אָח
brother
‘brother’ is one of 6 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Construct-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
- Particle
- A short function word — article, negation, interrogative, the sign of the direct object, and the like.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
148 verses where H251 appears in the Construct state in the Book of Genesis. Filtered view — show all forms. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Genesis
- Genesis 4:2 אָחִ֖י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Again she gave birth, to Cain's brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
- Genesis 4:8 אָחִ֑י/ו אָחִ֖י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Cain said to Abel, his brother, "Let's go into the field." It happened, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.
- Genesis 4:9 אָחִ֑י/ךָ אָחִ֖/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Yahweh said to Cain, "Where is Abel, your brother?" He said, "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
- Genesis 4:10 אָחִ֔י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Yahweh said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground.
- Genesis 4:11 אָחִ֖י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
- Genesis 4:21 אָחִ֖י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms His brother's name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.
- Genesis 9:5 אָחִ֔י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms I will surely require your blood of your lives. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, I will require the life of man.
- Genesis 9:22 אֶחָ֖י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
- Genesis 9:25 לְ/אֶחָֽי/ו prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms He said, "Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants will he be to his brothers."
- Genesis 10:21 אֲחִ֖י n c ms cs To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born.
- Genesis 10:25 אָחִ֖י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days was the earth divided. His brother's name was Joktan.
- Genesis 12:5 אָחִ֗י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls who they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came.
- Genesis 13:11 אָחִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves the one from the other.
- Genesis 14:12 אֲחִ֥י n c ms cs They took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
- Genesis 14:13 אֲחִ֤י וַ/אֲחִ֣י n c ms cs conj + n c ms cs One who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew. Now he lived by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were allies of Abram.
- Genesis 14:14 אָחִ֑י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan.
- Genesis 14:16 אָחִ֤י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
- Genesis 16:12 אֶחָ֖י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers."
- Genesis 19:7 אַחַ֖/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs He said, "Please, my brothers, don't act so wickedly.
- Genesis 20:5 אָחִ֣/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Didn't he tell me, 'She is my sister?' She, even she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands have I done this."
- Genesis 20:13 אָחִ֥/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs It happened, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is your kindness which you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'"
- Genesis 20:16 לְ/אָחִ֔י/ךְ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2fs To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated."
- Genesis 22:20 אָחִֽי/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms It happened after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, "Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
- Genesis 22:21 אָחִ֑י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,
- Genesis 22:23 אֲחִ֥י n c ms cs Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
- Genesis 24:15 אֲחִ֣י n c ms cs It happened, before he had done speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.
- Genesis 24:27 אֲחֵ֥י n c mp cs He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."
- Genesis 24:48 אֲחִ֥י n c ms cs I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.
- Genesis 24:53 לְ/אָחִ֖י/הָ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3fs The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
- Genesis 24:55 אָחִ֨י/הָ֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3fs Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."
- Genesis 25:18 אֶחָ֖י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.
- Genesis 25:26 אָחִ֗י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
- Genesis 26:31 לְ/אָחִ֑י/ו prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms They rose up some time in the morning, and swore one to another. Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
- Genesis 27:6 אָחִ֖י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, "Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,
- Genesis 27:11 אָחִ/י֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
- Genesis 27:23 אָחִ֖י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He didn't recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau's hands. So he blessed him.
- Genesis 27:29 לְ/אַחֶ֔י/ךָ prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms Let peoples serve you, Nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, Let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, Blessed be everyone who blesses you."
- Genesis 27:30 אָחִ֔י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms It happened, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
- Genesis 27:35 אָחִ֖י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms He said, "Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing."
- Genesis 27:37 אֶחָ֗י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Isaac answered Esau, "Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers have I given to him for servants. With grain and new wine have I sustained him. What then will I do for you, my son?"
- Genesis 27:40 אָחִ֖י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, That you shall shake his yoke from off your neck."
