Lexical Definition
אַחְלָב ʼAchlâb (akh-lawb') Ahlab N:N--L
from the same root as חֶלֶב; fatness (i.e. fertile)
Ahlab.
- § Ahlab = "fertile place"
- Achlab, a place in Palestine
1) a town allotted to Asher, site presently unknown
| Form | Translated As | In Verse(s) |
|---|---|---|
| אַחְלָ֤ב | Ahlab | Judg.1.31 |
| Αχλάβ | Ahlab | LXX.Judg.1.31 |
Extended Information
- Ahlab = "fertile place"
- Also named: che.vel (חֶ֫בֶל "Mahalab" חֶבֶל)
Brown-Driver-Briggs
אַחְלָב proper name, of a location town assigned to Asher Judg 1:31, site unknown, ᵐ5 Δαλαφ (= Ααλαφ (WMMAsien u. Europa 194 thinks corrupt for מחלב, Assyrian Ma—alliba (which SchrCOT Judg 1:37 DlPa 283 compare with אחלב and חֶלְבָּה); he reads proper name, of a location מחלב for מֵחֶבֶל Josh 19:29, ᵐ5 Καὶ ἀπὸ Λεβ = וּמֵחֹלֶב; this would be on coast, north of Achzib).
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Joshua | 19:29 |
| Judges | 1:31 · 1:37 |
Profile
Ahlab • A Canaanite city allotted to Asher.
Ahlab (Mahalab), a city in Asher's territory, not conquered by the Israelites.
- A location first mentioned at Jdg.1.31;
- referred to as Ahlab אַחְלָב, or Mahalab (KJV= "coast," NIV= "region") חֶבֶל.
Ahlab, also known as Mahalab, was a Canaanite city that was allotted to the tribe of Asher during the division of the Promised Land (Joshua 19:29). It was located in the western part of Galilee, near the Mediterranean coast. However, the tribe of Asher failed to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants of Ahlab, and as a result, the Canaanites continued to live among them (Judges 1:31).
This failure to completely conquer and possess the allotted territory was a common problem for several Israelite tribes during the period of the judges. The continued presence of Canaanites in cities like Ahlab would have exposed the Israelites to the influence of pagan religions and practices, which ultimately led to spiritual decline and disobedience to God. The exact location of Ahlab is uncertain, but it is generally associated with the site of Khirbet el-Mahalib, about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Tyre.