אֶחָד962 H0259
one; first; once; each; a few; eleven (compound with עָשָׂר)
The fundamental Hebrew numeral אֶחָד means 'one' and carries theological weight far beyond arithmetic. The Shema's declaration that the LORD is אֶחָד (Deut 6:4) resonates through every occurrence — from the 'one flesh' of marriage (Gen 2:24) to Zechariah's eschatological vision of 'one LORD and one name' (14:9). Beyond its cardinal use, this versatile word serves as an ordinal ('first'), a distributive ('each one'), a temporal marker ('once'), and even combines with עָשָׂר to form 'eleven.'
Senses
1. one (cardinal numeral) — The cardinal numeral 'one' in its basic sense (940x), appearing from the very first chapter of Genesis ('day one,' Gen 1:5) onward. Universally glossed as a simple numeral — Spanish uno/una, French un, German eine/einen — this sense covers adjectival, substantive, and construct uses. It encompasses theologically loaded passages like Genesis 2:24 ('one flesh') and Deuteronomy 6:4 ('the LORD is one'). 940×
AR["واحِداً", "واحِدًا", "واحِدٍ", "واحِدَةٌ", "وَاحِدٌ", "وَاحِدٍ", "وَاحِدَةً", "وَاحِدَةٌ", "وَاحِدَةٍ"]·ben["এক", "একই", "একটাই", "একটি", "প্রথম", "ব্যক্তির"]·DE["eine", "einem", "einen", "einer", "eines", "eins"]·EN["one"]·FR["un"]·heb["אחד"]·HI["एक"]·ID["pertama", "satu"]·IT["uno"]·jav["sapisan", "satunggal", "setunggal"]·KO["하나", "하나라", "하나를", "하나의", "하나이고"]·PT["só", "um", "uma"]·RU["один", "одним", "одно", "одного", "одном", "одну"]·ES["una", "uno"]·SW["mmoja", "moja", "mtu", "pamoja", "wamoja", "ya-kwanza"]·TR["beden", "bir", "birinci", "birini", "birinin"]·urd["ایک", "پہلا"]
2. sense 2 — A comparative or emphatic use meaning 'as one, like one' (11x). Multilingual glosses show the simile particle — English 'as-one/like-one,' Spanish 'como-uno,' German 'wie-einer.' At Genesis 3:22 ('the man has become like one of us') and 2 Chronicles 5:13 (trumpeters and singers were 'as one'), the word transcends mere counting to express unity, likeness, or collective identity. 11×
amh["እንደ-አንዱ"]·AR["-كواحد", "كَ-أَحَدٍ", "كَ-أَحَدِ", "كَ-واحِد", "كَ-وَاحِدٍ", "كِ-أِحَد", "مَعاً", "مَعًا"]·ben["এক-সঙ্গে", "একজনের-মতো", "একত্রে", "একসঙ্গে", "একসাথে"]·ces["jako-jeden"]·dan["som-en"]·DE["ein", "einer", "warst-wie-einer", "wie-einer", "wie-eins"]·ell["σαν-ένας"]·EN["as-one", "like-one"]·FR["comme-un", "un", "wie-un"]·guj["જેવો-એક"]·hat["tankou-yonn"]·hau["kamar-ɗaya"]·heb["כ-אחד", "כאחד"]·HI["एक-के-समान", "एक-समान", "एक-साथ", "जैसे-एक", "हम-में-से-एक-के-समान"]·hun["mint-egy"]·ID["bersama", "bersama-sama", "sama-sama", "seperti-salah-satu", "seperti-satu"]·IT["come-uno", "uno"]·jav["bebarengan", "dados-satunggal", "kados-satunggal", "kados-setunggal", "kangge-ngawasi", "sami"]·JA["一人-のように"]·KO["같이-하나", "처럼-하나", "하나-같이", "하나같이", "하나로", "하나와-같았다", "하나처럼", "함께-하나로"]·mar["एकासारखे"]·mya["-ကဲ့သို့တစ်ဦး"]·nld["als-een-van"]·nor["som-én"]·pnb["ورگے-اِک"]·pol["jak-jeden"]·PT["como-um", "igualmente"]·ron["ca-unul"]·RU["вместе", "как-один"]·ES["como-uno", "como-uno-de"]·SW["kama-mmoja", "kama-moja", "kwa-pamoja", "pamoja"]·swe["som-en"]·tam["ஒருவனைப்போல்"]·tel["ఒకనివలె"]·tgl["tulad-ng-isa"]·TH["เหมือน-หนึ่ง"]·TR["bir-gibi", "bir-olarak", "biri-gibi", "birlikte"]·ukr["як-один"]·urd["اکٹھی", "اکٹھے", "ایک-جیسا", "ایک-ساتھ", "ایک-کی-مانند", "جیسا-ایک", "جیسے-ایک", "کے-ایک-ساتھ"]·VI["như-một"]·yor["gẹ́gẹ́-bí-ọ̀kan"]·yue["似"]·ZH["如同一个"]
