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.'
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"]
▼ 6 more senses below
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"]
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"]
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…