Exodus 12:2 — Word Study
WLCהַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃
BSAThiszeh monthchôdesh [the first of the lunar cycle, new moon] is the beginningrôʼsh [head, chief] of monthschôdesh [lunar cycles, periods of time] it [shall be]hûwʼ the firstriʼshôwn [primary, foremost] monthchôdesh yearshâneh [a period of time, a cycle of twelve months]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ | the month | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| הַזֶּ֛ה | this | Particle, particle |
| לָכֶ֖ם | for you | Preposition, suffix |
| רֹ֣אשׁ | [will be the] beginning of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| חֳדָשִׁ֑ים | months | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| רִאשׁ֥וֹן | [will be] first | Adj |
| הוּא֙ | it | Pronoun |
| לָכֶ֔ם | for you | Preposition, suffix |
| לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י | of [the] months of | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ | the year | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | “This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year. |
| KJV | This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. |
| ASV | This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. |
| YLT | 'This month [is] to you the chief of months — it [is] the first to you of the months of the year; |
| WEB | “This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you. |
| BBE | Let this month be to you the first of months, the first month of the year. |
Where they part company is on the rendering of חֹדֶשׁ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a predicate, clearly stating the significance of the month.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectהוּא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 12:2
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Passover Instructionsgenerated
Exodus 12:2 provides the command from God to Moses and Aaron that establishes the month of the Passover as the first month of the Israelite calendar. This month, marking the beginning of the year, is significant as it initiates a new cycle of time for the Israelites, connecting them to their identity and their deliverance from Egypt.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 13:4 | Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving. |
| 2 | Exodus 23:15 | You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread as I commanded you: At the appointed time in the month of Abib you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days, because that was the month you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before Me empty-handed. |
| 3 | Exodus 34:18 | You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, you are to eat unleavened bread as I commanded you. For in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt. |
| 4 | Leviticus 23:5 | The Passover to the LORD begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. |
| 5 | Numbers 28:16 | The fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֹדֶשׁ, ha.Cho.deshgenerated
The word חֹדֶשׁ (chodesh) refers to the lunar month, specifically the new moon, marking the start of a new month in the Hebrew calendar. Its usage is tied to the concept of timekeeping in Israel, emphasizing the significance of the lunar cycle in their religious observances.
As a noun, it is in the masculine singular absolute form, indicating a specific month. The connection to the new moon underscores its importance in the context of the Passover, as it signals the beginning of a new period of time.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is driven by the finite verb הוּא, it is, which connects the subject רִאשׁ֥וֹן, first, to the predicate לָכֶ֖ם, for you. The structure emphasizes the declaration of the month as the first.
The sentence is straightforward, with a clear subject-predicate relationship, making it easy to follow the declaration of the month as significant in the Israelite calendar.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חֹדֶשׁ as μὴν, which also means 'month'. This choice reflects the Greek understanding of time and aligns with the lunar calendar concept.
The use of ἀρχὴ for רֹאשׁ suggests a focus on the beginning or chief aspect of the month, reinforcing its importance in the context of the Passover.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 12:2 tells us that God instructed Moses and Aaron to declare this month as the beginning of months for the Israelites. It marks the first month of their year, setting a new calendar cycle that is significant for their identity and observance of the Passover.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This means that God is establishing a new calendar for the Israelites, marking the month of the Passover as the first month of their year.
The month is significant because it marks the time of the Passover, which is a pivotal event in Israel's history, symbolizing their deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
This month is tied to the lunar cycle, as the Hebrew calendar is based on the phases of the moon, with the new moon marking the start of each month.
The Passover is crucial as it commemorates God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, establishing their identity as a people chosen by God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding the significance of this month impact my view of the Passover?
- In what ways can I apply the concept of new beginnings in my own life?
- What does it mean to me that God establishes time and seasons for His people?
- How can I remember and celebrate the significant events in my life, similar to how the Israelites commemorate the Passover?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers comment on this verse to highlight its significance in the context of the Passover and the new beginnings it represents.