- Genesis 27:41 אָחִֽ/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob."
- Genesis 27:42 אָחִ֔י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.
- Genesis 27:43 אָחִ֖/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran.
- Genesis 27:44 אָחִֽי/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury turns away;
- Genesis 27:45 אָחִ֜י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms until your brother's anger turn away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?"
- Genesis 28:2 אֲחִ֥י n c ms cs Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.
- Genesis 28:5 אֲחִ֣י n c ms cs Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, Rebekah's brother, Jacob's and Esau's mother.
- Genesis 29:4 אַחַ֖/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs Jacob said to them, "My relatives, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran."
- Genesis 29:10 אֲחִ֣י אֲחִ֣י אֲחִ֥י n c ms cs n c ms cs n c ms cs It happened, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
- Genesis 29:12 אֲחִ֤י n c ms cs Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.
- Genesis 29:15 אָחִ֣/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?"
- Genesis 31:23 אֶחָי/ו֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms He took his relatives with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.
- Genesis 31:25 אֶחָ֖י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.
- Genesis 31:32 אַחֵ֧י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp With whoever you find your gods, he shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it." For Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen them.
- Genesis 31:37 אַחַ֖/י וְ/אַחֶ֑י/ךָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs conj + n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.
- Genesis 31:46 לְ/אֶחָי/ו֙ prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.
- Genesis 31:54 לְ/אֶחָ֖י/ו prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.
- Genesis 32:3 אָחִ֑י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.
- Genesis 32:6 אָחִ֨י/ךָ֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau. Not only that, but he comes to meet you, and four hundred men with him."
- Genesis 32:11 אָחִ֖/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, and the mothers with the children.
- Genesis 32:13 אָחִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He lodged there that night, and took from that which he had with him, a present for Esau, his brother:
- Genesis 32:17 אָחִ֗/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs He commanded the foremost, saying, "When Esau, my brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, 'Whose are you? Where are you going? Whose are these before you?'
- Genesis 33:3 אָחִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
- Genesis 33:9 אָחִ֕/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours."
- Genesis 34:11 אַחֶ֔י/הָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3fs Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you will tell me I will give.
- Genesis 34:25 אֲחֵ֤י n c mp cs It happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males.
- Genesis 35:1 אָחִֽי/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother."
- Genesis 35:7 אָחִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
- Genesis 36:6 אָחִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, with his cattle, all his animals, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan, and went into a land away from his brother Jacob.
- Genesis 37:2 אֶחָי/ו֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.
- Genesis 37:4 אֶחָ֗י/ו אֶחָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn't speak peaceably to him.
- Genesis 37:5 לְ/אֶחָ֑י/ו prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
- Genesis 37:8 אֶחָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms His brothers said to him, "Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed have dominion over us?" They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words.
- Genesis 37:9 לְ/אֶחָ֑י/ו prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me."
- Genesis 37:10 אֶחָי/ו֒ וְ/אַחֶ֔י/ךָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms conj + n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to you to the earth?"
- Genesis 37:11 אֶחָ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms His brothers envied him; but his father kept this saying in mind.
- Genesis 37:12 אֶחָ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms His brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
- Genesis 37:13 אַחֶ֨י/ךָ֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms Israel said to Joseph, "Aren't your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." He said to him, "Here I am."
- Genesis 37:14 אַחֶ֨י/ךָ֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms He said to him, "Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again." So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
- Genesis 37:16 אַחַ֖/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs He said, "I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock."
- Genesis 37:17 אֶחָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms The man said, "They have left here, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
- Genesis 37:19 אָחִ֑י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms They said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer comes.
- Genesis 37:23 אֶחָ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms It happened, when Joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him;
- Genesis 37:26 אֶחָ֑י/ו אָחִ֔י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cp Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
- Genesis 37:27 אָחִ֥י/נוּ אֶחָֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cp n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Come, and let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh." His brothers listened to him.
