אֲפִיחַ (a.phi.ach)
a.phi.ach
Aphiah
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
Aphiah is a personal name found in the Old Testament, specifically identifying a man from the tribe of Benjamin during the era of the United Monarchy. He appears only once in Scripture, recorded in 1 Samuel 9:1 as the father of Becorath and an ancestor of King Saul.
The etymology of the name is often interpreted as "I will make to breathe," though scholars note that this derivation remains somewhat uncertain. Despite the limited textual evidence for its precise meaning, the name serves as a crucial genealogical link connecting the lineage of Benjamin to Israel’s first king.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Aphiah appears in just one verse of Scripture, serving as a link in the chain that leads to King Saul. In 1 Samuel 9:1, it identifies the grandfather of Kish and the great-grandfather of Israel’s first king. This brief mention reminds us that God often works through ordinary family lines to bring about His purposes.
Even though we know very little about Aphiah himself, his inclusion in the biblical record shows that every ancestor matters. It encourages us to trust that God sees and records every generation, no matter how small their role may seem in the grand story of redemption.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Aphiah1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֲפִ֖יחַ1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 9:1
Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.
This verse places Aphiah in the genealogy of Saul, showing his role as an ancestor in the tribe of Benjamin.