אֲחֻזַּת (a.chuz.zat)
a.chuz.zat
Ahuzzath
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
Ahuzzat is a proper name appearing only once in the Hebrew Bible, found in Genesis 26:26. The lexicon sources identify him as a friend or associate of Abimelech, the Philistine king who interacts with Isaac during a time of famine and treaty-making.
The name itself derives from the root meaning "possession" or "estate." This etymology is significant because it mirrors the central theme of the surrounding narrative: the struggle for land and water rights. Just as Isaac contends for wells that others claim, Ahuzzat’s name reflects the tangible reality of property and inheritance in the patriarchal era.
Because he appears in a single verse alongside Abimelech and his military commander, Ahuzzat serves as a minor character in a major diplomatic encounter. His presence highlights the formal nature of the covenant between Isaac and the Philistines, grounding the spiritual promise of land in the legal language of ownership and possession.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Ahuzzat appears in Genesis 26:26 during a tense moment between Isaac and King Abimelech. His name means possession or estate, which fits perfectly with the story’s focus on land rights and wells. In this verse, he stands as a witness to the peace treaty being made. This shows how God’s promises were not just spiritual ideas but involved real legal agreements about property.
When we read about these ancient disputes over water, it reminds us that faith lives in everyday life. God cared about where people lived and how they treated their neighbors. The presence of Ahuzzat highlights the seriousness of keeping promises. It encourages us to value integrity in our own dealings with others.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ Ahuzzah1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וַ/אֲחֻזַּת֙1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 26:26
Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army.
This is the only occurrence of the name, identifying Ahuzzat as a friend of Abimelech who witnessed the covenant.