- Genesis 37:30 אֶחָ֖י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms He returned to his brothers, and said, "The child is no more; and I, where will I go?"
- Genesis 38:1 אֶחָ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms It happened at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
- Genesis 38:8 אָחִ֖י/ךָ לְ/אָחִֽי/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and raise up seed to your brother."
- Genesis 38:9 אָחִי/ו֙ לְ/אָחִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Onan knew that the seed wouldn't be his; and it happened, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.
- Genesis 38:11 כְּ/אֶחָ֑י/ו prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up;" for he said, "Lest he also die, like his brothers." Tamar went and lived in her father's house.
- Genesis 38:29 אָחִ֔י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms It happened, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out, and she said, "Why have you made a breach for yourself?" Therefore his name was called Perez.
- Genesis 38:30 אָחִ֔י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
- Genesis 42:3 אֲחֵֽי n c mp cs Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
- Genesis 42:4 אֲחִ֣י אֶחָ֑י/ו n c ms cs n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms But Jacob didn't send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers; for he said, "Lest perhaps harm happen to him."
- Genesis 42:6 אֲחֵ֣י n c mp cs Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.
- Genesis 42:7 אֶחָ֖י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, "Where did you come from?" They said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."
- Genesis 42:8 אֶחָ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him.
- Genesis 42:15 אֲחִי/כֶ֥ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp Hereby you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh you shall not go forth from here, unless your youngest brother come here.
- Genesis 42:16 אֲחִי/כֶם֒ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies."
- Genesis 42:19 אֲחִי/כֶ֣ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison-house; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.
- Genesis 42:20 אֲחִי/כֶ֤ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won't die." They did so.
- Genesis 42:21 אָחִ֗י/ו אָחִי/נוּ֒ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cp They said one to another, "We are most assuredly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn't listen. Therefore this distress has come on us."
- Genesis 42:28 אֶחָי/ו֙ אָחִי/ו֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He said to his brothers, "My money is restored! Behold, it is even in my sack." Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"
- Genesis 42:33 אֲחִי/כֶ֤ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'Hereby will I know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way.
- Genesis 42:34 אֲחִי/כֶ֣ם אֲחִי/כֶם֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.'"
- Genesis 42:38 אָחִ֨י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him by the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol."
- Genesis 43:3 אֲחִי/כֶ֥ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'
- Genesis 43:4 אָחִ֖י/נוּ n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cp If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food,
- Genesis 43:5 אֲחִי/כֶ֥ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'"
- Genesis 43:7 אָ֔ח אֲחִי/כֶֽם n c ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp They said, "The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?'"
- Genesis 43:13 אֲחִי/כֶ֖ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man.
- Genesis 43:14 אֲחִי/כֶ֥ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
- Genesis 43:29 אָחִי/ו֮ אֲחִי/כֶ֣ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" He said, "God be gracious to you, my son."
- Genesis 43:30 אָחִ֔י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he sought a place to weep; and he entered into his room, and wept there.
- Genesis 44:14 וְ/אֶחָי/ו֙ conj + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.
- Genesis 44:20 וְ/אָחִ֨י/ו conj + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms We said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.'
- Genesis 44:23 אֲחִי/כֶ֥ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp You said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.'
- Genesis 44:26 אָחִ֨י/נוּ וְ/אָחִ֥י/נוּ n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cp conj + n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cp We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, unless our youngest brother is with us.'
- Genesis 44:33 אֶחָֽי/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, a bondservant to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers.
- Genesis 45:1 אֶחָֽי/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Then Joseph couldn't control himself before all those who stood before him, and he cried, "Cause every man to go out from me!" There stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
- Genesis 45:3 אֶחָי/ו֙ אֶחָי/ו֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Does my father still live?" His brothers couldn't answer him; for they were terrified at his presence.
- Genesis 45:4 אֶחָ֛י/ו אֲחִי/כֶ֔ם n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." They came near. "He said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.
- Genesis 45:12 אָחִ֣/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you.
- Genesis 45:14 אָחִ֖י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He fell on his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.
- Genesis 45:15 אֶחָ֖י/ו אֶחָ֖י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.
- Genesis 45:16 אֲחֵ֣י n c mp cs The report of it was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, "Joseph's brothers have come." It pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
- Genesis 45:17 אַחֶ֖י/ךָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'Do this. Load your animals, and go, travel to the land of Canaan.
- Genesis 45:24 אֶחָ֖י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, "See that you don't quarrel on the way."
- Genesis 46:31 אֶחָי/ו֙ אַחַ֧/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father's house, "I will go up, and speak with Pharaoh, and will tell him, 'My brothers, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
- Genesis 47:1 וְ/אַחַ֜/י conj + n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, "My father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen."
- Genesis 47:2 אֶחָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.
- Genesis 47:3 אֶחָ֖י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" They said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers."
- Genesis 47:5 וְ/אַחֶ֖י/ךָ conj + n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, "Your father and your brothers have come to you.
- Genesis 47:6 אַחֶ֑י/ךָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my cattle."
- Genesis 47:11 אֶחָי/ו֒ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
- Genesis 47:12 אֶחָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Joseph nourished his father, his brothers, and all of his father's household, with bread, according to their families.
- Genesis 48:6 אֲחֵי/הֶ֛ם n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp Your issue, who you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
- Genesis 48:19 אָחִ֤י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms His father refused, and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations."
- Genesis 48:22 אַחֶ֑י/ךָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."
- Genesis 49:8 אַחֶ֔י/ךָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms "Judah, your brothers will praise you: Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's sons will bow down before you.
- Genesis 49:26 אֶחָֽי/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms The blessings of your father Have prevailed above the blessings of the ancient mountains, Above the bounty of the age-old hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, On the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.
- Genesis 50:8 וְ/אֶחָ֖י/ו conj + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.
- Genesis 50:14 וְ/אֶחָ֔י/ו conj + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Joseph returned into Egypt--he, and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
- Genesis 50:15 אֲחֵֽי n c mp cs When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all of the evil which we did to him.
- Genesis 50:17 אַחֶ֤י/ךָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms "So you shall tell Joseph, 'Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.' Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
- Genesis 50:18 אֶחָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, "Behold, we are your servants."
- Genesis 50:24 אֶחָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Joseph said to his brothers, "I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
אח — transliterated ʼâch — is a Hebrew noun carrying the sense “brother.” Older and newer Bibles part ways — “brethren” in the King James Version, “brothers” (Berean Standard Bible) in modern versions. See the renderings breakdown. It appears 572 verses across 33 books of the Hebrew Bible, among its most common vocabulary. More than a quarter of its appearances fall in Genesis. The lexicon spreads it across several senses; see its full sense range. Each statement above links to its evidence; the full detail follows below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H251 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 572
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 572 distinct verses.
- 33 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 33 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #77
- by frequency
- Top 100 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 77 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 572 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Genesis 155 verses 27%
- 1 Chronicles 95 verses 17%
- Deuteronomy 43 verses 8%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 572 distinct verses.
