What does אָחַז mean in the Bible?
אָחַז is a Hebrew word meaning "to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession)".
Hebrew · H270
אָחַז
To seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession)
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אָחַז H270
What does אָחַז mean in the Bible?
אָחַז is a Hebrew word meaning "to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession)".
Full entry for אָחַז (H270) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H270?
The BSB source-word alignment has 68 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (3), and took hold (2), caught (2), seized him (2), and acquire your own property (1).
Where does אָחַז appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 22:13. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (9), Psalms (7), 2 Samuel (5), Judges (5).
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 . . . 3× Numbers 31:30, 1 Chronicles 24:6, Job 18:20
and took hold 2× 2 Samuel 6:6, 1 Chronicles 13:9
caught 2× Genesis 22:13, Ecclesiastes 9:12
seized him 2× Judges 1:6, Judges 16:21
and acquire your own property 1× Genesis 34:10
and attached 1× 1 Kings 6:10
and grab it 1× Exodus 4:4
and he has taken hold 1× 1 Kings 1:51
and hold 1× Ruth 3:15
and securely fastened 1× Nehemiah 7:3
and seize 1× Isaiah 5:29
and take possession 1× Joshua 22:19
and then one 1× 1 Chronicles 24:6
and to embrace 1× Ecclesiastes 2:3
are skilled 1× Song Of Solomon 3:8
bearing 1× 2 Chronicles 25:5
being taken 1× 1 Chronicles 24:6
Catch 1× Song Of Solomon 2:15
grabbed 1× 2 Samuel 20:9
grasping 1× Genesis 25:26
grasps it 1× Deuteronomy 32:41
grip me 1× Job 30:16
grip you 1× Jeremiah 13:21
grips 1× Isaiah 33:14
grips me 1× Isaiah 21:3
has seized me 1× 2 Samuel 1:9
has taken hold of me 1× Psalms 119:53
have followed 1× Job 23:11
have seized her 1× Jeremiah 49:24
He covers 1× Job 26:9
He seized me 1× Job 16:12
he who seizes 1× Psalms 137:9
holds 1× Job 17:9
I held him 1× Song Of Solomon 3:4
I seized 1× 2 Samuel 4:10
I will take hold 1× Song Of Solomon 7:8
seize 1× 2 Samuel 2:21
seized 1× Psalms 56:1
seized them 1× Psalms 48:6
seizes 1× Job 18:9
so that the supports 1× Ezekiel 41:6
supports 1× Ezekiel 41:6
takes hold 1× Job 21:6
that it might spread 1× Job 38:13
Then I took 1× Judges 20:6
then they must accept their possession 1× Numbers 32:30
They acquired property 1× Genesis 47:27
they had acquired 1× Joshua 22:9
they seized 1× Judges 12:6
to grasp 1× Ecclesiastes 7:18
took 1× Numbers 31:47
took hold 1× Judges 16:3
trapped 1× Ecclesiastes 9:12
was attached to it 1× 2 Chronicles 9:18
were fastened 1× Esther 1:6
When she [did so] 1× Ruth 3:15
will grip 1× Exodus 15:14
will hold me fast 1× Psalms 139:10
will seize 1× Exodus 15:15
will seize them 1× Isaiah 13:8
would be inserted 1× 1 Kings 6:6
You have kept 1× Psalms 77:4
You hold 1× Psalms 73:23
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 22:13 נֶאֱחַ֥ז to caught Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 25:26 אֹחֶ֙זֶת֙ to grasping Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular Genesis 34:10 וְהֵֽאָחֲז֖וּ to and acquire your own property Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine plural Genesis 47:27 וַיֵּאָחֲז֣וּ to They acquired property Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 4:4 וֶאֱחֹ֖ז to and grab it Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Exodus 15:14 אָחַ֔ז to will grip Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 15:15 יֹֽאחֲזֵ֖מוֹ to will seize Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural Numbers 31:30 אָחֻ֣ז to . . . Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Numbers 31:47 הָֽאָחֻז֙ to took Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Numbers 32:30 וְנֹֽאחֲז֥וּ to then they must accept their possession Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 22:13
Aligned rows 68
Books represented 20
Genesis 4 Exodus 3 Numbers 3 Deuteronomy 1 Joshua 2 Judges 5 Ruth 2 2 Samuel 5 1 Kings 3 1 Chronicles 4 2 Chronicles 2 Nehemiah 1 Esther 1 Job 9 Psalms 7 Ecclesiastes 4 Song Of Solomon 4 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 2
Source forms
וְיֹאחֵ֣ז 2x wə·yō·ḥêz Job 17:9, Isaiah 5:29
וַיֹּאחֲז֣וּ 2x way·yō·ḥă·zū Judges 1:6, Judges 12:6
אָחוּז֙ 1x ’ā·ḥūz Esther 1:6
אֲחוּזִ֑ים 1x ’ă·ḥū·zîm Ezekiel 41:6
אֲחוּזִ֖ים 1x ’ă·ḥū·zîm Ezekiel 41:6
אֲחֹ֥ז 1x ’ă·ḥōz 1 Kings 6:6
אָחַ֔ז 1x ’ā·ḥaz Exodus 15:14
אָחַ֞ז 1x ’ā·ḥaz 1 Kings 1:51
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular 4x Numbers 31:30, 1 Chronicles 24:6, Esther 1:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 3x Judges 16:3, 2 Samuel 6:6, 1 Kings 6:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine plural 2x Genesis 34:10, Joshua 22:19
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Job 17:9, Isaiah 5:29
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 2x Job 16:12, Job 21:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 2x Ruth 3:15, 2 Samuel 20:9
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x Judges 1:6, Judges 12:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular 2x Exodus 4:4, 2 Samuel 2:21
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession)
Source Gloss
to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession) BDB: grasp Usage: be affrighted, bar, (catch, lay, take) hold (back), come upon, fasten, handle, portion, (get, have or take) possess(-ion).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 4 Aligned forms 25
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 21×
Participle passive 1Chr 24:6 · Esth 1:6 · Ezek 41:6 · Num 31:30 · Song 3:8 7×
Perfect 1Kgs 1:51 · Exod 15:14 · Isa 33:14 · Job 23:11 · Ps 73:23 · Ps 77:5 · Job 18:20 7×
Participle active 2Chr 25:5 · Gen 25:26 2×
Imperfect Eccl 7:18 · Job 18:9 2×
Infinitive construct 1Kgs 6:6 1×
Sequential imperfect Song 2:15 1×
Cohortative Song 7:9 1×
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 1×
Participle passive 2Chr 9:18 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 2×
Perfect Gen 22:13 · Josh 22:9 2×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Participle active Job 26:9 1×
Word Origins
אָחַז is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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