עָכַס (a.khas)
a.khas
to tinkle
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb aḥas appears only once in the Old Testament, found in Isaiah 3:16. In this specific context, it describes the sound made by women shaking their ankle bracelets or bangles as they walk. The imagery captures a deliberate, rhythmic clinking meant to draw attention to one’s movement and adornment.
Lexical sources identify this as a denominative verb, meaning it is derived from the object it acts upon—in this case, the bangles themselves. The action is not merely walking but the intentional rattling of jewelry to create a distracting or provocative noise. This single usage highlights how physical sounds in ancient Israel could carry social and moral weight.
Isaiah uses this vivid auditory detail to critique the haughty behavior of certain women in Jerusalem. Their noisy, swaying walk symbolizes vanity and pride, contrasting sharply with the modesty expected in their community. The word serves as a sharp, sensory indictment of arrogance, turning a simple accessory into evidence of spiritual decline.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word aḥas appears only once in Scripture, in Isaiah 3:16. It describes the tinkling sound of ankle bracelets as women walked with deliberate pride. This vivid image exposes how vanity can turn everyday actions into displays of arrogance.
For your faith, this reminds us that God sees beyond outward appearances. He values a quiet spirit and humble heart over flashy adornment or attention-seeking behavior. When we feel drawn to impress others, let this verse invite you to examine your motives with honesty and grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they tinkle with anklets1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְּעַכַּֽסְנָה\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 3:16
Moreover Yahweh said, “Because the daughters of Zion are arrogant, and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes, walking daintily as they go, jingling ornaments on their feet;
This is the only occurrence of aḥas in the Hebrew Bible, where it describes the jingling sound of ankle bracelets worn by arrogant women.