Aher is a very obscure figure mentioned only once in the King James Version of the Bible, and his identity has been a subject of debate among biblical scholars due to a single, cryptic reference in the genealogical records of the tribes of Israel.
The Lone Biblical Reference
The name Aher appears in the book of First Chronicles, which is known for its detailed tribal genealogies.
- 1 Chronicles 7:12 (KJV): “Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir, and Hushim, the sons of Aher.”
This verse is part of a list that primarily concerns the descendants of Benjamin and, immediately preceding this verse, the descendants of Issachar. This placement contributes to the scholarly confusion surrounding Aher.
Scholarly Interpretation of “Aher”
The main difficulty with Aher is not simply his obscurity, but that the Hebrew word translated as the proper name Aher ($\text{ืึทืึตืจ}$ – ‘aแธฅer) is a common noun that literally means “another,” “other,” or “another one.”
This dual nature has led to three main interpretations of the verse:
1. The Proper Name (Aher)
The King James Version and many others treat it as a proper name, meaning Aher was an actual individual whose son (or descendant) was Hushim. Under this view, he would be a minor figure within the genealogies of Benjamin.
2. A Variant Name for Ahiram or Aharah
Some scholars suggest that “Aher” is a scribal variation or corruption of a known name in the Benjaminite genealogy, such as Ahiram (from Numbers 26:38) or Aharah (from 1 Chronicles 8:1). If so, he is a known person under a different spelling.
3. A Hidden Reference to the Tribe of Dan (The Most Accepted View)
This is the most widely discussed interpretation. Since the genealogy of the Tribe of Dan is conspicuously omitted in this section of First Chronicles, and Hushim is listed in Genesis 46:23 (KJV) as the only son of Dan, many commentators believe that “Hushim, the sons of Aher” is a veiled reference to the missing tribe.
In this reading, the Chronicler may have used the term “Aher” (meaning “another“) to refer to the Tribe of Dan for a specific reasonโperhaps to avoid mentioning Dan by name because of their early, notorious sin of idolatry (Judges 18), or simply as a stylistic device to refer to an “other” tribe not yet listed.
Under this interpretation:
- “Aher” is not a person, but a placeholder for Dan.
- The phrase refers to Hushim, the one son of the Tribe of Dan.
In summary, Aher is not a character with a story, but rather a perplexing name in a list, often interpreted as a linguistic clue pointing to the Tribe of Dan.