- Torah (Pentateuch) 251 verses · 44%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 184 verses · 32%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 137 verses · 24%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 5 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Brethren 263×, Brother 199×, Brother's 21×
- American Standard Version†: Brethren 230×, Brother 180×, 's brother 19×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Brothers 221×, Brother 183×, Relatives 33×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Brothers 292×, Brother 224×, Brother of 30×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H251 across 629† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 95 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H251 across 630† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 122 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H251 across 614† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 63 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 15 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H251 across 650† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 32 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 4 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
אח I interj. (onomatop.) ah! alas! Ez 6
אח II
- 1. brother, born of same mother (& father) Gn 4:2, 8, 9, 10, 11; 27:6, 11; 44:20; 49:5; cf. 28:2; 29:10(×2) + Ex 4:14 + often; also of half-brother Gn 20:5, 13, 16 (on parentage cf. v 12) 37:2, 4, 5 +, 2 S 13:4, 7, 8 +. e.g. Genesis 4:2
- 2. indef. = relative; Lot, of Abr. Gn 13:8; 14:14, 16; Jacob, of Laban 29:12, 15 (nephew); hence of kinship in wider sense; member of same tribe Nu 16:10; 18:2, 6 2 S 19:13; of same people Ex 2:11(×2); 4:18 Dt 15:12 Ju 14:3 Is 66:20 Ne 5:1, 5, 8 vid. especially Lv 19:17 cf. v 18 (extended to incl. sojourner גֵּר v 34); of Israel & Judah 2 S 19:42; Isr. & Edom Nu 20:14; cf. of Ishmael Gn 16:12; 25:18; of friend 2 S 1:26 1 K 9:13; 20:32, 33; of allies בְּרִית א׳ Am 1:9. e.g. Genesis 13:8
- 3. fig. of resemblance Jb 30:29 אָח הָיִיתִי לְתַנִּים (‖ רֵעַ לִבְנוֹת יַעֲנָה) i.e. by reason of his crying, cf. Di; Pr 18:9 מִתְרַפֶּה בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ אָח הוּא לְבַעַל מַשְׁחִית. e.g. Job 30:29
- 4. in phr. one … another אִישׁ אָחִיו Gn 9:5 Jo 2:8 Zc 7:10; אָחִיו … אִישׁ Gn 13:11 + 25 times + Ex 32:27 (where also same phr. c. רֵעֵהוּ & קְרֹבוֹ—v. these words—& also אִישׁ, אֶחָד); for development of idiom cf. Dt 15:2 Is 19:2 Je 34:14 (cf. 15) 17 Ez 38:21 Hg 2:22; usually of men; of faces of golden cherubim Ex 25:20; 37:9; of scales of crocodile Jb 41:9. (אָח fire-pot v. sub ii. אחח.) On pr. names compounded with אָח, v. reff. given under אָב supr. e.g. Genesis 9:5
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
III. interj. (onomatop.) ah! alas! Ez 6:11; 21:20. iii. אָח Ez 18:10 (textual error). Ez 18:10 אָח is a vox nihili (dittogr. from foll. אחד: v. Comm.): in 21:10 also dub. (𝔊 εὖ), read אַךְ Ew Hi Sm Toy, חַדָּה Co Berthol, אַתְּ Oort Krae.
IV. n.m. brother (Ph. אח, Arabic أَخٌ (cstr. أَخُو etc.), Sab. אחֿ (sf. אחֿיהו) CISiv, 1, 17 and 24 al., Ethiopic እኅው Assyrian aḫu cf. DlW, Aramaic אַח, ܐܰܚܳܐ; Palm., Nab. sf. אחוהי, אחיה);—abs. אָח Gn 24:29 + (Ez 18:10 del. Co cf. 𝔊 𝔖 𝔙; Ew Sm אַךְ; Dl Ba Ez x defends as = one cf. Assyrian aḫu) never c. art.; cstr. אֲחִי Gn 10:21 +; sf. אָחִי Gn 4:9 +; אָחִיךָ Gn 4:9 +; אָחִיו Gn 4:2 +; אָחִיהוּ Je 34:9 + 3 times etc.; pl. אַחִים Gn 13:8 +; so read Ho 13:15 v. DeCompl. Var. 23 cf. sub אָחוּ; cstr. אֲחֵי Nu 27:10 +; sf. אַחַי Gn 19:7 +; אֶחָ֑י 1 S 20:29 + (but 1 S 30:23 𝔊 We אַחֲרֵי for אֶחָ֑י את); אַחֶיךָ Gn 37:13 +; אֶחָיו Gn 44:14 + etc.
