H2320 H2320
Month (calendar period) or new moon (lunar festival day marking the first of the month)
Derived from the root meaning 'new,' chodesh bridges astronomy and calendar in ancient Israel. In its primary sense (260 occurrences), it simply means 'month' — the basic unit of the Hebrew lunar calendar, as in 'the second month, on the seventeenth day' (Gen 7:11). But in 23 passages, chodesh retains its etymological force as 'new moon,' designating the festival observed at each lunar renewal. The new moon was a significant religious occasion, paired with sabbaths in prophetic critique (Isa 1:13–14) and central to David's table narrative (1 Sam 20:5, 18, 24). German 'Neumond' and French 'nouvelle lune' capture this astronomical-liturgical dimension that English 'month' loses entirely.
1. month, calendar period — A month as a calendrical unit — the basic time period of the Hebrew lunar calendar. Comprising 260 of the 283 occurrences, this is the unmarked temporal sense found from the Flood chronology (Gen 7:11, 'the second month') through festival legislation (Exod 12:2, 'the first of your months') to historical dating formulas across Kings and Chronicles. Cross-lingual evidence is stable: Spanish 'mes,' French 'mois,' German 'Monat' — all standard calendar vocabulary with no religious overtone. 260×
AR["الشَّهْرِ","فِي-الشَّهْرِ","لِ-الشَّهْرِ","لِ-لشَّهْرِ","لِلشَّهْرِ","مِنَ-الشَّهْرِ"]·ben["-মাসের","মাসের","মাসের;","সেই-মাসের"]·DE["der-Monat","des-Monats","in-der-Monat","von-der-Monat"]·EN["in-the-month","of-the-month","the-month"]·FR["dans-le-mois","de-le-mois","le-mois"]·heb["ב-ה-בחדש","ל-ה-חודש","ל-ה-לחדש","ל-חודש"]·HI["के-महीने","महीने-के","महीने-को"]·ID["bulan","bulan-itu"]·IT["del-mese","di-il-mese","il-mese","in-il-mese"]·jav["ing-sasi","wonten-ing-wulan","wulan","wulan-punika","wulan-punika;"]·KO["그-달의","에-그-달","에서-그-달"]·PT["ao-mês","do-mês"]·RU["день-месяца","для-месяца","месяца"]·ES["del-mes"]·SW["kwa-mwezi","ya-mwezi"]·TR["-e-aya","-için-ayın","ayın","ayın-"]·urd["مہینے-کے","کی-مہینے-اُس","کے-مہینے-اُس"]
Gen 7:11, Gen 8:4, Gen 8:5, Gen 8:13, Gen 8:14, Exod 12:3, Exod 12:6, Exod 12:18, Exod 12:18, Exod 16:1, Lev 23:5, Lev 23:6 (+38 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. new moon, lunar festival — The new moon as an astronomical event and its associated religious observance — the first day of the month celebrated as a festival. Appearing 23 times, this sense clusters in cultic and prophetic contexts: the David-Jonathan narrative (1 Sam 20:5, 'Tomorrow is the new moon'), the prophetic pairing with sabbaths (Isa 1:14, 'Your new moons and appointed feasts'), and liturgical regulations (Num 28:11–14). German 'Neumond' and the LXX neomēnia sharply distinguish this sense from the calendar meaning, while French 'nouvelle lune' and Spanish 'luna nueva' likewise flag the astronomical-religious dimension. 23×
AR["أَهِلَّتُكُم","الهِلَالُ","بِ-شَهْرِهِ","رَأْسَ-شَهْرٍ","رَأْسُ-الشَّهْرِ","رَأْسِ الشَّهْرِ","رَأْسِ-الشَّهْرِ","رُؤوسَ-شُهورِها","لِـ-الأَشْهُرِ","لِلْأَشْهُرِ","وَ-فِي-رُؤُوسِ الشُّهُورِ","وَ-لِـ-الشُّهُورِ","وَ-لِلأَهِلَّةِ","وَ-لِلشُّهُورِ","وَلِلأَشهُرِ"]·ben["-অমাবস্যা","-অমাবস্যার","-নতুন-চাঁদে","-নতুন-চাঁদের","অমাবস্যা","অমাবস্যার","আর--নবচন্দ্রে","আর-মাসগুলির-জন্য","এবং-অমাবস্যাগুলিতে","এবং-অমাবস্যায়","এবং-তুমি-লক্ষ্য-করা-হবে","ও-অমাবস্যার-জন্য","ও-নতুন-চাঁদে","তাঁর-অমাবস্যা","তার-মাসে","তোমাদের-অমাবস্যা","নতুন-চাঁদ","মাসের-প্রথম"]·DE["Monat","der-neu-Mond","neu-Mond","neue","und-Monat"]·EN["and-at-the-new-moons","and-for-new-moons","and-for-the-new-moons","and-on-the-new-moons","at-the-new-moons","for-the-new-moons","her-new-moons","new-moon","the-new-moon","to-its-new-moon","your-new-moons"]·FR["et-mois","le-nouveau","le-nouveau-lune","mois","nouveau-lune","nouvelle"]·heb["ב-חודשו","ה-חודש","ו-ב-חודשים","ו-ל-ה-חודש","חודש","חודשה","חודשיכם","ל-ה-חודש","ל-חודשים"]·HI["-के-नवचन्द्र","और-के-लिए-नवचन्द्र","और-नए-चाँदों-के-लिए","और-नए-चाँदों-को","और-नए-चाँदों-में","और-नए-चांद-की","और-में-नवचन्द्रों","तुम्हारे-नए-चांद","नए-चाँद-उसका","नए-चाँदों-को","नया-चाँद","नया-चांद","मअस","मअस-के","महीने-अपने-में","महीनों-के-लिए"]·ID["Bulan-baru","Bulan-bulan-barumu","bulan-baru","bulan-bulan-barunya","dan-pada-bulan-bulan-baru","dan-untuk-bulan-bulan-baru","ke-bulan-barunya","pada-bulan-bulan-baru","setiap-bulan-baru"]·IT["e-in-mesi","e-mese","il-mese","il-nuovo-luna","mese","nuova","nuovo-luna"]·jav["Tanggal-enggal-panjenengan","dhateng-tanggal-sapisan","ing-wulan-ipun","lan-ing-wulan-anyar","lan-ing-wulan-enggal","lan-ing-wulan-wulan-anyar","lan-kangge-wulan-wulan","lan-kanggé-wulan-enggal","saben-wulan","tanggal-enggal","wulan-anyar","wulan-enggal","wulan-énggalipun"]·KO["그-월마다","그-초하루에","그리고-그-초하루들-에","그리고-그-초하루들-을-위하여","그리고-에-그-초하루들에","그리고-에-초하루들에","그리고-에게-그-월삭들","그리고-위해-그-달들","너희-월삭들과","매-달마다","에-그-초하루들","월삭과","초하루","초하루-그녀의","초하루가","초하루의","초하루이다"]·PT["Lua-nova","Luas-novas-vossas","a-lua-nova","e-nas-luas-novas","e-para-as-luas-novas","em-mês-seu","lua-nova","lua-nova-dela","o-mês","para-os-meses","pelas-luas-novas"]·RU["-новомесячье","в-новолуние-его","и-в-новомесячья","и-в-новомесячьях","и-для-новомесячий","и-новомесячий","новомесячие-её","новомесячиям","новомесячье","новомесячья","новомесячья-ваши","по-новолуниям"]·ES["Luna-nueva","Vuestras-lunas-nuevas","en-su-mes","la-luna-nueva","luna-nueva","para-las-lunas-nuevas","por-meses","su-luna-nueva","y-en-las-lunas-nuevas","y-para-las-lunas-nuevas","y-para-los-meses-nuevos"]·SW["kwa-miezi-mipya","kwa-mwezi-mpya","miezi-yenu-mipya","mwezi-mpya","mwezi-mpya-zake","mwezi-wake","na-kwa-miezi-mipya","na-kwa-mwezi-mpya","na-mwezi-mpya","wlechodashiym","ya-mwezi-mpya"]·TR["Yeni-aylarınızı","aybaşılarda-","ayında","her-ay","ve-Yeni-Aylarda","ve-aybaşıları-için","ve-için-aybaşılar","ve-yeni-aylar-için","ve-yeni-aylarda","yeni-ay","yeni-ayın","yeni-ayını"]·urd["اور-لے-نئے-چاندوں","اور-نئے-چاند-کو","اور-نئے-چاندوں-میں","اور-نئے-چاندوں-کے-لیے","اُس-کے-مہینے-میں","تمہارے-نے-چاند","نئے-چاند-اُس-کے","نئے-چاند-کے","نئے-چاندوں-پر","نیا-چاند","نیا-چاند-ہے"]
1 Sam 20:5, 1 Sam 20:18, 1 Sam 20:24, 1 Sam 20:27, 1 Sam 20:34, 2 Kgs 4:23, 1 Chr 23:31, 2 Chr 2:4, 2 Chr 8:13, 2 Chr 31:3, Ezra 3:5, Neh 10:33 (+11 more)
Related Senses
H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H6258 1. and now (421×)G2250 1. day (388×)H5750 1. again, more, further (288×)H5769 1. forever, to eternity (280×)H6256 1. time, period (264×)H0310a 2. after (temporal) (258×)H3915 1. night, period of darkness (234×)H1242 1. morning (214×)H5750 2. still, yet (continuative) (166×)G5119 1. then (160×)G3568 1. now (147×)G2193 1. until (143×)G3825 1. (141×)G3752 1. (123×)H6153 1. evening, time of day (123×)H0227a 1. then (122×)G5610 1. hour / time / moment (106×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. חֹ֫דֶשׁ282 n.m. Gn 7:11 (f. MT 38:24 but m. Sam Di) (newness), new moon, month (on format. cf. LgBN 144; on usage, names, etc., Muss-ArnoltJBL 1892, 72 ff., 160 ff.)—ח׳ abs. Gn 7:11 +; cstr. (rare) Gn 29:14 +; sf. חָדְשׁוֹ Nu 28:14 + 2 times; חָדְשָׁהּ Ho 2:13 Je 2:24; pl. חֳדָשִׁים Gn 38:24 +; cstr. חָדְשֵׁי Ex 12:2 + 2 times; sf. חֳדָשָׁיו Jb 14:5 + 2 times; חָדְשֵׁיכֶם Is 1:14 Nu 28:11;…