813. Ashkenaz
Lexical Summary
Ashkenaz: Ashkenaz

Original Word: אַשְׁכְּנַז
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Ashknaz
Pronunciation: ash-keh-NAHZ
Phonetic Spelling: (ash-ken-az')
KJV: Ashkenaz
NASB: Ashkenaz
Word Origin: [of foreign origin]

1. Ashkenaz, a Japhethite, also his descendants

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Ashkenaz

Of foreign origin; Ashkenaz, a Japhethite, also his descendants -- Ashkenaz.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a son of Gomer, also his desc. and their land
NASB Translation
Ashkenaz (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
אַשְׁכְּנַז proper name, masculine 1. a descendant of Japhet Genesis 10:3 = 1 Chronicles 1:6; =

2 a northern people Jeremiah 51:27 מַמְלְכוֺת אֲרָרָט מִנִּי וְאַשְׁכְּנָ֑ז (perhaps a people Bithynia, = Ascan(ians) + az ending of Armen. patronymics, see especially LenOr. ii. 388 f., also LagGes, Abhandl. 254 f. Di Genesis 10:3; but see LagArmen. Stud. 143).

אֶשְׁכָּר see II. שׁכר.

אשׁל (be firm, firmly rooted, compare Arabic be firm).

Topical Lexicon
Canonical References

Genesis 10:3; 1 Chronicles 1:6; Jeremiah 51:27

Genealogical Context

Ashkenaz is named among the first post-Flood generations. “The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah” (Genesis 10:3; repeated in 1 Chronicles 1:6). As a grandson of Japheth through Gomer, Ashkenaz belongs to the line traditionally associated with the spread of Indo-European peoples. The placement in the Table of Nations affirms that all ethnic groups trace their origin to a single family preserved through Noah, underscoring both the unity and diversity of humanity established by God.

Geographical and Ethnological Considerations

The Table of Nations orders Japheth’s descendants westward and northward from Ararat. Ancient sources connect Ashkenaz with the northern regions of Asia Minor or the southern shores of the Black Sea, areas later occupied by Phrygian or Scythian peoples. The linkage with Ararat and Minni in Jeremiah 51:27 situates Ashkenaz in the vicinity of ancient Armenia, aligning with the broader “kingdoms of the north” theme in prophetic literature.

Prophetic Role in Jeremiah

“Raise the banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her; summon against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz” (Jeremiah 51:27). Here Ashkenaz is invoked as an instrument of divine judgment on Babylon. The verse illustrates that nations unknown or peripheral to Judah can still be summoned by God to accomplish His purposes. The prophetic inclusion of Ashkenaz confirms God’s sovereignty over all geopolitical powers, validating the earlier genealogical record by showing these ancient peoples still active in redemptive history.

Historical Legacy and Jewish Tradition

By the early medieval period, Jewish usage transferred the name Ashkenaz to the Germanic lands, giving rise to the term “Ashkenazi” for Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. While this later meaning lies outside biblical chronology, it demonstrates the enduring impression of Genesis 10 upon collective memory and identity formation.

Theological Themes

1. Sovereign Control of Nations: From genealogical origins to prophetic engagement, Ashkenaz exemplifies how God directs ethnic groups for His overarching plan (Proverbs 21:1).
2. Continuity of Scripture: The recurrence of the name across narrative and prophetic genres illustrates the internal harmony of the biblical record.
3. Universal Scope of Redemption and Judgment: The inclusion of distant peoples like Ashkenaz anticipates the Gospel’s reach “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), while also warning that no nation is exempt from accountability before God.

Practical and Ministry Insights

• Genealogies Encourage Mission: Knowing that every people group descends from a common ancestor fuels compassion and urgency for global evangelism.
• Confidence in Prophecy: The historical fulfillment of Jeremiah’s oracle, involving real nations such as Ashkenaz, strengthens trust in the reliability of all biblical prophecy.
• God’s Use of the Unexpected: Just as He summoned Ashkenaz against Babylon, God can raise up unlikely instruments today to advance His kingdom and discipline evil.

Forms and Transliterations
אַשְׁכֲּנַ֥ז אשכנז וְאַשְׁכְּנָ֑ז ואשכנז ’aš·kă·naz ’aškănaz ashkaNaz veashkeNaz wə’aškənāz wə·’aš·kə·nāz
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 10:3
HEB: וּבְנֵ֖י גֹּ֑מֶר אַשְׁכֲּנַ֥ז וְרִיפַ֖ת וְתֹגַרְמָֽה׃
NAS: of Gomer [were] Ashkenaz and Riphath
KJV: of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath,
INT: the sons of Gomer Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah

1 Chronicles 1:6
HEB: וּבְנֵ֖י גֹּ֑מֶר אַשְׁכֲּנַ֥ז וְדִיפַ֖ת וְתוֹגַרְמָֽה׃
NAS: of Gomer [were] Ashkenaz, Diphath,
KJV: of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath,
INT: the sons of Gomer Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah

Jeremiah 51:27
HEB: אֲרָרַ֖ט מִנִּ֣י וְאַשְׁכְּנָ֑ז פִּקְד֤וּ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙
NAS: Minni and Ashkenaz; Appoint
KJV: Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint
INT: of Ararat Minni and Ashkenaz Appoint against

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 813
3 Occurrences


’aš·kă·naz — 2 Occ.
wə·’aš·kə·nāz — 1 Occ.

812
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