H0309 H0309
To delay, tarry, or linger; in Piel, to be slow in acting or to detain someone; related to Arabic 'aḫḫara (to postpone).
The verb 'aḥar appears only once in the Qal (Gen 32:5, 'I have tarried until now') but seventeen times in the Piel intensive stem, where it expresses deliberate delay or lingering. Judges 5:28 pairs it with bōshēsh ('to be late') as Sisera's mother wonders why his chariot tarries. The prophets use it for divine timing: 'my salvation will not delay' (Isa 46:13; Hab 2:3). Proverbs 23:30 warns against those who 'linger over wine.' One occurrence stands apart — Genesis 24:56, where Laban's family is asked not to 'detain' Abraham's servant, a transitive use. Spanish distinguishes 'tardar/demorar' (intransitive) from 'detener' (transitive), mirroring the semantic split.
Senses
1. to delay, tarry, linger — To delay, tarry, linger, or be slow in coming or acting (intransitive Piel). This covers seventeen occurrences and ranges from Jacob's tarrying with Laban (Gen 32:4) to the prophetic assurance that God's salvation will not delay (Isa 46:13; Hab 2:3; Dan 9:19). The participial form in Proverbs 23:30 describes those who 'linger long' over wine. Spanish 'tardar' and 'demorar,' French and German bracket-glosses, all consistently render the idea of being slow or remaining behind expected timing. 17×
AR["المُتَأَخِّرونَ", "المُتَأَخِّرِينَ", "الَّذِي-", "تَأَخَّرَ", "تَأَخَّرَتْ", "تَتَأخَّرْ", "تَتَأَخَّرُ", "تَتَأَخَّرْ", "تُؤَخِّرُ", "تُؤَخِّرْ", "لِلْمُتَأَخِّرِينَ", "وَ-تَأَخَّرْتُ", "وَتَأَخَّرَ", "يَتَأَخَّرُ", "يَتَأَخَّرْ", "يُؤَخِّرُ"]·ben["(কেতিব)", "-দেরি-করে", "আর-দেরি-করেছি", "তিনি-বিলম্ব-করেন", "দেরি", "দেরি-করছে", "দেরি-করবে", "দেরি-করল", "দেরি-করো", "দেরি-করো।", "দেরিতে-", "বিলম্ব-করবে", "বিলম্ব-করো", "যারা-দেরি-করে", "সে-দেরি-করবে"]·DE["[and-delayed]", "[יאחר]", "[למאחרים]", "[מאחרי]", "[תאחר]", "delay", "delaying", "du-soll-delay", "er-wird-delay", "tarry", "und-mich-aufgehalten", "zögerte"]·EN["(and-delayed)", "[and-delayed]", "and-I-delayed", "delay", "delayed", "delaying", "he-will-delay", "it-delays", "it-will-delay", "tarry", "those-staying-late", "to-those-who-linger", "you-shall-delay"]·FR["(and-delayed)", "[and-delayed]", "[מאחרי]", "[תאחר]", "après", "de-après", "delayed", "différer", "et-Je-delayed", "il-fera-delay", "tarder", "tu---delay", "tu-devra-delay", "למאחרים", "תאחר"]·heb["אחר", "איחרו", "ו-אחר", "ו-יוחר", "ו-ייחר", "יאחר", "ל-מאחרים", "מאחרי", "תאחר"]·HI["और-देरी-की", "और-विलम्ब-किया-मैंने", "जो-देर-करते-हैं", "देर-कर", "देर-करो", "देर-की", "देर-से", "देर-से-बैठनेवालों-को", "देरी-कर", "देरी-करेगा", "देरी-हो-रही", "वह-देरी-करेगा"]·ID["(dan-dia-terlambat)", "Bagi-yang-berlama-lama", "Dia-menunda", "[dan-terlambat]", "akan-tertunda", "dan-aku-terlambat", "duduk-terlambat-", "engkau