Bible Word Study
עַכְבּוֹר
ʻAkbôwr · Akbor, the name of an Idumaean and of two Israelites
עַכְבּוֹר
Akbor, the name of an Idumaean and of two Israelites
Definition
Akbor is a proper name given to three distinct individuals in the Old Testament. First, it refers to an Edomite king, the son of Bozrah, who succeeded Baal-hanan in Genesis 36:38-39 and 1 Chronicles 1:49. Second, it identifies the father of Elnathan, a court official under King Jehoiakim who was involved in the arrest of the prophet Uriah (Jeremiah 26:22) and in the reading of Jeremiah's scroll (Jeremiah 36:12). Third, it is the name of a son of Micaiah, who was part of a delegation sent by King Josiah to inquire of the prophetess Huldah in 2 Kings 22:12, 14.
Biblical Usage
The name Akbor is used exclusively as a personal name for male individuals in historical and prophetic narratives. It appears in the genealogical records of Edom (Genesis 36, 1 Chronicles 1), in the context of King Josiah's religious reforms (2 Kings 22), and in narratives concerning the persecution of prophets during the reign of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 26, 36). There is no discernible pattern linking the characters beyond their involvement in royal or official capacities.
Etymology
The name עַכְבּוֹר (ʻAkbôwr) is likely derived from or related to the common noun עַכְבָּר (ʻakbâr, H5909), meaning 'mouse'. As a proper name, it probably functioned metaphorically, possibly denoting qualities like shrewdness or agility, which is a common practice in Hebrew onomastics (name-giving).
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not theologically loaded, the individuals bearing it are involved in significant moments. The Akbor of Josiah's court (2 Kings 22) participates in a pivotal act of seeking divine guidance that leads to national repentance. The Akbor connected to Jehoiakim's court (Jeremiah 26, 36) is associated with opposition to God's prophetic word. Thus, the name appears on both sides of key conflicts between royal authority and prophetic revelation. In ancient Semitic culture, names were often descriptive or aspirational. Naming a person 'Mouse' (Akbor) might seem unusual today, but it likely carried a positive connotation of cleverness or survival, not the negative associations common in modern Western contexts. The recurrence of the name across different nations (Edom and Israel) also reflects shared cultural and linguistic roots in the ancient Near East. There are no direct synonyms for this proper name. It is etymologically linked to: עַכְבָּר (ʻakbâr, H5909) — the common noun for 'mouse', from which the personal name is likely derived.
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]