🔼The name Ahian: Summary
- Meaning
- Fraternal, Brotherly
- Etymology
- From the noun אח ('ah), brother.
🔼The name Ahian in the Bible
The name Ahian occurs only one time in the Bible. He is mentioned as a son of Shemida of Manasseh, whose other sons were Shechem, Likhi and Aniam. (1 Chronicles 7:19).
🔼Etymology of the name Ahian
The name Ahian comes from the curious little word אח ('ah), which in this context probably means brother:
אח
The noun אח ('ah) means brother, or more broadly: a fellow member of a social economic node (a "house") within a broader economic whole.
This word's lavish inclusion in names strongly suggests that the deity was reckoned by this word — in modern times we mostly speak of Our Father in Heaven but in antiquity the deity appears to have also been addressed as Our Brother. The New Testament appears to entertain that dynamic in the tenet that the Word is God's Son, and all who have the Word are godly brothers. Also note the similarity with the verb חוה (hawa), to show, tell, make known.
The noun אחוה ('ahawa) means brotherhood and אחות ('ahot) means sister.
The letter nun upon which our name ends is probably a remnant of the familiar waw-nun extension, which forges a personification or localization of the root.
🔼Ahian meaning
The name Ahian would thus mean He Who Acts Like A Brother, or more concise: Fraternal (NOBSE Study Bible Name List and BDB Theological Dictionary) or Brotherly (Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names).