Lexical Summary Achlab: Achlab Original Word: אַחְלָב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ahlab From the same root as cheleb; fatness (i.e. Fertile); Achlab, a place in Palestine -- Ahlab. see HEBREW cheleb NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as cheleb Definition a city assigned to Asher NASB Translation Ahlab (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אַחְלָב proper name, of a location town assigned to Asher Judges 1:31, site unknown, ᵐ5 Δαλαφ (= Ααλαφ (WMMAsien u. Europa 194 thinks corrupt for מחלב, Assyrian Ma—alliba (which SchrCOT Judges 1:37 DlPa 283 compare with אחלב and חֶלְבָּה); he reads proper name, of a location מחלב for מֵחֶבֶל Joshua 19:29, ᵐ5 Καὶ ἀπὸ Λεβ = וּמֵחֹלֶב; this would be on coast, north of Achzib). I. חלד (√ of following; Arabic Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Judges 1:31 records that after Israel’s entry into Canaan, “Asher failed to drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob” (Berean Standard Bible). This single notice places Ahlab among seven Phoenician-leaning towns that remained under Canaanite control despite the territorial allotment to the tribe of Asher. Geographical Setting Ahlab lay in the coastal plain north of Acco (modern Acre) and south of Sidon, an area renowned for fertile soils and maritime trade. The name’s traditional sense of “fertile” or “fatness” suits a region watered by Mediterranean breezes and marked by productive agriculture. Scholars commonly associate Ahlab with the site of Hirbet al-Mansiyah or nearby el-Musheirife within the western hills of Upper Galilee, though certainty remains elusive. Historical Context 1. Era of the Judges: The reference in Judges 1 situates Ahlab during the early settlement period (ca. 14th–13th centuries BC). At that time, the Israelites possessed the covenant promise of the land yet faced entrenched Canaanite communities reinforced by Sidonian commerce and culture. Tribal Inheritance and Covenant Themes Ahlab symbolizes the tension between divine promise and human obedience: Lessons for Faith and Ministry 1. Incomplete Obedience Breeds Compromise: Ahlab reminds believers that failure to address pockets of sin or cultural pressure can erode holiness over time. Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Insights No definitive inscription of Ahlab has surfaced, yet surveys in Western Galilee reveal continuous Bronze-to-Iron Age occupation compatible with Phoenician material culture. Pottery forms and maritime trade goods support the biblical portrayal of a Canaanite populace resilient against Israelite settlement. Summary Ahlab stands as a small but telling witness to Israel’s early struggles to take hold of the Promised Land. Located in fertile, Phoenician-influenced territory, its lone appearance in Judges underscores the cost of partial obedience and the need for steadfast faith in every sphere entrusted by God. Forms and Transliterations אַחְלָ֤ב אחלב ’aḥ·lāḇ ’aḥlāḇ achLavLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 1:31 HEB: צִיד֑וֹן וְאֶת־ אַחְלָ֤ב וְאֶת־ אַכְזִיב֙ NAS: of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, KJV: of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, INT: the inhabitants of Sidon of Ahlab of Achzib of Helbah |
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abide, continue, often in Qoran of righteous in Paradise).