311. achar
Lexical Summary
achar: after, behind, following, later

Original Word: אַחַר
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: achar
Pronunciation: ah-khar'
Phonetic Spelling: (akh-ar')
KJV: (here-)after
NASB: future, after
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H310 (אַחַר - after)]

1. after

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
hereafter

(Aramaic) corresponding to 'achar; after -- (here-)after.

see HEBREW 'achar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to achar
Definition
after
NASB Translation
after (1), future (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[אחר] plural with אַחֲרֵי, preposition after (Cappadocian and Egyptian Aramaic אחר afterwards (LzbEph.i. 361 S-Cpap C 8), probably Nabataean אחר after (Lzb212 SAC16); Egyptian Aramaic אחריכם (S-CPap. c 8+); ᵑ7 (sometimes) אֲחוֺרֵי; Biblical Hebrew אַחַר); — אַחֲרֵי דְנָה after this Daniel 2:29,45; with suffix אַחֲרֵיהֹן Daniel 7:24. Usu. Aramaic synonym בָּאתַר, q. v.

Topical Lexicon
Semantic Range and Narrative Function

The Hebrew term evokes the idea of what lies beyond the present moment—subsequent events in a divinely ordered sequence. In Daniel it does not merely mark time; it frames revelation, drawing attention to the God-given certainty of what follows. By tying present circumstances to future outcomes, the word reinforces the prophetic rhythm of promise and fulfillment that runs through all of Scripture.

Role in Daniel’s Court Narrative (Daniel 2:29)

When Nebuchadnezzar ponders “what would happen hereafter” (Daniel 2:29), the term sets the stage for divine disclosure. The king’s restless musings find resolution only when God, through Daniel, unfolds the future. The narrative underscores that even the private thoughts of emperors are subject to God’s timetable. For teachers and preachers, the verse illustrates how the Lord speaks into human anxiety about the unknown, answering with revelation rather than speculation.

Prophetic Continuity and Eschatology (Daniel 2:45)

Daniel concludes the statue vision with the assurance that “the great God has shown the king what will come to pass after this” (Daniel 2:45). Here the term links the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms to the advent of a kingdom “not made by human hands.” The temporal marker therefore becomes a theological bridge: history moves inexorably toward the establishment of God’s everlasting reign. The passage supports a linear, purposeful view of history, countering cyclical or fatalistic philosophies.

Succession of Kingdoms (Daniel 7:24)

In the vision of the four beasts the word signals political succession: “After them another king… will arise” (Daniel 7:24). The vocabulary of sequence emphasizes both continuity and escalation—each kingdom follows logically yet introduces new dynamics. For interpreters, the text models how to read prophetic symbols in light of concrete historical progression without divorcing them from their ultimate eschatological horizon.

Theological Implications

1. Divine Sovereignty: Every occurrence affirms that the future unfolds under God’s governance, not human initiative.
2. Certainty of Prophecy: “The dream is certain, and its interpretation is trustworthy” (Daniel 2:45) couples the word with unshakeable reliability.
3. Hope-Oriented Chronology: By pointing believers “afterward,” Scripture cultivates expectation of God’s climactic intervention rather than despair over present trials.

Applications for Teaching and Ministry

• Pastoral Counseling: Encourage believers facing uncertainty by highlighting that God, who revealed “what would come hereafter” to Nebuchadnezzar, still directs individual futures.
• Bible Prophecy Studies: Use the Daniel passages to demonstrate how a single temporal particle can anchor an entire eschatological framework.
• Discipleship: Foster long-range faithfulness; since God controls what comes next, obedience today is never futile.
• Evangelism: Present history’s forward movement toward God’s kingdom as a call to decision—align with the stone “cut out of the mountain” before it fills the whole earth.

Summary

In its three appearances, אַחַר functions as more than a preposition of time; it is a theological signpost pointing from human questions to divine answers, from transient empires to an unshakable kingdom, and from present obedience to assured future fulfillment.

Forms and Transliterations
אַחֲרֵ֣י אַחֲרֵיה֗וֹן אחרי אחריהון ’a·ḥă·rê ’a·ḥă·rê·hō·wn ’aḥărê ’aḥărêhōwn achaRei achareiHon
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Daniel 2:29
HEB: דִּ֥י לֶהֱוֵ֖א אַחֲרֵ֣י דְנָ֑ה וְגָלֵ֧א
NAS: place in the future; and He who reveals
INT: would take the future time reveals

Daniel 2:45
HEB: דִּ֥י לֶהֱוֵ֖א אַחֲרֵ֣י דְנָ֑ה וְיַצִּ֥יב
NAS: will take place in the future; so the dream
INT: forasmuch will take the future time is true

Daniel 7:24
HEB: וְאָחֳרָ֞ן יְק֣וּם אַחֲרֵיה֗וֹן וְה֤וּא יִשְׁנֵא֙
NAS: will arise after them, and he will be different
KJV: shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse
INT: and another will arise after and he will be different

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 311
3 Occurrences


’a·ḥă·rê — 2 Occ.
’a·ḥă·rê·hō·wn — 1 Occ.

310
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