BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY
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How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.
HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5912
a.khan — Achan
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
6 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5917
a.khar — Achan
A man of the tribe of Judah living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jos.7.1; son of: Carmi (H3756H) Another spelling of a.khan (עָכָן "Achan" H5912) § Achar = "troubler" 1) 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 1a) alternate spelling for 'Achan'
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →Called also Achar, i.e., one who troubles (1 Chr. 2:7), in commemoration of his crime, which brought upon him an awful destruction (Josh. 7:1). On the occasion of the fall of Jericho, he seized, contrary to the divine command, an ingot of gold, a quantity of silver, and a costly Babylonish garment, which he hid in his tent. Joshua was convinced that the defeat which the Israelites afterwards sustained before Ai was a proof of the divine displeasure on account of some crime, and he at once adopted means by the use of the lot for discovering the criminal. It was then found that Achan was guilty, and he was stoned to death in the valley of Achor. He and all that belonged to him were then consumed by fire, and a heap of stones was raised over the ashes.
Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.
Read the quoted verses in their chapters to evaluate the historical dictionary references.
And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide [it] not from me.