3. sense 3 — Temporal use meaning 'once, one time' (10x). Spanish una vez, German einmal, and French once all confirm the adverbial function. Key ritual texts include Exodus 30:10 ('once a year Aaron shall make atonement') and Leviticus 16:34 ('once a year'), establishing liturgical periodicity. The shift from spatial/numerical to temporal 'one' is cross-linguistically natural. 10×
AR["مَرَّةً", "وَاحِدَةً"]·ben["একবার"]·DE["ein", "einer", "einmal", "eins", "once"]·EN["once"]·FR["once", "un", "une", "une-fois"]·heb["אַחַת", "אחד", "אחת"]·HI["अखत", "एक", "एक-बार"]·ID["Sekali", "sekali"]·IT["once", "una", "una-volta", "uno"]·jav["Sapisan", "Sepisan", "sapisan", "sepisan"]·KO["하나", "한-번", "한번"]·PT["Uma-vez", "uma", "uma-vez"]·RU["один", "один-раз", "однажды"]·ES["Una-vez", "una", "una-vez"]·SW["Mara-moja", "mara-moja"]·TR["Bir-kez", "bir", "bir-kez"]·urd["ایک", "ایک-بار"]
4. first (ordinal use) — Ordinal use meaning 'first' rather than 'one' (6x). Target languages consistently employ ordinal forms — Spanish el primero/la primera, French le premier, German der erste. Genesis 2:11 names the 'first' river; Exodus 28:17 describes the 'first' row of gemstones. Hebrew lacks a dedicated ordinal for 'first,' relying on אֶחָד in this role before later standardizing רִאשׁוֹן. 6×
AR["الأَوَّلُ", "الْأَوَّلُ", "الْأَوَّلِ", "الْأُولَى", "الْوَاحِدَةِ", "الْوَاحِدِ"]·ben["-প্রথমটির", "প্রথম", "প্রথমটির", "প্রথমের", "সেই-একটি", "সেই-প্রথমের"]·DE["der-einen", "der-eins", "der-erste", "des-einen", "ein"]·EN["the-first", "the-one"]·FR["le-premier", "le-un"]·heb["ה-אחד", "ה-אחת"]·HI["उस-एक-का", "एक", "पहली", "पहली-का", "पहले"]·ID["pertama", "yang pertama", "yang-pertama", "yang-satu"]·IT["il-primo", "il-uno", "l'-uno", "uno"]·jav["ing-ingkang-sapisan", "ingkang-sapisan", "ingkang-sepisan", "sapisan", "setunggal."]·KO["그-첨째의", "그-하나", "그-하나-의", "그-하나의", "첫째의"]·PT["a-primeira", "da-primeira", "do-primeiro", "o-primeiro", "primeira"]·RU["-одного", "-одной", "первое", "первой", "первый"]·ES["el-primero", "el-uno", "la-primera", "la-una"]·SW["la-kwanza-", "wa-kwanza", "ya-kwanza"]·TR["-bir", "-birincinin", "bir", "birincinin"]·urd["پہلی", "پہلی-کا", "پہلے-کا"]
5. sense 5 — An indefinite quantifier meaning 'a few, some' (3x). English 'few/some,' Spanish algunos/pocos, German einige replace the numeral in these contexts. Genesis 27:44 ('stay with him a few days') and Genesis 29:20 ('they seemed to him but a few days') show temporal indefiniteness, while Daniel 11:20 uses it for an unspecified short period. The semantic drift from 'one' to 'a few' is attested cross-linguistically. 3×
