חֲמִשִּׁים164 H2572
Fifty; the cardinal number, or a military/organizational unit of fifty men under a commander.
The Hebrew cardinal number 'fifty,' appearing in measurements (the ark is fifty cubits wide, Gen 6:15), census figures, prices, and ages. All major translations render it straightforwardly — spa cincuenta, fra cinquante, deu fünfzig. But a distinct organizational sense emerges in military and administrative contexts: 'captains of fifties' (Exod 18:21, 25) and the dramatic confrontations with Elijah where 'a captain of fifty with his fifty' is sent repeatedly (2 Kgs 1:9-14). Here the number becomes a unit designation — a squad or platoon — and the suffixed forms ('his fifty,' 'your fifty') refer to the men under command.
1. fifty (cardinal number) — The cardinal number fifty, used for counting quantities — measurements, ages, prices, durations, and enumerations. This covers the vast majority of occurrences (151x). Gen 6:15 gives the ark's width as fifty cubits; Gen 18:24 asks whether God will spare the city for fifty righteous. Translations uniformly converge: spa cincuenta, fra cinquante, deu fünfzig. The number functions in arithmetic combinations (e.g., 'a hundred and fifty days,' Gen 7:24; 8:3) and as a round figure in negotiations and census lists. 151×
AR["الْخَمْسِينَ","خَمسونَ","خَمسينَ","خَمْسُونَ","خَمْسِينَ"]·ben["পঞ্চাশ","পঞ্চাশটি"]·DE["der-fünfzig","fuenfzig","fünfzig","hundertfünfzig","von-hundertfünfzig"]·EN["fifty"]·FR["cinquante"]·heb["חמישים"]·HI["पचअस","पचास"]·ID["Lima puluh","Lima-puluh","lima puluh","lima-puluh","seratus-lima-puluh"]·IT["cinquanta"]·jav["Sèket","satus-seket","seket","sèket","sèket,"]·KO["쉴십","오십","오십의"]·PT["Cinquenta","cento-e-cinquenta","cinquenta"]·RU["Пятьдесят","пятидесяти","пятьдесят"]·ES["Cincuenta","cincuenta"]·SW["hamsini","hamsini-za","mia-hamsini-za","mia-mbili-na-hamsini"]·TR["elli"]·urd["پچاس"]
Gen 6:15, Gen 7:24, Gen 8:3, Gen 18:24, Gen 18:24, Gen 18:26, Exod 26:5, Exod 26:6, Exod 26:10, Exod 26:11, Exod 27:12, Exod 27:13 (+38 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. group of fifty (unit) — A military or organizational unit of fifty men, often in the construct 'captain of fifty' (שַׂר חֲמִשִּׁים) or with possessive suffixes ('his fifty,' 'your fifty') designating the soldiers under a commander. Exod 18:21, 25 and Deut 1:15 establish the administrative hierarchy: rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. In 2 Kgs 1:9-14, Ahaziah sends 'a captain of fifty with his fifty' against Elijah three times — the suffixed forms (חֲמִשָּׁיו, חֲמִשֶּׁיךָ) make clear that 'fifty' refers to the unit of men, not the abstract number. Isa 3:3 lists 'the captain of fifty' among Jerusalem's leaders. 12×
AR["خَمْسينَ","خَمْسِينَ","خَمْسِينَاتٍ","خَمْسِينَاتِهِمْ","خَمْسِينَكَ","خَمْسِينَهُ","وَخَمْسِينَهُ"]·ben["এবং-তার-পঞ্চাশ-জন","তাদের-পঞ্চাশ-জনকে","তার-পঞ্চাশ-জনকে","তোমার-পঞ্চাশ-জনকে","পঞ্চাশের"]·DE["dein-fuenfzig","fifties","ihr-fifties","sein-fuenfzig","und-sein-fuenfzig"]·EN["and-his-fifty","fifties","his-fifty","their-fifties","your-fifty"]·FR["et-son-cinquante","fifties","leur-fifties","son-cinquante","ton-cinquante"]·heb["ו-חמישיו","חמישיהם","חמישיו","חמישיך","חמישים"]·HI["उनके-पचास-को","उसके-पचास-को","और-उसके-पचास","तेरे-पचास-को","पचासों-के"]·ID["dan-lima-puluh-orang-nya","lima-puluh","lima-puluh-orang-mereka","lima-puluh-orang-mu","lima-puluh-orang-nya","lima-puluhan","puluhan"]·IT["cinquantine","e-suo-cinquanta","fifties","loro-cinquantine","suo-cinquanta","tuo-cinquanta"]·jav["lan-tiyang-sèketipun","seket","sèket-an","tiyang-sèket-panjenengan","tiyang-sèketipun"]·KO["그들의-오십-명-을","그의-오십-명-을","그의-오십-명과","네-오십-명-을","오십-명-의","오십의"]·PT["cinquentas","cinquentas,","cinquentenas","e-seus-cinquenta","seus-cinquenta","teus-cinquenta"]·RU["-пятьдесят-его","-пятьдесят-их","-пятьдесят-твоих","и-пятьдесят-его","пятидесятков","пятидесятов"]·ES["cincuenta","cincuentas","sus-cincuenta","tus-cincuenta","y-sus-cincuenta"]·SW["hamsini","na-watu-wake-hamsini","watu-wake-hamsini","watu-wako-hamsini","watu-wao-hamsini"]·TR["ellilerin","ellilerini","ellinizi","ellisini","ve-ellisi"]·urd["اور-اُس-کے-پچاس","اُس-کے-پچاس-کو","اُن-کے-پچاس-کو","تیرے-پچاس-کو","پچاسوں-کے"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
חֲמִשִּׁים164 n.pl. (a) fifty (Arabic خَمْسُونَ Aramaic ܚܰܡܫܝܺܢ, Ph. חמשם; MI28 חמשן; Assyrian ḫamšâti Dl in LotzTP 80)—חֲמִשִּׁים Gn 6:15 + 154 times (incl. Ez 40:25, 29, 33, del. Co) + Ez 45:12 (so read A Hi Co for חמשׁה); sf. חֲמִשֶּׁיךָ 2 K 1:10, 12, חֲמִשָּׁיו 2 K 1:9 + 4 times, חֲמִשֵּׁיהֶם 2 K 1:14;— 1. abs. a. a fifty, a company of fifty Ex 18:21, 25 Dt 1:15; 1 S 8:12; 2 K 1:9(×2) + 13…