298. Achirami

Lexical Summary

Achirami: Ahiramites

Original Word: אֲחִירָמִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Achiyramiy
Pronunciation: a-khee-RAH-am
Phonetic Spelling: (akh-ee-raw-mee')
KJV: Ahiramites
NASB: Ahiramites
Word Origin: [patronymic from H297 (אֲחִירָם - Ahiram)]

1. an Achiramite or descendant (collectively) of Achiram

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Ahiramites

Patronymic from 'Achiyram; an Achiramite or descendant (collectively) of Achiram -- Ahiramites.

see HEBREW 'Achiyram

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from Achiram
Definition
desc. of Ahiram
NASB Translation
Ahiramites (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

אֲחִירָמִי adjective, of a people ׳הָא as collective noun Numbers 26:38.

Topical Lexicon

Occurrence in Scripture

Numbers 26:38 records the name once: “These were the descendants of Benjamin by their clans: the Belaite clan from Bela, the Ashbelite clan from Ashbel, the Ahiramite clan from Ahiram”.

Genealogical Context

Ahiram (called Ehi in Genesis 46:21 and Aharah in 1 Chronicles 8:1) was a son of Benjamin. His descendants formed the Ahiramite clan, one of five family divisions of Benjamin listed in the second wilderness census. The variant spellings attest to the same historical person rather than separate traditions.

Historical Setting

The census in Numbers 26 occurred on the plains of Moab about forty years after the Exodus. The count prepared Israel for both military action and land distribution (Numbers 26:52-56). Benjamin’s total—“45,600” (Numbers 26:41)—included the fighting men of the Ahiramites, who later shared territory between Ephraim and Judah (Joshua 18:11-28).

Relationship to Later History

Scripture does not spotlight the clan again by name, but its members would have:
• entered Canaan with Joshua,
• endured the civil crisis of Judges 19-21,
• lived under Saul, the first king from Benjamin,
• remained through exile and return (Ezra 10:9),
• been represented when Paul declared, “I am a Benjaminite” (Romans 11:1).

Thus the Ahiramites participated in the full sweep of Israel’s national story.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Inclusion: Even the least-mentioned family is named by God and inherits the promises.
2. Corporate Service: Every clan was counted “from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war” (Numbers 26:2), illustrating universal responsibility in God’s mission.
3. Canonical Unity: The varied renderings Ehi/Ahiram/Aharah reveal a consistent genealogy preserved across Torah, Chronicles, and the New Testament era—strengthening confidence in Scripture’s reliability.

Ministry Insights

• Shepherding: The presence of minor clans reminds leaders to value and serve every household in the congregation.
• Discipleship: Believers, whatever their prominence, are called to readiness for spiritual battle.
• Teaching: Tracing the Ahiramite line offers a living example of how to reconcile genealogical variations, reinforcing trust in biblical inerrancy.

Forms and Transliterations

הָאֲחִירָמִֽי׃ האחירמי׃ hā’ăḥîrāmî hā·’ă·ḥî·rā·mî haachiraMi

Englishman's Concordance

Numbers 26:38
HEB: לַאֲחִירָ֕ם מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הָאֲחִירָמִֽי׃
NAS: the family of the Ahiramites;
KJV: the family of the Ahiramites:
INT: of Ahiram the family of the Ahiramites

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 298
1 Occurrence

hā·’ă·ḥî·rā·mî — 1 Occ.