And we can also understand the same about this: "This month shall be to you the beginning of months"; although it is understood as the 7th in terms of time, because it spoke of the Lord's Passover,Early Church Fathers on Exodus 12 →
After having inflicted the Egyptians with many plagues, he led them out of Egypt in the month of flowers, when the most pleasant spring appears and the sadness of winter passes away.Early Church Fathers on Exodus 12 →
This, I say, is the first month of the year. This brings joy to every creature. It clothes the naked trees. It opens the earth. This produces joy in all animals. It brings mirth to all.Early Church Fathers on Exodus 12 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 12:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThis month shall be unto you the beginning of months,.... Not only the first, as after expressed, but the chief and principal of them, now famous for their coming out of Egypt in it, and would be
Read John Gill on Exodus 12 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThis month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 12 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis month was the first month after the vernal equinox, called Abib, 23:15 , and Nissan, ; containing part of our March, and part of April. The beginning; Heb. the head; which, I conceive, notes not so much the order, which is more plainly mentioned in the following words, as the eminency of it, that it shall be accounted the chief and principal of all months; as the sabbath hath been called by some the queen of days. And justly must they prefer this month before the rest, whether they looked back to their prodigious deliverance from Egypt therein, or forward to their spiritual redemption by Christ, and to the acceptable year of the Lord, ; for in this very month our Lord Jesus suffered, .…
Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 12 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsExodus 12:2 This month [shall be] unto you the beginning of months: it [shall be] the first month of the year to you.Ver. 2. This month.] Called Abib in Exodus 13:4; with us called March or April; when the day lengthening, and the sun ascending, each thing begins to revive. To show, saith one, that by the true Passover, Christ Jesus, not only is our time and all other things sanctified, but also that we should in recent remembrance of that benefit of our redemption, all our days and years be thankful to our gracious Redeemer, and that by his death, true life and reviving came unto mankind. It shall be the first month,] viz., In respect of sacred, not civil affairs, as Junius here proveth…
Read John Trapp on Exodus 12 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) The beginning of months.—Hitherto the Hebrews had commenced the year with Tisri, at or near the autumnal equinox. (See Exodus 23:16.) In thus doing, they followed neither the Egyptian nor the Babylonian custom. The Egyptians began the year in June, with the first rise of the Nile; the Babylonians in Nisannu, at the vernal equinox. It was this month which was now made, by God’s command, the first month of the Hebrew year; but as yet it had not the name Nisan: it was called Abib (Exodus 13:4), the month of “greenness.” Henceforth the Hebrews had two years, a civil and a sacred one (Joseph., Ant. Jud., i. 3, § 3). The civil year began with Tisri, in the autumn, at the close of the harvest…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 12 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 2. This month shall be unto you the beginning of months] It is supposed that God now changed the commencement of the Jewish year. The month to which this verse refers, the month Abib, answers to a part of our March and April; whereas it is supposed that previously to this the year began with Tisri, which answers to a part of our September; for in this month the Jews suppose God created the world, when the earth appeared at once with all its fruits in perfection. From this circumstance the Jews have formed a twofold commencement of the year, which has given rise to a twofold denomination of the year itself, to which they afterwards attended in all their reckonings: that which began…
Read AdamClarke on Exodus 12 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2. This month, &c.] The ‘month’ is the one corresponding to our Mar.–Apr., called in J and E (Exodus 13:4, Exodus 23:15, Exodus 34:18) and Deuteronomy 16:1) ‘Abib,’ and in the later post-exilic writings (Nehemiah 2:1, Esther 3:7) by its Bab. name, Nisan. P never, like the older pre-exilic writers, calls the months by their Canaanitish or Phoenician names, Abib (ll.cc.), Ziv (1 Kings 6:1; 1 Kings 6:37), Ethanim (ib. 1 Kings 8:2), Bul (ib. 1 Kings 6:38); but, as do the late parts of Kings (1 Kings 12:32-33 [compiler], 2 Kings 25:1; 2 Kings 25:3; 2 Kings 25:8; 2 Kings 25:25; 2 Kings 25:27), Jer. (Jeremiah 1:3, Jeremiah 28:1; Jeremiah 28:17, Jeremiah 36:22 al.), Ezek. (Ezekiel 1:1, Ezekiel 8:1…
Read Cambridge on Exodus 12 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThis month - Abib Exodus 13:4. It was called “Nisan” by the later Hebrews, and nearly corresponds to our April.
