Person Old Testament
Akan
Also known as Akan =ESV, NIV; Jakan =KJV
Akan was the son of Ezer, a Horite chief who lived in the land of Seir. Mentioned in 2 verses across 2 books, first at Genesis 36:27.
Why it matters. Son of Ezer, a Horite chief in Seir
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Akan
Akan is mentioned in the genealogies of the Horites, the inhabitants of Seir, before the Edomites conquered the region. He was the son of Ezer, who was one of the Horite chiefs. (Gen.36.27; 1Ch.1.42)
The Horites were the original inhabitants of the mountainous region of Seir, located south of the Dead Sea. They were eventually displaced by the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who intermarried with the Horites and became the dominant population in the area. (Deut 2.12)
Akan is listed among the sons of Ezer, along with his brothers Bilhan and Zaavan. (Gen.36.27; 1Ch.1.42) These chiefs and their clans likely held significant influence in the region before the Edomite conquest.
Apart from being mentioned in the genealogies, no further information is provided about Akan's life, his role as a member of a chiefly family, or any specific events associated with him.
The inclusion of Akan in the genealogies serves to document the Horite lineage and to provide a historical context for the Edomite occupation of Seir. It also demonstrates the importance of family records and the preservation of ancestral heritage in the ancient Near East.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
- Parents
- Ezer
Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.