אָכֵן
a.khen
surely
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# אָכֵן (akhen): "Surely" The Hebrew word אָכֵן (akhen) functions as an emphatic particle meaning "surely" or "certainly." With 18 occurrences in the biblical text, it serves a specific rhetorical purpose: to assert something with conviction or to emphasize the reliability of a statement. Rather than introducing new information, this word signals to the reader that what follows deserves special attention as a confirmed or undeniable truth. The relatively modest frequency of akhen in biblical texts—appearing just 18 times—suggests it was reserved for moments requiring particular emphasis. By placing this particle before or within a statement, biblical authors marked their words as especially authoritative or indisputable. This makes akhen a marker of certainty in contexts where the speaker or writer wished to underscore the truth-value or importance of their claim. The word functioned similarly to modern emphatic expressions like "indeed" or "absolutely" in English, lending weight to assertions that might otherwise seem questionable or require confirmation from the audience.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
18 total occurrences across the text
But there is a spirit in man, and the Spirit of the Almighty gives them understanding.
Psalms 31:22As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.” Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.
Psalms 66:19But most certainly, God has listened. He has heard the voice of my prayer.
Psalms 82:7Nevertheless you shall die like men, and fall like one of the rulers.”
Isaiah 53:4Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 40:7The grass withers, the flower fades, because Yahweh’s breath blows on it. Surely the people are like grass.
Isaiah 45:15Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.’ ”
Isaiah 49:4But I said, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength in vain for nothing; yet surely the justice due to me is with Yahweh, and my reward with my God.”
Jeremiah 3:20“Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says Yahweh.
Jeremiah 3:23Truly help from the hills, the tumult on the mountains, is in vain. Truly the salvation of Israel is in Yahweh our God.
Jeremiah 3:23Truly help from the hills, the tumult on the mountains, is in vain. Truly the salvation of Israel is in Yahweh our God.
Jeremiah 4:10Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace;’ whereas the sword reaches to the heart.”
Jeremiah 8:8“ ‘How do you say, “We are wise, and Yahweh’s law is with us?” But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has made that a lie.
Zephaniah 3:7I said, “Just fear me. Receive correction, so that her dwelling won’t be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her.” But they rose early and corrupted all their doings.
Genesis 28:16Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn’t know it.”
Exodus 2:14He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.”
1 Samuel 15:32Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me!” Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
1 Kings 11:2of the nations concerning which Yahweh said to the children of Israel, “You shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon joined to these in love.