אֲחִיטוּב
𐤀𐤇𐤉𐤈𐤅𐤁
Achituv
H285 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Masculine personal name primarily meaning 'my brother is good' or 'brother of goodness'; used as the name of multiple priests in the Hebrew Bible. The name constructs a relationship to goodness or beneficence, implying 'a brother (who is) good' or one characterized by favorable qualities.
Semantic Range
(1) personal name designating 'brother of goodness' or 'my brother is good,' (2) name of Israelite priests in the monarchic period, (3) an ancestral or genealogical title within priestly lineages
Root / Etymology
Constructed from אָח ('brother') and טוּב ('goodness, good, beneficence'), with a possessive or relational nuance. The formation indicates a theophoric or laudatory element, common in Israelite personal names.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, אֲחִיטוּב (ʼĂchîyṭûwb) appears as the name of various priestly figures, including the father of Ahimelech (a priest during the reign of Saul, 1 Samuel 22:9) and as an ancestor of later high priests (e.g., 1 Chronicles 6:7-8). The name does not possess explicit theophoric elements (invoking a deity), but rather expresses a familial connection to the concept of 'goodness.' In translation traditions, the name is often rendered as 'Ahitub,' without conveying its semantic components. There is no direct association with later religious identities (such as 'Jew') in these usages; individuals named Ahitub served as priests within the Israelite cultic system. Across different periods (monarchic to post-exilic), the name retains its function as a personal designation for Israelite priests, with its semantic components remaining transparent to Hebrew readers while being opaque in most English translations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָח and טוּב; brother of goodness; Achitub, the name of several priests; Ahitub.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אח (ʾ-ḥ) — brother, kinsman, related male
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H251 | אָח | brother |
| H252 | אַח | your brothers |
| H253 | אָח | brother |
| H254 | אָח | the firepot |
| H255 | אֹחַ | howling wild creatures |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H285-01 |
אֲחִט֡וּב | achituv | HNp |
Ahitub | Brother-of-Goodness | 13 |
H285-02 |
וַ/אֲחִיטוּב֙ | vaachituv | HC/Np |
and Ahitub | and Brother-of-Goodness | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
15 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H285-01 |
1 Samuel 14:3 | אֲחִט֡וּב | achituv | HNp |
Ahitub | Brother-of-Goodness |
H285-01 |
1 Samuel 22:9 | אֲחִטֽוּב | achituv | HNp |
Ahitub | Brother-of-Goodness |
H285-01 |
1 Samuel 22:11 | אֲחִיט֜וּב | achituv | HNp |
of Ahitub | Brother-of-Goodness |
H285-01 |
1 Samuel 22:12 | אֲחִיט֑וּב | achituv | HNp |
of Ahitub | Brother-of-Goodness |
H285-01 |
1 Samuel 22:20 | אֲחִט֔וּב | achituv | HNp |
of Ahitub | Brother-of-Goodness |
H285-01 |
2 Samuel 8:17 | אֲחִיט֛וּב | achituv | HNp |
Ahitub | Brother-of-Goodness |
H285-01 |
Ezra 7:2 | אֲחִיטֽוּב | achituv | HNp |
Ahitub | Brother-of-Goodness |
H285-01 |
Nehemiah 11:11 | אֲחִיט֔וּב | achituv | HNp |
Ahitub | Brother-of-Goodness |
H285-01 |
1 Chronicles 5:33 | אֲחִיטֽוּב | achituv | HNp |
Ahitub | Brother-of-Goodness |
H285-02 |
1 Chronicles 5:34 | וַ/אֲחִיטוּב֙ | vaachituv | HC/Np |
And Ahitub | and Brother-of-Goodness |