of Nu 13:28; 2Sa 21:16,18), or the three "sons of the Anak" (Jos 15:14; Jg 1:20). The three names (Ahiman, Sheshai, Talmai) also occur together in Jg 1:10. The word Anak in the Hebrew Bible has the definite article except in Nu 13:33 and De 9:2. Its use is that of a common noun denoting a certain type of man, rather than as the proper name of a person or a clan, though this need not prevent our thinking of the Anakim as a clan or group of clans, who regarded Arba as their founder. The question is raised whether Ahiman and Sheshai and Talmai are to be thought of as persons or as clans. The most natural understanding of the Bible statements is certainly to the effect that they were personal leaders among the Anakim of Kiriath-arba (Hebron). They were smitten and dispossessed by the tribe of Judah, with Caleb for leader. (2) A Levite, one of the gatekeepers of t…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Ahiman
1. The sons of Anak or Anakites (see Anak) are frequently mentioned, chiefly in D ; but the special names Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai occur only in JE (Nu H*", Jos 15'*) and Jg 1'", cf. v.'*. According to these passages, Ahiman, AHIMELECH AHITOB 57 Sheshai, and Talmai were ' sons ' or ' children of Anak ' (piyi 'J3 or 'l'"' t'?" : for the latter, cf. tV nsiT 2 S 21"- **), whose father was Arba (Jos 15", perhaps P). But, as a matter of fact, neither Anak ( = long-necked) nor Arba { = four: with Kiriath-aria cf. Beei-shebii) are personal names (see Moore, Judges 1*). There is therefore no reason to doubt what the context of the above- cited passages suggests, viz. that Ahiinan, Sheshai, and Talmai are the names, not of individuals, but of clans. A, then, was a clan resident in Hebron (the more familiar name of Kiriath-arba) at the time of the Heb. conquest, and driven thence by Caleb. The clan may have been of Aramaic origin, since the names of Sheshai and Talmai are of an Aram, type, and the name Ahiman has analogy in Aram, as well as Heb. See further, Driver, Deut. p. 23 f.; Moore, J…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia