Hebrew word · H407

אַכְשָׁף

'akhshaf

Achshaph NIV: Akshaph)

A place name of Canaanite origin. Its meaning is uncertain. Folk links with the root k-sh-p ('sorcery') are not reliable.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

§ Achshaph = "I shall be bewitched"

city in north Canaan at foot of Mt Carmel

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Joshua 19:25

Range of meaning

A place name of Canaanite origin. Its meaning is uncertain. Folk links with the root k-sh-p ('sorcery') are not reliable.

Against the English

KJV, BSB and WEB have 'Achshaph'. The NIV spells it 'Akshaph'. Only the spelling differs.

Used elsewhere in the period

Achshaph is one of the better-attested towns in the region. It is very probably named in the Egyptian Execration Texts (early 2nd millennium BC), in Thutmose III's list of conquered Canaanite towns, and in Papyrus Anastasi I (13th century BC), which mentions it in a survey of the northern routes. The Amarna letters (14th century BC) mention a ruler of Akshapa. In the Bible its king answers Jabin of Hazor's summons (Josh 11:1) and appears among the defeated kings (Josh 12:20). Its site is disputed. Candidates include Tell Keisan, Tell el-Harbaj and Khirbet el-Harbaj, all in or near the Acco plain.

Where it appears

Joshua · 3

  1. Joshua 11:1 אַכְשָֽׁף׃ Acshaph

    Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph;

    Here: A city in or near the plain of Acco, later assigned to Asher (Joshua 19:25). It appears in Egyptian lists and the Amarna letters, which shows it was a real and well-known town of the time. Its exact site is debated (Tell Keisan and other mounds have been proposed).

  2. Joshua 12:20 אַכְשָׁ֖ף Acshaph

    the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;

  3. Joshua 19:25 וְאַכְשָֽׁף׃ and Acshaph

    Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,

    Here: An old Canaanite royal city that is well known outside the Bible. Its king joined the northern coalition against Israel (Josh 11:1; 12:20). Listing it gives Asher a significant city of the Acco plain.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.