Read Albert Barnes on Exodus 12 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
“This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year.
“This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.
“This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year.
“This month is to be your beginning of months; it will be your first month of the year.
Tyndale line
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
This moneth shalbe vnto you the beginning of moneths: it shalbe to you the first moneth of the yere.
Strictly literal
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
'This month [is] to you the chief of months — it [is] the first to you of the months of the year;
“This month [is] the chief of months to you—it [is] the first of the months of the year to you;
This month shall be unto you the chief of months: the first shall it be unto you of the months of the year.
“For you, this month will be the start of months, the first month of the year to you.
From the Latin
This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be the first in the months of the year.
Simplified
“This month will be for you the first month, the first month of your year.
Let this month be to you the first of months, the first month of the year.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely, with all ten words matched. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly with one word, using ראשׁון instead of רִאשׁ֥וֹן. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some damage but align closely with the Masoretic Text, indicating a strong consistency across these ancient witnesses.
הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃
10 of the 10 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
החדשׁ הזה לכם ראשׁ החדשׁים ראישׁון הוא לכם לחדשׁי השׁנה
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: ראישׁון (first)
[החדש] הזה ל׳כם ראש חדשים ראשון הוא ל׳כם לחדשי [השנה]
6 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 2 supplied entire by an editor.
[החדש] [הזה] [ל׳כם] [ראש] [חדשים] [ראשון] [הוא] ל׳כם לחדשי השנה
2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 7 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 12:2
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
חֹ֫דֶשׁ (chodesh) refers to the concept of newness, specifically the new moon and the month. It denotes both the lunar month and the first day of that month. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to timekeeping in the Hebrew calendar.
חֹ֫דֶשׁ 282 n.m. (newness), new moon, month
base
H2320 חֹ֫דֶשׁ (newness), new moon, month
2320 chodesh kho'-desh
from 2318; the new moon; by implication, a
month:--month(-ly), new moon.
see HEBREW for 02318
חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) — month.
: month
1) the new moon, month, monthly
1a) the first day of the month
1b) the lunar month
חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) — month: new moon.
: new_moon
1) the new moon, month, monthly
1a) the first day of the month
1b) the lunar month
Also means: cho.desh (חֹ֫דֶשׁ ": month" H2320)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
munth (chodhesh, yerach; men): Chodhesh is strictly the "new moon," the appearance of which marked the beginning of the month, commonly indicated by ro'sh ha-chodhesh. Yerach is derived from yareach, "moon," which comes from the verb that means "to wander," "to make a circuit." Thus the month was lunar, the period of the moon's circuit. The Greek men also meant "moon," from the Sanskrit ma, "to measure," the Latin mensis and our "moon" being derived from the same root.
Month
Among the Egyptians the month of thirty days each was in use long before the time of the Exodus, and formed the basis of their calculations. From the time of the institution of the Mosaic law the month among the Jews was lunar. The cycle of religious feasts depended on the moon. The commencement of a month was determined by the observation of the new moon. The number of months in the year was usually twelve (1 Kings 4:7; 1 Chr. 27:1-15); but every third year an additional month (ve-Adar) was inserted, so as to make the months coincide with the seasons.
