262. achvah

Lexical Summary

achvah: Brotherhood, kinship, fraternity

Original Word: אַחְוָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: achvah
Pronunciation: akh-vah
Phonetic Spelling: (akh-vaw')
KJV: declaration
NASB: declaration
Word Origin: [from H2331 (חָוָה - To declare) (in the sense of H232 (אֵזוֹר - waistband)4)]

1. an utterance

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

declaration

From chavah (in the sense of chava'); an utterance -- declaration.

see HEBREW chavah

see HEBREW chava'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from chavah
Definition
a declaration
NASB Translation
declaration (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[אַחְוָה] noun feminine declaration (in form, an Aramaic Aphel Infinitive) — only suffix וְאַחְוָתִי כְּאָזְנֵיֶ˜כם׃ Job 13:17 (in "" line שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֺעַ מִלָּת֑י).

Topical Lexicon

Concept and Scope

אַחְוָה (Strong’s Hebrew 262) designates a formal spoken disclosure. Though the term appears only once in Scripture, it captures the idea of a deliberate, reasoned statement set before hearers under the gaze of God. Such a disclosure is not casual conversation; it is a considered testimony that invites judgment and calls for response.

Biblical Occurrence

Job 13:17: “Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration be in your ears.”

In the drama of Job, the patriarch summons both his human critics and the LORD Himself to weigh his words. His אַחְוָה is therefore:

• Personal—Job owns his words before God and man.
• Public—he wants them “in your ears,” leaving no room for hearsay.
• Judicial—presented almost as evidence in court, anticipating vindication.

Historical Context in Job

Job speaks amid the ancient Near-Eastern custom of legal disputation at the city gate. By labeling his words אַחְוָה, he frames them as formal testimony. This nuance accentuates Job’s conviction that truth will withstand scrutiny, even when circumstances suggest divine displeasure.

Theological Themes

1. Truth before God
• Scripture portrays God as the God of truth (Deuteronomy 32:4). A human declaration gains weight when aligned with His character.
• Job’s use of אַחְוָה signals his confidence that honest speech is welcome in heaven’s court (compare Psalm 15:2).

2. Integrity of Speech
• The wise “speak truth from the heart” (Psalm 15:2). Job stakes his integrity on transparent disclosure, challenging his friends’ insinuations.

3. Accountability
• Words function as evidence (Matthew 12:36–37). Job understands that his declaration will either condemn or vindicate him, foreshadowing the universal judgment of speech.

4. Covenant Witness
• Declarations punctuate covenant life—Moses before Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1), Samuel before Israel (1 Samuel 12:3), and prophets before kings (Jeremiah 26:12). Job stands in that line, proving that laypeople as well as prophets may bear solemn witness.

Christological Connections

• Jesus is repeatedly portrayed as One who “declared” the Father (John 17:26). The single Old Testament use of אַחְוָה invites reflection on Christ as the ultimate Declarer whose words reveal God perfectly.
• At His trial Jesus provides a truthful confession despite misunderstanding and suffering (Mark 14:62), mirroring Job’s posture yet bringing it to fulfillment.

Practical Ministry Application

1. Preaching and Teaching
• Faithful proclamation today follows the pattern of Job’s אַחְוָה—clear, courageous, and accountable. Ministers must present the Word as formal testimony, not mere opinion.

2. Personal Witness
• Believers are urged to “always be prepared to give a defense” (1 Peter 3:15). Job models sober readiness, reminding Christians that truthful testimony may come amid affliction.

3. Corporate Confession
• Worship services often include confessions of faith or sin. These modern declarations echo אַחְוָה by inviting communal affirmation before God.

Related Biblical Concepts

• אָמַר (to say) highlights content; אַחְוָה stresses the formal setting.
• עֵדוּת (testimony) refers to the substance; אַחְוָה emphasizes the act of vocal presentation.
• יָגִיד (to declare) is broader; אַחְוָה is narrowly a set statement for judgment.

Summary

אַחְוָה encapsulates the gravity of speech offered knowingly before God. Though a hapax legomenon, it frames Job’s defense and illuminates wider biblical patterns of truthful, accountable declaration. From patriarchs to prophets, from the earthly ministry of Christ to the contemporary pulpit, the concept exhorts God’s people to let their words stand as solemn testimony, confident that the Judge of all the earth will do right.

Forms and Transliterations

וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י ואחותי veachavaTi wə’aḥăwāṯî wə·’a·ḥă·wā·ṯî

Englishman's Concordance

Job 13:17
HEB: שָׁ֭מוֹעַ מִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃
NAS: to my speech, And let my declaration [fill] your ears.
KJV: my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
INT: carefully to my speech my declaration your ears

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 262
1 Occurrence

wə·’a·ḥă·wā·ṯî — 1 Occ.