Lexical Summary Akkad: Akkad Original Word: אַכַּד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Accad From an unused root probably meaning to strengthen; a fortress; Accad, a place in Babylon -- Accad. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition the name of a city in N. Bab. NASB Translation Accad (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אַכַּד proper name, of a location Akkad Genesis 10:10 וַתְּהִי רֵאשִׁית וְכַלְנֶה בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָֽר׃ ׳מַמְלַכְתּוֺ בָּבֶל וְאֶרֶח וְא; name of a city in Northern (?) Babylonia; = Babylonian Akkadi, mostly name of land or district, but also of city, see HilprFreibrief Neb. I, col. ii, 1. 50; location uncertain; on possible identification or confusion with Agade (A gate, A gane ?), city of Sargon I, compare DlPa 198 & K 19 f. COT Genesis 10:10 TieleGeschichte i. 76 f. אַכְזָב, אַכְזִיב see כזב. אַכְזָר, אַכְזָרִי, אַכְזְרִיּוּת see כזר. Topical Lexicon Definition and Overview Akkad was one of four principal cities constituting the earliest kingdom of Nimrod in the land of Shinar (Genesis 10:10). Mentioned only once in the Old Testament, it nevertheless anchors the biblical record to a real locality that later gave its name to the illustrious Akkadian Empire of Mesopotamian history. Biblical Context Genesis situates Akkad alongside Babel, Erech, and Calneh: “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar” (Genesis 10:10). The passage belongs to the Table of Nations, which traces the dispersion of Noah’s descendants after the Flood. Nimrod’s dominion, starting with these four cities, foreshadows both the cultural achievements and the spiritual rebellion that culminated in the Tower of Babel narrative (Genesis 11:1-9). Geographical Setting Shinar corresponds broadly to southern Mesopotamia, the alluvial plain between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Akkad is believed to have lain north of Sumerian Erech (Uruk) and west of Babylon. Although its precise site remains unconfirmed, proposed locations include Agade near modern Baghdad and Tell Muhammad. The city stood at a crossroads of riverine trade routes, fertile farmlands, and nascent urbanization, enabling rapid growth and political influence. Historical Correlations Outside Scripture, Akkad is best known through the Akkadian Empire established by Sargon (circa twenty-third century BC). Royal inscriptions celebrate Agade as his capital and depict a realm that stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean. Archaeological finds corroborate an advanced bureaucracy, cuneiform literacy, and monumental art—features consistent with the biblical portrayal of Nimrod as a “mighty hunter” and city-builder. While Nimrod and Sargon are distinct figures, the convergence of nomenclature and locale underscores the accuracy of Genesis in reflecting the dawn of Mesopotamian civilization. Role in the Narrative of Nimrod and Babel Nimrod’s choice of Akkad, together with Babel, signifies a drive toward centralized power rather than dispersed obedience to God’s mandate to “fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). These cities embody human ambition that later resurfaces in Babylonian idolatry and oppression (Isaiah 13; Jeremiah 50). Akkad therefore participates in the biblical motif of world systems exalting themselves against divine authority. Connections to Later Scripture Although Akkad itself is not mentioned again, Shinar appears in prophetic contexts portraying judgment upon imperial pride (Zechariah 5:11). Moreover, the name “Chaldeans” in Habakkuk 1 and the apocalyptic “Babylon” in Revelation 17-18 recall the legacy rooted in Nimrod’s first cities—Akkad included—linking early Genesis history with eschatological expectation. Theological and Ministry Reflections 1. Reliability of Scripture: The solitary mention of Akkad, matched by extra-biblical evidence for an early Mesopotamian metropolis of the same name, reinforces confidence in the historical trustworthiness of the Genesis record. Summary Though mentioned only in Genesis 10:10, Akkad anchors the biblical narrative to the cradle of civilization, illustrates the perennial tension between human ambition and divine purpose, and invites the church to proclaim Christ’s enduring kingdom in the midst of passing world powers. Forms and Transliterations וְאַכַּ֣ד ואכד veakKad wə’akkaḏ wə·’ak·kaḏLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 10:10 HEB: בָּבֶ֔ל וְאֶ֖רֶךְ וְאַכַּ֣ד וְכַלְנֵ֑ה בְּאֶ֖רֶץ NAS: and Erech and Accad and Calneh, KJV: and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, INT: was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh the land 1 Occurrence |
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