Bible Word Study
אֲחוּמַי
ʼĂchûwmay · Achumai, an Israelite
אֲחוּמַי
Achumai, an Israelite
Definition
Achumai is a proper name belonging to an Israelite man listed in the genealogy of Judah. He is identified as a son of Jahath and a descendant of Shobal, making him part of the clan of the Calebites (1 Chronicles 4:2). The name appears only in this genealogical context, where its primary function is to establish lineage and tribal affiliation within the nation of Israel. As a proper noun, it carries no other semantic senses or meanings beyond identifying this specific individual.
Biblical Usage
The word אֲחוּמַי (Achumai) is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 4:2. Its usage is strictly genealogical, appearing within a list of descendants of Judah. It serves to trace family lines and establish the historical and tribal identity of the Calebite clan. There are no patterns of usage across different books or contexts, as it is a unique personal name.
Etymology
The name Achumai is likely derived from the Hebrew root אָח (ʼāch, H251), meaning 'brother,' and possibly מַיִם (mayim, H4325), meaning 'water.' A common interpretation is 'brother of water.' This could be a metaphorical expression for a close neighbour or companion, as water sources were central to community life, or it may reflect circumstances of birth. The exact nuance is uncertain, as is common with many biblical proper names.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried meaning, reflecting character, circumstances of birth, or parental hopes. While the precise significance of 'Achumai' is unclear, its inclusion in a formal genealogy (1 Chronicles 4) highlights the immense cultural and religious importance of lineage. Recording one's ancestry established one's identity, inheritance rights, and standing within the covenant community of Israel. אָח (ʼāch, H251) — The root word for 'brother,' a common term for a male sibling, relative, or fellow countryman, forming the core of Achumai's name.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]