tunda", "ia-akan-terlambat.", "kamu-menunda", "menunda", "terlambat", "yang-berlama-lama"]·IT["(and-delayed)", "[and-delayed]", "[יאחר]", "[מאחרי]", "[תאחר]", "al-a-quelli-chi-linger", "delay", "delayed", "dietro", "e-io-delayed", "egli-fara-delay", "tarry", "tu-dovra-delay", "tu-shall-delay"]·jav["[lan-telat]", "ari-ari", "badhé-kasep", "ingkang-kasep", "kanggé-tiyang-kang-kasep", "kasep", "kasep-", "kasuwean", "kasèp", "lan-kawula-kasuwenaken", "lan-telat", "panjenengan-ngéndhé", "panjenengan-telat;", "telat"]·KO["[그리고-지체했다]", "그리고-지체했다", "늦게-까지", "늦게-앉는-자들-이여", "늦도록-머무르는-자들-에게", "늦어지는가", "늦추지", "더디하리라", "더디하시리라", "지체되지", "지체하다", "지체하라", "지체하리라", "지체하소서", "지체하지", "지체하지-마소서"]·PT["(e-demorou)", "Para-os-que-demoram", "[e-demorou]", "atrasarás", "demoram", "demorarás", "demores", "demorou", "dos-que-atrasam", "e-demorei-me", "tardando-", "tardará", "tardes", "te-demores"]·RU["[кетив]", "задерживающимся", "замедлит", "и-задержался", "и-замедлил", "медли", "медлил", "опаздывают", "опоздает", "отлагай", "поздно-", "у-засиживающихся"]·ES["(y-tardó)", "Para-los-que-se-demoran", "[y-tardó]", "los-que-se-quedan-tarde", "los-que-tardan-en", "se-demoran", "tardará", "tardarás", "tardes", "tardó", "y-retardé"]·SW["akakawia", "atakawia", "chelewa", "kuchelewa", "kuchelewesha", "kumbe", "kwa-wanaokawia", "lakini-akakawia", "na-nimekawia", "ucheleweshe", "usicheleweshe", "utachelewsha", "utakawia", "wanaokaa-usiku", "yatakawia", "zimechelewa"]·TR["(ve-gecikti)", "[ve-gecikmedi]", "gecenin-gecinde", "gecik", "gecikecel", "geciken-", "gecikme", "gecikmeyecek", "geciktir", "geciktirdi", "geciktirecek", "geciktireceksin", "kalabalara-geç", "ve-kaldım", "yavaşladılar"]·urd["(اور-دیر-لگائی)", "[اور-دیر-لگائی]", "اور-ٹھہرا-میں", "تُو-دیر-کرے", "دیر-تک-بیٹھنے-والوں-کو", "دیر-سے-بیٹھنے-والوں-کا", "دیر-کر", "دیر-کرتا-ہے", "دیر-کرو", "دیر-کرے-گا", "دیر-کرے-گی", "دیر-کیا", "رہنے-والے", "ٹھہرے"]
Gen 32:4, Gen 34:19, Exod 22:29, Deut 7:10, Deut 23:21, Judg 5:28, 2 Sam 20:5, 2 Sam 20:5, Ps 40:17, Ps 70:5, Ps 127:2, Prov 23:30 (+5 more)
2. to detain, hold back — To detain or hold back another person (transitive Piel). The single occurrence in Genesis 24:56, where Abraham's servant urges Laban's household 'do not delay me,' shifts the semantic frame: the subject causes someone else's delay rather than experiencing it. Spanish 'detener' and German 'aufhalten' both mark the causative-transitive shift, distinguishing this from the intransitive 'tarry' sense. 1×
AR["تُعَطِّلُونِي"]·ben["বিলম্ব-কর"]·DE["haltet-auf"]·EN["delay"]·FR["delay"]·heb["תאחרו"]·HI["रोको"]·ID["menahan-aku"]·IT["delay"]·jav["ngalang-alangi"]·KO["지체시키라"]·PT["me-demorai"]·RU["задерживайте"]·ES["me-detengáis"]·SW["nicheleweshe"]·TR["geciktirin"]·urd["روکو"]
Related Senses
H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H6258 1. and now (421×)G2250 1. day (388×)H5750 1. again, more, further (288×)H5769 1. forever, to eternity (280×)H6256 1. time, period (264×)H2320 1. month, calendar period (260×)H0310a 2. after (temporal) (258×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)H3915 1. night, period of darkness (234×)H1242 1. morning (214×)H5750 2. still, yet (continuative) (166×)G5119 1. then (160×)G3568 1. now (147×)G2193 1. until (143×)G3825 1. (141×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אָחַר vb. to remain behind, delay, tarry (Arabic أَخَّرَ to put off, also to remain behind; Aramaic Pa. אְחַר, Aph. ܐܰܘܚܰܕ, Shaph. ܫܰܘܚܰܪ, Sab. אחֿר OsianderZMG 1865, 197; אחֿחֿר DHMEpigr. Denkm. 34). †Qal once only Gn 32:5 וָאֵחַר (contr. from וָאֶאֱחַר cf. אֵהָ֑ב Pr 8:17) and I have tarried until now. †Pi. Pf. אֵחַר Gn 34:19; אֶחֱרוּ Ju 5:28; Impf. יְאַחֵר, תְּאַחֵר, (3 times תְּאַחַ֑ר) etc.…