What does אָחוֹת (ʾāḥwōt) mean in the Bible?
H269 names a sister and can extend figuratively to related peoples, paired things, wisdom, or an intimate poetic address. 4, Moses' sister watches from a distance to learn what will happen to him.
Hebrew · H269
אָחוֹת
A sister (used very widely [like 251 number 250, corrected to 251 ], literally and figuratively)
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אָחוֹתH269
Pronunciationʾāḥwōt
What does אָחוֹת (ʾāḥwōt) mean in the Bible?
H269 names a sister and can extend figuratively to related peoples, paired things, wisdom, or an intimate poetic address. 4, Moses' sister watches from a distance to learn what will happen to him.
Reader summary
Full entry for אָחוֹת (H269) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H269?
The BSB source-word alignment has 114 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include sister (18), my sister (11), his sister (7), is my sister (5), the sister (5).
Where does אָחוֹת (ʾāḥwōt) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 4:22. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (24), Genesis (24), 1 Chronicles (10), 2 Samuel (10).
What This Word Actually Means
H269 names a sister and can extend figuratively to related peoples, paired things, wisdom, or an intimate poetic address. In Exod. 2. 4, Moses' sister watches from a distance to learn what will happen to him. In 2Kgs. 11. 2, the king's sister Jehosheba hides Joash and his nurse from a murderous royal purge. In 2Sam. 13. 1, Tamar is introduced as Absalom's sister before Amnon's predatory desire leads to rape and abandonment.
H269 opens teaching on sibling identity, courageous protection, women's named place in genealogies, incest boundaries, and family systems that may protect or fail. It does not reduce women to male relationships, excuse family secrecy, or turn romantic sister language into permission for incest.
How the Bible Uses It
H269 refers to biological and half-sisters, sisters by marriage, named women in genealogies, paired objects, related cities or peoples, wisdom as sister, and bride as sister in poetry. Family relation can support care, alliance, comparison, or expose violation.
- Exod.2.4
And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
Moses' sister watches at a distance and later helps connect the rescued infant with his mother.
- 2Kgs.11.2
But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed.
Jehosheba uses her access and family relationship to hide Joash and his nurse from Athaliah's killings.
- 2Sam.13.1
After some time, David’s son Amnon fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of David’s son Absalom.
Tamar's identity as sister establishes the family boundary Amnon violates and the household David fails to protect.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itsister18×Genesis 36:22, Exodus 15:20, Leviticus 18:12, Leviticus 18:13
my sister11×Genesis 12:13, Genesis 12:19, Genesis 30:8, 2 Samuel 13:11
his sister7×Leviticus 20:17, Deuteronomy 27:22, 2 Samuel 13:2, 2 Samuel 13:22
is my sister5×Genesis 20:2, Genesis 20:5, Genesis 20:12, Genesis 26:7
the sister5×Genesis 28:9, Leviticus 20:19, 1 Kings 11:19, 2 Kings 11:2
their sister5×Genesis 24:59, Genesis 34:13, Genesis 34:27, Numbers 25:18
. . .4×Exodus 26:3, Exodus 26:6, 1 Kings 11:19
and their sister4×Genesis 46:17, Numbers 26:59, 1 Chronicles 4:3, 1 Chronicles 7:30
sisters4×Joshua 2:13, Job 1:4, Job 42:11, Ezekiel 16:61
and sister3×Genesis 36:3, Exodus 6:23, 2 Samuel 17:25
And the sister3×Genesis 4:22, Genesis 25:20, 1 Kings 11:20
another3×Ezekiel 1:9, Ezekiel 1:23, Ezekiel 3:13
her sister3×Genesis 30:1, Ezekiel 23:11, Ezekiel 23:18
of your sister3×Ezekiel 16:49, Ezekiel 23:31, Ezekiel 23:33
Our sister3×Genesis 24:60, Genesis 34:14, Genesis 34:31
your sister3×Leviticus 18:9, Ezekiel 16:48, Ezekiel 16:56
-2×Genesis 24:30, Leviticus 20:19
let my sister2×2 Samuel 13:5, 2 Samuel 13:6
of his sister2×Leviticus 20:17, 1 Chronicles 7:15
[was] their sister1×1 Chronicles 3:9
about his sister’s1×Genesis 29:13
and her sister1×Ezekiel 23:4
And his sister1×Exodus 2:4
and of your sisters1×Hosea 2:1
And your sisters1×Ezekiel 16:55
are my sister1×Proverbs 7:4
are the sister1×Ezekiel 16:45
for our sister1×Song Of Solomon 8:8
for your sisters1×Ezekiel 16:52
have made your sisters1×Ezekiel 16:51
his sister’s1×Genesis 24:30
is your sister1×Leviticus 18:11
of their sister1×1 Chronicles 7:32
of your sisters1×Ezekiel 16:45
one another1×Exodus 26:5
or ‘My sister1×Job 17:14
or sister1×Numbers 6:7
other1×Exodus 26:17
since you have made your sisters1×Ezekiel 16:52
than her sister1×Ezekiel 23:11
Their sisters1×1 Chronicles 2:16
Then his sister1×Exodus 2:7
your sister’s1×Ezekiel 23:32
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 4:22וַֽאֲח֥וֹתtoAnd the sisterConjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular constructGenesis 12:13אֲחֹ֣תִיtomy sisterNoun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularGenesis 12:19אֲחֹ֣תִיtomy sisterNoun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularGenesis 20:2אֲחֹ֣תִיtois my sisterNoun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularGenesis 20:5אֲחֹ֣תִיtois my sisterNoun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularGenesis 20:12אֲחֹתִ֤יtois my sisterNoun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularGenesis 24:30אֲחֹתוֹ֒tohis sister’sNoun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularGenesis 24:30אֲחֹתוֹ֙to-Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularGenesis 24:59אֲחֹתָ֖םtotheir sisterNoun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine pluralGenesis 24:60אֲחֹתֵ֕נוּtoOur sisterNoun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 4:22
