עַכְבּוֹר
𐤏𐤊𐤁𐤅𐤓
Akhebor
H5907 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name referring to multiple individuals in the Hebrew Bible: (1) An Edomite (Idumaean) leader (Genesis 36:38–39; 1 Chronicles 1:49–50), (2) a Judahite official under King Josiah (2 Kings 22:12, 14; 2 Chronicles 34:20), and (3) the father of Baal-hanan, another Edomite ruler. The name itself parallels the common noun for 'mouse' in Hebrew (עַכְבָּר), but in these contexts, it serves as a theophoric or personal name rather than as a designation of the animal.
Semantic Range
personal name, likely 'mouse' in origin; used for Edomite and Judahite men in genealogical and administrative contexts; does not take on the zoological meaning within proper names
Root / Etymology
From the root ע־כ־ב־ר (עַכְבָּר, meaning 'mouse'); the proper name עַכְבּוֹר likely derives from or is closely related to the noun. The formation is standard for personal names, but the semantic motivation (whether literal or symbolic) within the context of the name remains uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
While the English translation tradition, including the KJV, often renders עַכְבּוֹר as 'Achbor,' the underlying meaning points to 'mouse,' though there is no evidence that the biblical bearers of this name were so designated for animal-like characteristics. The three referents occupy different contexts: the Edomite ruler Achbor appears within genealogies of Edom (Genesis, 1 Chronicles) and should be understood in an Edomite context; the official under Josiah appears in the reform narrative of the kingdom of Judah, attesting to the use of the name among Judahites in the late monarchic period. The choice of such animal-based names is not uncommon in ancient Semitic naming conventions. Later uses and translations sometimes conflate or confound ethnic or regional identity (Idumaean versus Judahite); those distinctions are important for contextual reading. The English 'Achbor' does not convey the semantic allusion of the Hebrew. There is no evidence that the name was in later times used to mean 'Jew' or refer specifically to Judeans or practitioners of Judaism.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably for עַכְבָּר; Akbor, the name of an Idumaean and of two Israelites; Achbor.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עכבר (ʿ-k-b-r) — mouse, small rodent
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5907-01 |
עַכְבּֽוֹר | akhebor | HNp |
Achbor | Akbor (Mouse) | Akhebor | 6 |
H5907-02 |
וְ/עַכְבּ֜וֹר | veakhebor | HC/Np |
and Acbor | and Mouse (personal name) | and Akhebor | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5907-01 |
Genesis 36:38 | עַכְבּֽוֹר | akhebor | HNp |
of Achbor | Akbor (Mouse) | Akhebor |
H5907-01 |
Genesis 36:39 | עַכְבּוֹר֒ | akhebor | HNp |
Achbor | Akbor (Mouse) | Akhebor |
H5907-01 |
2 Kings 22:12 | עַכְבּ֨וֹר | akhebor | HNp |
Achbor | Akbor (Mouse) | Akhebor |
H5907-02 |
2 Kings 22:14 | וְ/עַכְבּ֜וֹר | veakhebor | HC/Np |
and Acbor | and Mouse (personal name) | and Akhebor |
H5907-01 |
Jeremiah 26:22 | עַכְבּ֛וֹר | akhebor | HNp |
Achbor | Akbor (Mouse) | Akhebor |
H5907-01 |
Jeremiah 36:12 | עַכְבּ֜וֹר | akhebor | HNp |
of Achbor | Akbor (Mouse) | Akhebor |
H5907-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:49 | עַכְבּֽוֹר | akhebor | HNp |
of Achbor | Akbor (Mouse) | Akhebor |