AR["قَليلَةً", "قَلِيلَةٍ"]·ben["কয়েক", "কিছু"]·DE["einer", "einige"]·EN["few", "some"]·FR["peu", "some", "un"]·heb["אחד", "אחדים"]·HI["कुछ"]·ID["beberapa", "sedikit"]·IT["alcuni", "pochi", "uno"]·jav["dinten", "sawetawis"]·KO["몇의", "얼마간"]·PT["alguns", "poucos"]·RU["некоторые", "немногие", "немногих"]·ES["algunos", "pocos"]·SW["chache"]·TR["birkaç"]·urd["چند"]
6. each, every (distributive) — Distributive use meaning 'each, every' (3x), functioning pronominally. English 'each-one/to-each,' French 'chaque-un,' German 'jeder-eins' confirm the distributive reading. Numbers 15:12 ('for each one'), Judges 8:18 ('each one resembled'), and Isaiah 6:2 ('each one had six wings') show the word distributing attributes across individuals in a set rather than specifying a count. 3×
AR["لِكُلِّ-وَاحِدٍ", "لِلْ-وَاحِدِ", "وَاحِد"]·ben["-প্রত্যেকের", "প্রতি-একটির", "প্রত্যেক"]·DE["einer", "fuer-der-eins", "jeder-eins"]·EN["each-one", "for-the-one", "to-each"]·FR["chaque-un", "pour-le-un", "un"]·heb["אחד", "ל-אחד", "ל-ה-אחד"]·HI["एक", "प्रति-एक", "प्रत्येक-के"]·ID["satu", "untuk-masing-masing", "untuk-setiap-satu"]·IT["ciascuno", "per-il-uno", "uno"]·jav["kangge-saben", "kanggé-saben-satunggal", "saben"]·KO["하나", "하나-에게"]·PT["para-cada-um", "para-o-um", "um"]·RU["для-каждого", "каждый", "у-каждого"]·ES["para-cada-uno", "uno"]·SW["kila-mmoja", "kwa-kila-mmoja"]·TR["-için-her-bir", "her-biri", "her-birine"]·urd["ایک-کے-لیے", "ہر-ایک", "ہر-ایک-کے"]
7. eleven (compound numeral) — The compound numeral 'eleven' formed with עָשָׂר 'ten' (3x). Target languages use dedicated lexemes — French onze, Spanish once, German elf — confirming this is perceived as a single number rather than a phrase. Genesis 32:22 counts Jacob's eleven sons, Deuteronomy 1:2 measures 'eleven days' journey,' and Joshua 15:51 tallies eleven cities. 3×
AR["أحَدَ", "أَحَدَ", "إحْدى-"]·ben["এগার-", "এগারো", "তার-এগারো"]·DE["eins-", "elf", "seine-elf"]·EN["eleven", "one", "one-"]·FR["onze", "un", "un-"]·heb["אחד", "אחת-"]·HI["एक", "ग्यारह", "ग्यारह-"]·ID["Sebelas", "sebelas", "sebelas-"]·IT["undici", "uno", "uno-"]·jav["sawelas"]·KO["열", "열하나-", "하나"]·PT["onze", "onze-", "¶ Onze"]·RU["Один", "одиннадцать", "одиннадцать-"]·ES["once"]·SW["kumi-na", "kumi-na-", "kumi-na-moja"]·TR["bir-", "on", "on-bir"]·urd["گیارہ"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)H7970 1. thirty (cardinal number) (168×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
אֶחָד962 adj.num. one (Ph. אחד, Sab. id., cf. DHMZMG 1876, 707, Arabic أ��حَدٌ, Ethiopic አሐዱ Aramaic חַד,ܚܰܕ; on Assyrian êdu, aḫadu, cf. DlW No. 139)—abs. א׳ Gn 1:5 + cstr. אַחַ֫ד Gn 21:15 +; so even bef. prep. 1 S 9:3 al. v. Dr; f. abs. אַחַ֫ת Gn 2:21 +; אֶחָ֑ת Gn 11:1 +; cstr. אַחַ֫ת Dt 13:13 +; pl. m. אֲחָדִים Gn 11:1 + 4 times; חַד Ez 33:30 del. Co cf. 𝔊;— 1. one Gn 1:9; 27:38, 45 Ex 12:49…