Aligned rows114
Books represented18
Genesis24Exodus9Leviticus10Numbers3Deuteronomy1Joshua1Judges12 Samuel101 Kings32 Kings11 Chronicles102 Chronicles1Job3Proverbs1Song Of Solomon7Jeremiah4Ezekiel24Hosea1
Source forms
אֲחֹ֣תִי7x’ă·ḥō·ṯîGenesis 12:13, Genesis 12:19, Genesis 20:2, Genesis 20:5
אֲח֧וֹת4x’ă·ḥō·wṯGenesis 28:9, Exodus 15:20, Leviticus 20:19, 2 Chronicles 22:11
אֲחוֹתָֽם׃4x’ă·ḥō·w·ṯāmGenesis 34:27, 1 Chronicles 3:19, 1 Chronicles 7:30, 1 Chronicles 7:32
אֲחֹתִ֣י4x’ă·ḥō·ṯîSong Of Solomon 4:9, Song Of Solomon 4:10, Song Of Solomon 4:12, Song Of Solomon 5:1
אֲח֥וֹת3x’ă·ḥō·wṯGenesis 36:3, Exodus 6:23, 2 Samuel 17:25
אֲח֣וֹת3x’ă·ḥō·wṯ1 Kings 11:19, 1 Kings 11:20, 1 Chronicles 4:19
אֲחוֹתָ֔הּ3x’ă·ḥō·w·ṯāhJeremiah 3:8, Ezekiel 3:13, Ezekiel 23:4
וַאֲח֥וֹת3xwa·’ă·ḥō·wṯGenesis 36:22, Leviticus 20:19, 1 Chronicles 1:39
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular18xGenesis 12:13, Genesis 12:19, Genesis 20:2, Genesis 20:5
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular17xExodus 26:3, Exodus 26:5, Exodus 26:6, Exodus 26:17
Noun - feminine singular construct16xGenesis 25:20, Genesis 28:9, Genesis 36:3, Exodus 6:23
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular13xGenesis 24:30, Genesis 29:13, Exodus 2:4, Exodus 2:7
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural11xGenesis 24:59, Genesis 34:13, Genesis 34:27, Genesis 46:17
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular7xEzekiel 16:45, Ezekiel 16:48, Ezekiel 16:49, Ezekiel 16:56
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct5xGenesis 4:22, Genesis 36:22, Leviticus 20:19, 1 Chronicles 1:39
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singular3xEzekiel 16:51, Ezekiel 16:52, Ezekiel 16:61
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not teach Tamar's rape as romance, shared misconduct, or a lesson about her clothing, beauty, or proximity.
- Do not pressure a survivor to meet, forgive on demand, or restore family access before safety, reporting, and accountability.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that H269 makes biological family automatically safe or spiritually authoritative.
- Do not claim that poetic sister language permits sexual relationships prohibited in biblical law.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Sister functions as both literal kinship term and figurative metaphor for intimate relationship, covenant bond, or solidarity.
Source Gloss
a sister (used very widely [like 251 number 250, corrected to 251 ], literally and figuratively)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Sister functions as both literal kinship term and figurative metaphor for intimate relationship, covenant bond, or solidarity.
a sister (used very widely [like 251number 250, corrected to 251], literally and figuratively) BDB: sister Usage: (an-) other, sister, together.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Literal familial relationship, Sarai described as Abram's sister
Showing 1 selected witness from 119 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אָחוֹת is built from this root:
For the Preacher and Teacher
H269 makes sisters visible within family networks that can preserve life or become dangerous. Moses' sister watches, speaks wisely, and helps secure care for the infant. Jehosheba risks herself to hide Joash and his nurse from dynastic murder. Tamar's story shows the opposite: Amnon converts family access into predation, ignores her resistance, and then expels her, while the royal household fails to deliver justice.
The word sister does not itself guarantee safety. Biblical law names sexual boundaries, and narrative exposes the devastation when power violates them. Figurative uses can describe peoples or wisdom, and Song of Songs uses sister-bride as ancient affectionate language that does not erase actual incest prohibitions. Faithful application names women's agency, establishes safeguarding within families, believes disclosures, separates victims from perpetrators, and refuses reconciliation pressure without safety and justice.
Anchor passage
2Kgs.11.2
Doctrinal connections
- H269: sisters participate as observers, advocates, protectors, and named members of covenant households.
- H269: family access creates responsibility for safety and must never be converted into sexual entitlement.
- H269: Tamar's resistance and desolation expose both an offender's violence and a household's failure of justice.
- H269: incest boundaries protect kinship from sexual exploitation.
- H269: figurative sister language can express closeness between wisdom, peoples, cities, or poetic lovers.
- H269: faithful kinship protects life, hears truth, and refuses to sacrifice vulnerable members for family reputation.
H269 is a Hebrew feminine noun for sister and extends through analogy to a female relative, related people or city, paired counterpart, or intimate poetic address. The surrounding relationship identifies the sense.
From Old to New Testament
Jesus forms a family of those who do God's will and treats women as disciples and witnesses, while the church is commanded to regard younger women as sisters in all purity.