Lexical Summary ason: Harm, mischief, calamity, disaster Original Word: אָסוֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance mischief Of uncertain derivation; hurt -- mischief. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition mischief, evil, harm NASB Translation harm (3), injury (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs אָסוֺן noun masculine mischief, evil, harm; always absolute without article Genesis 42:4,38 (as subject of קרא), Genesis 44:29 (קרה), Exodus 21:22,23 (היה). אָסוּךָ see סוך. אסם (gather, store, Aramaic Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope אָסוֹן denotes severe harm, calamity, or fatal mischief. It is not the ordinary word for danger but a term reserved for disastrous loss, especially loss of life. The word therefore carries judicial and moral weight, evoking both fear of tragedy and the demand for accountability when tragedy strikes. Occurrences in Scripture Genesis 42:4 – Jacob fears “harm” might befall Benjamin on the journey to Egypt. Genesis 42:38 – Jacob tells his sons that further “calamity” would send him to Sheol in grief. Genesis 44:29 – He repeats the concern that Benjamin’s loss would bring “harm” and ruin his old age. Exodus 21:22 – The case law on striking a pregnant woman specifies penalties if no “harm” follows. Exodus 21:23 – “But if a serious injury does occur, you must require a life for a life”. The Joseph Narrative (Genesis 42–44) Jacob’s repeated use of אָסוֹן frames Benjamin as the last visible sign of Joseph and Rachel. The term intensifies the emotional weight of possible loss: Jacob does not merely fear a setback but an event that would unravel covenant hopes bound up in his family line. The brothers’ agreement to guard Benjamin’s life thus becomes a turning point in their repentance. Providence is at work: what Jacob dreads will become the very means by which the family is preserved and reunited. Case Law on Personal Injury (Exodus 21:22–23) Here אָסוֹן functions in legal precision. Two men fighting accidentally strike a pregnant woman. If no אָסוֹן follows, a fine suffices; if אָסוֹן ensues, lex talionis applies: “a life for a life.” The statute affirms the value of unborn life and the equality of persons before the law, upholding the sanctity of life embedded in creation (Genesis 9:6). The word thus bridges private injury and public justice, demonstrating that personal acts have communal and divine accountability. Theological Significance 1. Sanctity of Life: By linking אָסוֹן to the unborn child, Scripture extends moral protection to the most vulnerable. Historical and Cultural Insights Ancient Near Eastern law codes often distinguished between intentional and accidental harm, yet none match the biblical elevation of fetal life in Exodus 21. Israel’s legislation uniquely grounds its ethic in the imago Dei (Genesis 1:27). In patriarchal settings, loss of a favored son threatened economic survival and covenant continuity; Jacob’s fear reflects both social reality and spiritual significance. Intercanonical Connections The Septuagint renders אָסוֹן with Greek terms such as κακον (“evil”) and ζημία (“loss”), which reappear in New Testament warnings about destructive consequences of sin (e.g., Acts 27:10; Philippians 3:8). The principle “life for life” informs Pauline teaching on the magistrate bearing the sword (Romans 13:4) and underscores the gravity of Christ’s substitutionary death, where He bears humanity’s ultimate אָסוֹן. Practical and Pastoral Implications • Shepherding Families: Jacob’s account encourages pastoral sensitivity to parental fears and the assurance that God’s providence exceeds human apprehension. Summary Strong’s Hebrew 611, אָסוֹן, encapsulates the concept of disastrous harm, appearing at critical junctures of familial crisis and legal instruction. It reveals God’s concern for life, His governance over human adversity, and His demand for just recompense. Whether in patriarchal narrative or statutory law, the word confronts readers with both the fragility of life and the steadfastness of divine purpose. Forms and Transliterations אָס֑וֹן אָס֖וֹן אָסֽוֹן׃ אָסוֹן֙ אסון אסון׃ ’ā·sō·wn ’āsōwn aSonLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 42:4 HEB: פֶּן־ יִקְרָאֶ֖נּוּ אָסֽוֹן׃ NAS: for he said, I am afraid that harm may befall KJV: Lest peradventure mischief befall him. INT: peradventure may befall harm Genesis 42:38 Genesis 44:29 Exodus 21:22 Exodus 21:23 5 Occurrences |
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