Original Word: עָקָן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: `Aqan
Pronunciation: ah-KAHN
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-kawn')
KJV: Akan
NASB: Akan
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to twist]

1. tortuous
2. Akan, an Idummaean

Akan

From an unused root meaning to twist; tortuous; Akan, an Idummaean -- Akan. Compare Ya'aqan.

see HEBREW Ya'aqan

Word Origin
from aqal
Definition
a desc. of Esau
NASB Translation
Akan (1).

עֲקָן proper name, masculine in Edom; — ׳וַע Genesis 36:27, (Ι)ουκαμ = יַעֲקָן 1 Chronicles 1:42, Ωναν, Ιαακαν etc. (see Lag^{BN 84.Anm}.**; also בְּנֵייַֿעֲקָ֑ן and ׳יע ׳בְּאֵרֹת ב ).

עקר (√ of following; meaning dubious; compare Aramaic עִקָּרָא root; Ethiopic medicine; Arabic verb apparently denominative extirpate, ᵑ7 עֲקַר id.; Late Hebrew עָקַר = Biblical Hebrew).

Name and Setting

Akan (עָקָן) appears once in the Hebrew text as the name of a Horite clan-leader in the territory later called Edom (Genesis 36). His lineage is traced through Seir the Horite, not through Jacob or Esau, yet it is preserved in Scripture as part of the inspired record of God’s dealings with all the peoples who bordered Israel.

Biblical Occurrence

Genesis 36:27: “These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.”

The parallel genealogy in 1 Chronicles 1:42 spells the name “Jakan,” reflecting a later Hebrew pronunciation; the Chronicler confirms that the same individual head-clan is in view.

Historical Context

1. Horite Background
• The Horites were the pre-Edomite inhabitants of Mount Seir (Genesis 36:20).
• They lived in cave-dwellings (“Horite” likely relates to “cave dweller”) and were eventually absorbed into the Edomite confederation descended from Esau (Deuteronomy 2:12).
2. Tribal Structure
• Genesis 36 lists chiefs (אַלּוּפִים) descended from Seir; Akan heads one of the three clans sprung from Ezer, showing the multi-ethnic mosaic that made up early Edom.
• Each listed son became the eponymous founder of a settlement or district; Akan therefore designates both a person and the clan/place associated with him.

Genealogical Significance

Genealogies in Genesis are more than ethnic catalogs; they trace divine providence in human history. Recording Akan alongside Esau’s descendants highlights:

1. God’s providential ordering of nations alongside Israel (Genesis 10; Acts 17:26).
2. The fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that “kings will come from you” (Genesis 17:6), which necessitated that adjacent nations also rise and be named (Genesis 36:31).
3. The contrast between Jacob’s line (covenant bearers) and Esau’s sphere (Edom) without dismissing Edom’s legitimate place in the divine plan (Deuteronomy 2:5).

Theological Themes

1. Sovereignty and Omniscience: Even seemingly obscure clans like Akan’s are known and recorded by God, underscoring His meticulous oversight of history.
2. Covenant Boundaries: The inclusion of Horite chiefs clarifies territorial limits—Israel was forbidden to seize Edom (Deuteronomy 2:4-5); thus Akan’s lineage helps define what land was—and was not—promised to Israel.
3. Eschatological Foreshadowing: Old Testament prophets speak of Edom in judgments and restorations (Isaiah 34; Obadiah). The roots of those prophecies lie in genealogies such as Genesis 36; Akan’s clan becomes part of the people group addressed centuries later.

Practical Ministry Insights

• Preachers can use Akan’s solitary appearance to illustrate that no life or family is insignificant before God.
• Teachers may highlight how biblical genealogies underpin the trustworthiness of Scripture; when archaeology uncovers Edomite or Horite sites, lists like Genesis 36 provide historical anchors.
• Discipleship applications include valuing personal ancestry and seeing God’s redemptive thread in every family story, however marginalized.

Connections Elsewhere in Scripture

• By name variation, Akan (Genesis 36:27) = Jakan (1 Chronicles 1:42), demonstrating textual continuity between Torah and Chronicles.
• The broader Horite lineage resurfaces in Edomite conflicts with Israel (Numbers 20:14-21; 1 Samuel 14:47) and prophetic oracles (Jeremiah 49). Understanding Akan’s place helps map these later narratives.

Lessons for Today

1. God remembers entire peoples, not only the covenant line, showing His universal concern.
2. Faithfulness to record history (as Moses and the Chronicler did) models integrity for the Church in preserving its own testimony.
3. The reconciliation of divided families (Jacob vs. Esau) finds ultimate resolution in Christ, who invites all nations—including the spiritual “Edomites” descended from Akan—to the gospel (Ephesians 2:11-19).

וַעֲקָֽן׃ ועקן׃ vaaKan wa‘ăqān wa·‘ă·qānInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts