אֲחֹרַנִּית (a.cho.ran.nit)
a.cho.ran.nit
backwards
H:AdvQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:Adv
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun aḥōrannît refers to the rear or back part of something. It appears six times in the Old Testament, including passages in Genesis, 2 Kings, and Isaiah. The word describes physical space behind an object or person, emphasizing position rather than abstract concepts.
In its most notable usage, it appears in Isaiah 40:22. Here, the text states that God sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. The verse uses aḥōrannît to describe how people view the earth from below, seeing only its backside or underside. This imagery highlights human limitation compared to divine perspective.
Other occurrences include 2 Kings 9:32, where Jezebel looks out a window, and Genesis 48:14, where Jacob crosses his arms. In these cases, the word simply denotes physical orientation. Translators typically render it as "behind," "back," or "rear" depending on context.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read that Shem and Japheth walked backwards to cover their father, the image is striking. They moved in reverse to show respect, avoiding a direct gaze at his shame. This simple physical act reveals a profound spiritual truth: sometimes love requires us to step back, to protect the dignity of others even when it feels unnatural or inconvenient.
We often rush forward, focused on progress and visibility. Yet this word reminds us that there is value in looking behind, in acknowledging what has passed, and in respecting boundaries. God sees the whole picture—our past, our present, and our future. He invites us to trust His perspective when ours feels limited or confusing.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- backwards6×
- [were] backwards1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית2×
- אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית2×
- אֲחֹרַנִּֽית\׃1×
- אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית1×
- אֲחֹ֨רַנִּ֜ית1×
Key Verses
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Genesis 9:23
Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness.
This occurrence highlights how moving backwards can be an act of deep respect and protection for family dignity.
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II Kings 20:11
Isaiah the prophet cried to Yahweh; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.
Here the word describes a miraculous reversal of time, showing God's power to restore what has been lost.
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Isaiah 38:8
Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.”’” So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down.
The shadow returning backward serves as a tangible sign of hope and extended life for Hezekiah.