אַחֲרִית (a.cha.rit)
a.cha.rit
latter
A:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-F
Word Overview
The Aramaic noun aḥărîṯ means "end" or "latter," serving as the cognate form of the Hebrew word with the same spelling and meaning. In the Old Testament, it appears exclusively in the book of Daniel, reflecting the shift to Aramaic for sections addressing Gentile powers.
Its sole occurrence is in Daniel 2:28, where the king’s wise men admit they cannot reveal mysteries. Daniel clarifies that a God in heaven reveals what will happen in the "latter days." Here, the word points not just to a final conclusion, but to a future era of divine intervention and judgment.
This usage highlights a key theological theme: human wisdom has limits, but God’s perspective encompasses the entire timeline from beginning to end. By using this term, the text emphasizes that history is moving toward a definitive resolution known only to God.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word אַחֲרִית points to a future era defined by God’s direct intervention. In Daniel 2, it appears when human wisdom reaches its limit and only divine revelation can explain the path ahead. This reminds us that history is not random; it moves toward a resolution known only to God.
For your faith, this offers deep comfort. When you face uncertainty about tomorrow or confusion in your current season, you do not need to decipher everything on your own. The same God who reveals the end of days is present with you now. You can trust that He holds the timeline and that His plans are purposeful.
This perspective shifts our anxiety into hope. We are not left guessing in the dark. Instead, we rest in the knowledge that the future is secure in His hands, inviting us to walk forward with peace rather than fear.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- at/ [the] end of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בְּ/אַחֲרִ֣ית1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 2:28
but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head on your bed are these:
This verse establishes the word's theological weight by contrasting human inability to know the future with God's power to reveal what will happen in the latter days.