V. n.f. fire-pot, brasier (Arabic وَلَدًا, in Thes, is an error fire-pot is loan-word from Egyptian ʿḫ according to WMMOLZ 3, 51) always c. art. Je 36:22 הַא׳ לְפָנָיו מְבֹעָ֑רֶת the brasier before him was burning; v 23 הָאֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֶל־הָא׳; v 23 הָאֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עַל־הָא׳ (i. אָח, brother v. sub אחה; iii. אָח interj., p. 25).
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive word
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
אָח I
- brother, kinsman; fellow, equal, fellow-believer &c. Meg. 11ᵃ (play on ăhashverosh, Ahasverus) אָׄחִׄיו ש̇ל ר̇אש̇ וכ׳ a brother (in cruelty) to the chief tyrant (Nebucadn.); a. fr.—Pl. אַחִים, אַחִין. Gen. R. s. 89, beg. (play on āḥu, Gen. XLI, 2) in years of plenty הבריות נעשו א׳ וכ׳ people are brotherly to each other. Gen. R. s. 99 אחים דפחתא וכ׳ brothers to the degraded woman (Dinah), … but not to Joseph; a. fr.—Cant. R. to VIII, 1 שני אחים brother and sister e.g. Genesis 41:2
אַח
- Targ. fr.—Pl. אָחִין. Targ. Gen. XIII, 8; a. e.—אַחֵי Yeb. 65ᵇ.—Y. Yoma VI, 43ᵈ אֲחֵינָן our brothers
אָח II
- interj. interj.
- 1. (b. h.) exclamation of sorrow, Oh! Meg. 11ᵃ (play on ăhashverosh; v. אָח I) א׳ לראשו woe upon his head. Snh. 102ᵇ (play on Ahab אח־אב) א׳ לשמי׳ a subject of grief to the Lord, and father (friend) of idolatry.—2 (= Syr.) exclamation of joy, Ah! Targ. Is. XLIV, 16 (h. הֶאָח).
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 263 distinct written forms H251 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 203 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H251, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derived from this word
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
- אחאב ʼAchʼâb H256 Ahab
- אחבן ʼAchbân H257 Ahban
- אחוח ʼĂchôwach H265 Ahoah
- אחומי ʼĂchûwmay H267 Ahumai
- אחי ʼĂchîy H277 Ahi
- אחיאם ʼĂchîyʼâm H279 Ahiam
- אחיה ʼĂchîyâh H281 Ahijah
- אחיהוד ʼĂchîyhûwd H282 Ahihud
- אחיו ʼAchyôw H283 Ahio
- אחיחד ʼĂchîychud H284 Ahihud
- אחיטוב ʼĂchîyṭûwb H285 Ahitub
- אחילוד ʼĂchîylûwd H286 Ahilud
- אחימות ʼĂchîymôwth H287 Ahimoth
- אחימלך ʼĂchîymelek H288 Ahimelech
- אחימן ʼĂchîyman H289 Ahiman
- אחימעץ ʼĂchîymaʻats H290 Ahimaaz
- אחין ʼAchyân H291 Ahian
- אחינדב ʼĂchîynâdâb H292 Ahinadab
- אחינעם ʼĂchîynôʻam H293 Ahinoam
- אחיסמך ʼĂchîyçâmâk H294 Ahisamach
- אחיעזר ʼĂchîyʻezer H295 Ahiezer
- אחיקם ʼĂchîyqâm H296 Ahikam
- אחירם ʼĂchîyrâm H297 Ahiram
- אחירע ʼĂchîyraʻ H299 Ahira
+3 more proper names from this root (not shown).
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 31 — not the complete family. 27 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 535 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 572 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 4:2
- Exodus 1:6
- Leviticus 7:10
- Numbers 6:7
- Deuteronomy 1:16
- Joshua 1:14
- Judges 1:3
- Ruth 4:3
- 1 Samuel 14:3
- 2 Samuel 1:26
- 1 Kings 1:9
- 2 Kings 7:6
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.