“The Hebrews and Phoenicians had no word for month save ’moon,’ and only saved their calendar from becoming vague like that of the Moslems by the interpolation of an additional month. There is no evidence at all that they ever…
From the time of the institution of the Mosaic law downward the religious feasts commencing with the passover depended not simply on the month, but on the moon; the 14th of Abib was coincident with the full moon; and the new moons themselves were the occasions of regular festivals. (Numbers 10:10; 28:11-14) The commencement of the month was generally decided by observation of the new moon. The usual number of months in a year was twelve, as implied in (1 Kings 4:7; 1 Chronicles 27:1-15) but since twelve lunar months would make but 354 1/2 days, the years would be short twelve days of the short twelve days of the true year, and therefore it follows as a matter of course that an additional month must have been inserted about…
The Hebrews months were lunar months, that is, from one new moon to another. These lunar months were each reckoned at twenty-nine days and a half; or rather, one was of thirty days, the following of twenty-nine, and so on alternately: that which had thirty days was called a full or complete month; that which had but twenty-nine days was called incomplete. The new moon was always the beginning of the month and this day they called new-moon day, or new month. The Hebrews usually designated the months only as first, second, etc.; and the names by which they are now known are believed to be of Persian origin, and to have been adopted by the Jews during the captivity. At the exodus from Egypt, which occurred in April, God ordained that that month-the seventh of the civil year—should be the first of the sacred year, according to which the religious festivals were to be reckoned; and from that…
זֶה (zeh) is a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'here.' It can stand alone, be used appositively, or function as a predicate. The word can also attach enclitically to interrogative pronouns, adding emphasis and directness. In poetry, it may serve as a relative pronoun, though this usage is rare.
זֶה demonstr.pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here
standing alone
In appos. to subst.
More oft. as pred.
It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.
In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)
With prefixes (in special senses)
base
H2088 זֶה demonstr. pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here . standing alone
. In appos. to subst.
. More oft. as pred.
. It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.
. In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)
. With prefixes (in special senses)
2088 zeh zeh
a primitive word; the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this
or that:--he, X hence, X here, it(-self), X now, X of him, the
one...the other, X than the other, (X out of) the (self) same,
such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on
that side, X thus, very, which. Compare 2063, 2090, 2097,
2098.
see HEBREW for 02063
see HEBREW for 02090
see HEBREW for 02097
see HEBREW for 02098
זֶה (zeh) — this.
1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, another, such
1a) (alone)
1a1) this one
1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another
1b) (appos to subst)
1b1) this
1c) (as predicate)
1c1) this, such
1d) (enclitically)
1d1) then
1d2) who, whom
1d3) how now, what now
1d4) what now
1d5) wherefore now
1d6) behold here
1d7) just now
1d8) now, now already
1e) (poetry)
1e1) wherein, which, those who
1f) (with prefixes)
1f1) in this (place) here, then
1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter
1f3) thus and thus
1f4) as follows, things such as these, accordingly, to that effect, in like manner, thus and thus
1f5) from here, hence, on one side...on the other side
1f6) on this account
1f7) in spite of this, which, whence, how
Art | Pron — Particle · particleHTd/Tm
כֶם (khem) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine plural
HRd/Sp2mp — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp2mp
רֹאשׁ (ro'sh) means 'head' and encompasses various meanings related to position and rank. It can refer to the head of a person or animal, the top of a mountain, or a chief in various contexts, such as a city or nation. The word also signifies beginnings and sums, appearing in phrases related to enumeration. Additionally, it serves as a proper noun for 'Rosh,' a title for a chief or prince.
רֹאשׁ 599 n.m.
(c. 230 t.) head, of human being
head, of animals
top (88 t.)
height, of stars
head = chief (man)
= chief (city)
chief nation
= chief (place, position)
= chief priest
= head of a family
head = front, leader's place
of time, beginning, of night watch
of things, river-heads
chief, choicest, best, of spices
head = division of army, company, band
= sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate
other phr.
base
רֹאשׁ n.pr.gent. Rôsh
base
H7218a רֹאשׁ . . (c. 230 t.) head, of human being
. head, of animals
. . top (88 t.)
. height, of stars
. . head = chief (man)
. = chief (city)
. chief nation
. = chief (place, position)
. = chief priest
. = head of a family
. . head = front, leader's place
. of time, beginning, of night watch
. of things, river-heads
. chief, choicest, best, of spices
. head = division of army, company, band
. = sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate
. other phr.
