Achar is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Achar, also known as Achan, was a man from the tribe of Judah. He is identified in the genealogy of Judah as a son of Carmi, and he is remembered in Scripture as “the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed” (1 Chronicles 2:7). His story is bound up with Israel’s entry into the promised land under Joshua, though the name Achar appears in the King James Bible only here in the book of Chronicles.
The setting of his offense was the conquest of Canaan. After Israel’s dramatic victory at Jericho, God had commanded that the city be devoted to destruction, with its valuables consecrated to the LORD and not taken by the people. Achar disobeyed this command by taking forbidden items from the accursed things. Because of his transgression, Israel was defeated in their next battle at Ai, and the whole nation suffered for one man’s sin. When the matter was exposed, Achar and his household were judged, and the sin was purged from Israel.
Scripture remembers Achar not for any achievement but for his transgression. The Chronicler names him “the troubler of Israel,” a title that captures the consequence of his act: trouble brought upon the whole community through one man’s disobedience. His brief mention in the genealogy serves as a sober reminder that even a single act of unfaithfulness can leave a lasting mark on a family and a nation.
The Name
The name Achar is a Hebrew name, and its meaning is well established. It is closely related to the Hebrew word for “trouble” or “troubler,” which is why the text calls him “the troubler of Israel.” In the fuller account of his life, the place where his sin was judged was named after the trouble he brought. The name itself thus carries the sense of “trouble,” and Scripture deliberately ties the name to the man’s deed, making his very name a memorial of the trouble he caused.
A Closing Thought
Achar’s life is a quiet warning that no sin is truly private. One man’s hidden disobedience brought defeat and grief to an entire nation, and his name became a byword for trouble. Yet even here there is grace in the telling: God exposed the sin, dealt with it, and restored His people. The lesson is not to despair over our failures, but to walk in honesty before God, trusting that He both reveals what is hidden and heals what has been broken.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 2:7 — And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.