What does אָחוֹר (ʾāḥwōr) mean in the Bible?
אָחוֹר (ʾāḥwōr): Spatial term denoting what lies behind or at one's back; primarily directional, secondarily temporal for future events.
Hebrew · H268
אָחוֹר
The hinder part; hence (adverb) behind , backward ; also (as facing north) the West
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אָחוֹר H268
Pronunciation ʾāḥwōr
What does אָחוֹר (ʾāḥwōr) mean in the Bible?
אָחוֹר (ʾāḥwōr): Spatial term denoting what lies behind or at one's back; primarily directional, secondarily temporal for future events.
Full entry for אָחוֹר (H268) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H268?
The BSB source-word alignment has 41 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (12), back (7), backward (3), and behind him (2), their hindquarters (2).
Where does אָחוֹר (ʾāḥwōr) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 49:17. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (12), Isaiah (9), Jeremiah (4), Lamentations (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It . . . 12× 2 Samuel 1:22, Psalms 9:3, Psalms 35:4, Psalms 40:14
back 7× Psalms 78:66, Psalms 114:3, Psalms 114:5, Psalms 129:5
backward 3× Genesis 49:17, Isaiah 28:13, Jeremiah 7:24
and behind him 2× 2 Samuel 10:9, 1 Chronicles 19:10
their hindquarters 2× 1 Kings 7:25, 2 Chronicles 4:4
and back 1× Ezekiel 2:10
and behind them 1× 2 Chronicles 13:14
and if I go west 1× Job 23:8
away 1× Lamentations 1:8
behind 1× Psalms 139:5
from the west 1× Isaiah 9:12
hereafter 1× Isaiah 42:23
it back 1× Proverbs 29:11
My back 1× Exodus 33:23
that are to come 1× Isaiah 41:23
the back 1× Exodus 26:12
their backs on Him 1× Isaiah 1:4
with their backs 1× Ezekiel 8:16
you 1× Jeremiah 38:22
You have turned your back 1× Jeremiah 15:6
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 49:17 אָחֽוֹר׃ to backward Noun - masculine singular Exodus 26:12 אֲחֹרֵ֥י to the back Noun - masculine plural construct Exodus 33:23 אֲחֹרָ֑י to My back Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 2 Samuel 1:22 אָח֑וֹר to . . . Noun - masculine singular 2 Samuel 10:9 וּמֵֽאָח֑וֹר to and behind him Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 7:25 אֲחֹֽרֵיהֶ֖ם to their hindquarters Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural 1 Chronicles 19:10 וְאָח֑וֹר to and behind him Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 4:4 אֲחֹרֵיהֶ֖ם to their hindquarters Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural 2 Chronicles 13:14 וְאָח֔וֹר to and behind them Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Job 23:8 וְ֝אָח֗וֹר to and if I go west Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 49:17
Aligned rows 41
Books represented 13
Genesis 1 Exodus 2 2 Samuel 2 1 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 2 Job 1 Psalms 12 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 9 Jeremiah 4 Lamentations 3 Ezekiel 2
Source forms
אָח֑וֹר 4x ’ā·ḥō·wr 2 Samuel 1:22, Psalms 9:3, Psalms 78:66, Psalms 129:5
אָח֣וֹר 4x ’ā·ḥō·wr Psalms 35:4, Psalms 44:18, Psalms 139:5, Jeremiah 15:6
אָ֭חוֹר 4x ’ā·ḥō·wr Psalms 40:14, Psalms 44:10, Psalms 56:9, Psalms 70:2
אָחוֹר֙ 3x ’ā·ḥō·wr Isaiah 28:13, Isaiah 42:17, Isaiah 59:14
אָחֽוֹר׃ 3x ’ā·ḥō·wr Genesis 49:17, Isaiah 1:4, Jeremiah 38:22
לְאָחֽוֹר׃ 3x lə·’ā·ḥō·wr Psalms 114:3, Psalms 114:5, Isaiah 42:23
אָח֖וֹר 2x ’ā·ḥō·wr Isaiah 44:25, Isaiah 50:5
וְאָח֑וֹר 2x wə·’ā·ḥō·wr 1 Chronicles 19:10, Ezekiel 2:10
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 24x Genesis 49:17, 2 Samuel 1:22, Psalms 9:3, Psalms 35:4
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 5x Psalms 114:3, Psalms 114:5, Isaiah 41:23, Isaiah 42:23
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 4x 1 Chronicles 19:10, 2 Chronicles 13:14, Job 23:8, Ezekiel 2:10
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural 3x 1 Kings 7:25, 2 Chronicles 4:4, Ezekiel 8:16
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular 1x 2 Samuel 10:9
Noun - masculine plural construct 1x Exodus 26:12
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 1x Exodus 33:23
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 1x Proverbs 29:11
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Spatial term denoting what lies behind or at one's back; primarily directional, secondarily temporal for future events.
Source Gloss
the hinder part; hence (adverb) behind , backward ; also (as facing north) the West
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Spatial term denoting what lies behind or at one's back; primarily directional, secondarily temporal for future events.
the hinder part; hence (adverb) behind, backward; also (as facing north) the West BDB: the hinder side Usage: after(-ward), back (part, -side, -ward), hereafter, (be-) hind(-er part), time to come, without.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
אָחוֹר is built from this root:
אֲחִירַע H299
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain