Hebrew word · H5912

עָכָן

'akhan

Achan

A personal name of uncertain meaning. The Greek version and 1 Chronicles 2:7 have ʿāḵār (Achar). The narrator links the story to the 'Valley of Achor' (ʿākôr) and to the verb ʿākar, 'to bring trouble or disaster' (Joshua 7:25–26).

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man of the tribe of Judah living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jos.7.1;

son of: Carmi (H3756H)

Also named: a.khar (עָכָר "Achan" H5917)

§ Achan = "troubler"

a Judaite who violated God's specific ban on taking any loot from the captured city of Jericho and was stoned to death along with his family for this violation

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 7:18

Range of meaning

A personal name of uncertain meaning. The Greek version and 1 Chronicles 2:7 have ʿāḵār (Achar). The narrator links the story to the 'Valley of Achor' (ʿākôr) and to the verb ʿākar, 'to bring trouble or disaster' (Joshua 7:25–26).

Against the English

English versions follow the Hebrew 'Achan'. The pun on 'trouble' cannot be seen in English unless there is a footnote.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Chronicles 2:7 calls him 'Achar, the troubler (ʿôkēr) of Israel, who broke faith in the matter of the devoted things'. Joshua 6:18 has already warned that taking devoted things would 'bring trouble' (ʿākar) on Israel's camp. Hosea 2:15 later turns the 'Valley of Achor' into a 'door of hope'.

Where it appears

Joshua · 6

  1. Joshua 7:1 עָכָ֣ן Achan

    The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.

    Here: The culprit's name. Elsewhere it is remembered as Achar ("troubler"), which echoes the verb ʿakhar ("bring trouble") used of him in 7:25.

  2. Joshua 7:18 עָכָ֞ן Achan

    And he had the family of Zabdi come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.

    Here: The guilty man's name comes only now, at the moment he is caught, as the climax of the narrowing. The Greek and 1 Chronicles 2:7 spell it Achar, which echoes 'trouble' (ʿakar) in 7:25.

  3. Joshua 7:19 עָכָ֗ן Achan

    So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

    Here: The man of Judah the lot has singled out. Later tradition plays on his name with the root ʿ-k-r, "trouble" (v. 25; 1 Chr 2:7 calls him "Achar, the troubler of Israel").

  4. Joshua 7:20 עָכָ֛ן Achan

    “It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:

    Here: The man the sacred lot has just singled out (7:16–18). Later tradition plays on his name: 1 Chronicles 2:7 calls him "Achar, the troubler (ʿōkhēr) of Israel", and he is executed in the Valley of Achor, "Trouble" (7:25–26).

  5. Joshua 7:24 עָכָ֣ן Achan

    Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor.

    Here: The offender. His name sounds like the place name Achor and the verb ʿākar, 'to bring disaster', and the next verse and the Greek and Chronicles form 'Achar' make the point.

  6. Joshua 22:20 עָכָ֣ן Achan

    Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!’”

    Here: The man of Judah who took plunder from Jericho that had been devoted to YHWH (Joshua 7). His name had become a byword for the one person whose secret act brought disaster on everyone.

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