אַחַר H0310a
After, behind — spatial position following or pursuing; temporal succession, afterward.
A versatile preposition and adverb whose two senses divide neatly along spatial and temporal lines. In its spatial sense, achar places someone behind or in pursuit of another — 'he went achar his brothers' (Gen 37:17). In its temporal sense, it marks sequence: 'after these things' (Gen 15:1), 'afterward' (Gen 10:18). Spanish distinguishes the two cleanly: detrás de (behind/spatial) versus después de (after/temporal), and German similarly differentiates hinter from nach, confirming the cross-linguistic reality of this semantic split.
Senses
1. behind, after (spatial/pursuit) — Spatial position behind or following in pursuit, including directional 'from behind' with the min-preposition. Translations consistently use spatial terms: detrás de (Spa.), hinter (Ger.), après in spatial contexts (Fra.). Frequent with halak ('to walk/go after') to describe following a leader, army, or deity (Gen 37:17; 1 Kgs 18:21). 459×
AR["تَمامًا", "وَراءَ", "وَراءَ-", "وَرَاءَ"]·ben["পরে", "পশ্চাতে", "পিছনে", "পেছনে", "পেছনে-"]·DE["hinter", "hinter-", "nach"]·EN["after"]·FR["après"]·heb["אחר", "אחרי", "אחרי-"]·HI["के-पीछे", "पीछे", "पीछे-", "पूरी-तरह-अनुसरण-किया"]·ID["di-belakang", "mengikuti", "mengikuti-", "sesudah"]·IT["dopo"]·jav["ing-wingking", "miturut", "ndherekaken", "ndèrèk", "ngiringi", "sabibaripun", "sasampunipun", "wingking", "wingkinging", "wonten-wingking"]·KO["뒤-를", "뒤-에", "뒤를", "뒤를-", "뒤에", "뒤에서", "후에"]·PT["após", "após-", "atrás-de", "atrás-de-"]·RU["вслед", "за", "за-"]·ES["detrás-de", "tras"]·SW["baada", "kikamilifu", "kufuata", "kufuatia", "kumfuata", "nyuma-ya", "nyuma-ya-"]·TR["ardında", "ardında-", "ardından", "ardından-", "arkasından", "peşinden", "peşinden-"]·urd["-پیچھے", "پیچھے", "پیچھے-"]
Gen 24:61, Gen 32:19, Gen 35:5, Gen 37:17, Gen 44:4, Exod 14:8, Exod 23:2, Exod 23:2, Exod 33:8, Exod 34:15, Exod 34:16, Exod 34:16 (+38 more)
2. after (temporal) — Temporal succession — afterward, subsequently, following an event in time. The priestly legislation in Leviticus and Numbers uses we-achar repeatedly to mark ritual sequences (Lev 14:8; 15:28). Spanish después de and German nach confirm this as a distinct temporal reading, separate from spatial pursuit. 258×
AR["بَعْدَ", "بَعْدَ-", "بَعْدَمَا"]·ben["পরে"]·DE["nach", "nach-"]·EN["after", "after-"]·FR["après", "après-"]·heb["אחרי"]·HI["बअद", "बाद", "बाद-मेइन", "बाद-मेइन-"]·ID["sesudah", "setelah"]·IT["dopo", "dopo-"]·jav["sasampunipun"]·KO["에-후", "후에"]·PT["depois-", "depois-de"]·RU["после", "после-"]·ES["después-de", "después-de-"]·SW["baada-ya"]·TR["sonrasında", "sonrasında-"]·urd["بعد"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
אַחַר proposes subst. the hinder or following part (cf. the pl.) 1. adv. a. of place, behind, twice Gn 22:13 (many MSS. Sam. 𝔊 𝔖 Ol Ew read אֶחָד v. Di) ψ 68:26. b. of time, afterwards Gn 10:18; 18:5; 24:55; 30:21 Ju 19:5 +; וְאַחַר in laws of P, as Lv 14:8, 19; 15:28; 22:7 Nu 5:26 al. 2. prep. a. of place, behind, after Ex 3:1; 11:5 2 K 11:6 Ct 2:9 Is 57:8: הָלַךְ אַחַר to go after, follow Gn…