H7218b רֹאשׁ n. pr. gent. Rôsh
7218 ro'sh roshe
from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as
most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many
applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning,
captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company,
end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head,
height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor,
principal, ruler, sum, top.
רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head.
: head
1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning
1a) head (of man, animals)
1b) top, tip (of mountain)
1c) height (of stars)
1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)
1e) head, front, beginning
1f) chief, choicest, best
1g) head, division, company, band
1h) sum
רֹאשׁ (rosh) — prince.
Rosh, a tite for a chief or prince
רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: leader.
: leader
1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning
1a) head (of man, animals)
1b) top, tip (of mountain)
1c) height (of stars)
1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)
1e) head, front, beginning
1f) chief, choicest, best
1g) head, division, company, band
1h) sum
רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: top.
: top/best
1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning
1a) head (of man, animals)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
חֹ֫דֶשׁ (chodesh) refers to the concept of newness, specifically the new moon and the month. It denotes both the lunar month and the first day of that month. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to timekeeping in the Hebrew calendar.
חֹ֫דֶשׁ 282 n.m. (newness), new moon, month
base
H2320 חֹ֫דֶשׁ (newness), new moon, month
2320 chodesh kho'-desh
from 2318; the new moon; by implication, a
month:--month(-ly), new moon.
see HEBREW for 02318
חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) — month.
: month
1) the new moon, month, monthly
1a) the first day of the month
1b) the lunar month
חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) — month: new moon.
: new_moon
1) the new moon, month, monthly
1a) the first day of the month
1b) the lunar month
Also means: cho.desh (חֹ֫דֶשׁ ": month" H2320)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
The Hebrew word רִאשׁוֹן (*ri'shown*) means 'first' and can refer to something that is primary, former, or chief. It encompasses meanings related to time, rank, and location, indicating ancestors or previous things. The entries consistently emphasize its use as an adjective and adverb, with no significant disagreement noted among the lexicons.
רִאשׁוֹן 182 adj. former, first, chief
base
H7223 רִאשׁוֹן former, first, chief
7223 ri'shown ree-shone'
or riishon {ree-shone'}; from 7221; first, in place, time or
rank (as adjective or noun):--ancestor, (that were)
before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father)
(-most), former (thing), of old time, past.
see HEBREW for 07221
רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first.
: first
adj
1) first, primary, former
1a) former (of time)
1a1) ancestors
1a2) former things
1b) foremost (of location)
1c) first (in time)
1d) first, chief (in degree)
adv
2) first, before, formerly, at first
רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first: previous.
: previous
adj
1) first, primary, former
1a) former (of time)
1a1) ancestors
1a2) former things
1b) foremost (of location)
1c) first (in time)
1d) first, chief (in degree)
adv
2) first, before, formerly, at first
רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first: chief.
: chief
adj
1) first, primary, former
1a) former (of time)
1a1) ancestors
1a2) former things
1b) foremost (of location)
1c) first (in time)
1d) first, chief (in degree)
adv
2) first, before, formerly, at first
Adj — AdjHAomsa
furst ('echadh, ri'shon; proton, to proton, protos):
Of these words, which are those most frequently used for "first," ri'shon is from rosh, "the head, and is used for the highest, chief, etc.; also of time, the beginning, e.g. Ge 8:13, in the first month"; in Isa 44:6; 48:12, it is used of Yahweh as Eternal and solely Supreme--the First and the Last (compare Isa 41:4). Special usages are in connection with "firstborn," "first- fruit," etc.; proton is used of that which is first in order; but also of that which is first or chief in importance, etc. (Mt 6:33; Jas 3:17). In
הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.
הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it
an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
It resumes the subj. with emph.
Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
As an emph. predicate, of God
In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
base
H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
. It resumes the subj. with emph.
. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
. As an emph. predicate, of God
. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
1931 huw' hoo
of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a
primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or
it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also
(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;
sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally
(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),
it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,
this, those, which (is), who.
הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.
pron 3p s
1) he, she, it
1a) himself (with emphasis)
1b) resuming subj with emphasis
1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)
1d) (anticipating subj)
1e) (emphasising predicate)
1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron
2) that (with article)
Pron — PronounHPp3ms
כֶם (khem) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine plural
HRd/Sp2mp — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp2mp
חֹ֫דֶשׁ (chodesh) refers to the concept of newness, specifically the new moon and the month. It denotes both the lunar month and the first day of that month. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to timekeeping in the Hebrew calendar.
חֹ֫דֶשׁ 282 n.m. (newness), new moon, month
base
H2320 חֹ֫דֶשׁ (newness), new moon, month
2320 chodesh kho'-desh
from 2318; the new moon; by implication, a
month:--month(-ly), new moon.
see HEBREW for 02318
חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) — month.
: month
1) the new moon, month, monthly
1a) the first day of the month
1b) the lunar month
חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) — month: new moon.
: new_moon
1) the new moon, month, monthly
1a) the first day of the month
1b) the lunar month
Also means: cho.desh (חֹ֫דֶשׁ ": month" H2320)
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural constructHR/Ncmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
שָׁנָה (shaneh) means 'year' and is derived from the root meaning to change or revolve. It encompasses various aspects of time, including divisions of time, measures of age, and even a lifetime. The Aramaic equivalent is שְׁנָה (she.nah), also meaning 'year'.
שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])
base
H8141 שָׁנָה year (etym. v. √[8138a])
8141 shaneh shaw-neh'
(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year
(as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old,
year(X -ly).
see HEBREW for 08138
שָׁנָה (sha.neh) — year.
1) year
1a) as division of time
1b) as measure of time
1c) as indication of age
1d) a lifetime (of years of life)
Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
yer (shanah, Aramaic shenah, "a return" (of the sun), like the Greek eniautos; yamim, "days," is also used for "year," and the Greek hemerai, corresponds to it (Jos 13:1; Lu 17,18); etos, is also employed frequently in the New Testament; for the difference between etos and eniautos, see Grimm-Thayer, under the word): The Hebrew year was solar, although the month was lunar, the adjustment being made in intercalation.
See ASTRONOMY; TIME.
Year
Heb. shanah, meaning “repetition” or “revolution” (Gen. 1:14; 5:3). Among the ancient Egyptians the year consisted of twelve months of thirty days each, with five days added to make it a complete revolution of the earth round the sun. The Jews reckoned the year in two ways, (1) according to a sacred calendar, in which the year began about the time of the vernal equinox, with the month Abib; and (2) according to a civil calendar, in which the year began about the time of the autumnal equinox, with the month Nisan. The month Tisri is now the beginning of the Jewish year.
the highest ordinary division of time. Two years were known to, and apparently used by, the Hebrews. A year of 360 days appears to have been in use in Noah’s time. The year used by the Hebrews from the time of the exodus may: be said to have been then instituted, since a current month, Abib, on the 14th day of which the first Passover was kept, was then made the first month of the year. The essential characteristics of this year can be clearly determined, though we cannot fix those of any single year. It was essentially solar for the offering of productions of the earth, first-fruits, harvest produce and ingathered fruits, was fixed to certain days of the year, two of which were in the periods of great feasts, the third itself a feast reckoned from one of the former days. But it is certain that the months were lunar, each commencing with a new moon. There must therefore have been some…
The Hebrews always had years of twelve months. But at the beginning, as some suppose, they were solar years of twelve months, each month having thirty days, excepting the twelfth, which had thirty-five days. We see, by the enumeration of the days of the deluge, Ge 7:1-8:22, that the original year consisted of three hundred and sixtyfive days. It is supposed that they had an intercalary month at the end of one hundred and twenty years, at which time the beginning of their year would be out of its place full thirty days. Subsequently, however, and throughout the history of the Jews, the year was wholly lunar, having alternately a full month of thirty days, and a defective month of twenty-nine days, thus completing their year in three hundred and fifty-four days. To accommodate this lunar year to the solar year, (365 days, 5 hours, 48…