Lexical Summary achorannith: Backward, behind Original Word: אֲחֹרַנִּית Strong's Exhaustive Concordance back ward, again Prolonged from 'achowr; backwards -- back (-ward, again). see HEBREW 'achowr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprol. from achor Definition backwards NASB Translation back (2), back again (1), backward (3), turned away (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֲחֹרַנִּית adverb (properly an adjective feminine, compare קְדֹרַנִּית Sta§ 367) backwards (= in poetry אָחוֺר Genesis 9:23 (twice in verse); 1 Samuel 4:18; 1 Kings 18:37; 2 Kings 20:10,11; Isaiah 38:8. Topical Lexicon Semantic Scope and Nuanceאֲחֹרַנִּית points to movement or orientation “toward the rear” in space, in time, or in moral disposition. Scripture uses it both literally (walking backward) and figuratively (turning hearts back, reversing a shadow). In every case it denotes reversal—from exposure to covering, from apostasy to renewal, from ordinary chronology to a divinely ordered sign. Canonical Occurrences and Narrative Roles • Genesis 9:23 – The sons of Noah “walked backward” to cover their father. אֲחֹרַנִּית becomes an emblem of modesty and filial honor. By refusing to gaze on shame, Shem and Japheth illustrate the righteous instinct to shield rather than exploit. • 1 Samuel 4:18 – Eli falls “backward” and dies when he hears of the ark’s capture. The backward motion marks the calamity of priestly failure: spiritual blindness culminates in physical reversal and death. • 1 Kings 18:37 – Elijah prays that the LORD would “turn their hearts back again.” Here the term moves from literal posture to covenant repentance. Israel’s heart had drifted toward Baal; only divine intervention could orient it אֲחֹרַנִּית to the true God. • 2 Kings 20:10-11; Isaiah 38:8 – Hezekiah requests an unmistakable sign: “let the shadow go back ten steps.” The subsequent miracle displays sovereign control over time itself. The retrograde shadow becomes a pledge that the king’s life will be extended and Jerusalem rescued. Theological Themes 1. Reversal of Shame: In Genesis 9:23 the backward movement hides nakedness, prefiguring the redemptive covering God ultimately provides in Christ (Romans 13:14). Illustrative Events and Ministry Implications • Pastoral Counseling – Genesis 9:23 models sensitive handling of another’s failure. Leaders shepherd well when they “walk backward,” refusing to exploit sin while working toward restoration (Galatians 6:1). • Public Worship – Elijah’s petition (1 Kings 18:37) encourages intercessors to ask God to reverse hardened hearts. Corporate prayer may become the hinge upon which a community swings back to covenant fidelity. • Apologetics and Worldview – The retrograde shadow (2 Kings 20) affirms a theistic worldview in which natural laws are servant, not master, to the Creator. The account equips believers to address skepticism about miracles by rooting discussion in the biblical narrative. Typological and Christological Hints The motif of covering shame by a backward approach anticipates the atonement, where the innocent covers the guilty without participating in guilt. The miraculous turning back of time foreshadows resurrection, the ultimate reversal of death’s progression. Elijah’s prayer that hearts be “turned back” parallels John the Baptist’s mission “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children” (Luke 1:17), preparing the way for the Messiah. Related Hebrew Terms אֲחוֹר (“behind”), אָחוֹר (“after, the west”), and שׁוּב (“return”) share the conceptual field of reversal and turning, amplifying the biblical call to repentance and renewal. Summary אֲחֹרַנִּית threads through Scripture as a subtle yet potent marker of reversal—of posture, destiny, and devotion. Whether averting eyes from shame, signaling divine judgment, or authenticating prophetic promise, the term consistently underscores the LORD’s power to redirect the course of human events and hearts. Forms and Transliterations אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית אֲחֹ֨רַנִּ֜ית אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית אֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית אֲחֹרַנִּֽית׃ אחרנית אחרנית׃ ’ă·ḥō·ran·nîṯ ’ăḥōrannîṯ aChoranNitLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 9:23 HEB: שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית וַיְכַסּ֕וּ אֵ֖ת NAS: and walked backward and covered KJV: and went backward, and covered INT: both and walked backward and covered the nakedness Genesis 9:23 1 Samuel 4:18 1 Kings 18:37 2 Kings 20:10 2 Kings 20:11 Isaiah 38:8 7 Occurrences |
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