H3391 H3391
Month (a lunar time unit) or moon (the celestial body itself); both senses derive from the lunar cycle.
A masculine noun whose two senses share the same etymological root in the lunar cycle. In most of its thirteen occurrences, it functions as a calendar term meaning 'month,' naming specific months in the Solomonic building narratives (the month of Ziv, 1 Kgs 6:37; the month of Bul, 1 Kgs 6:38; the month of Ethanim, 1 Kgs 8:2) and measuring durations of time (Exod 2:2; Deut 21:13). In two poetic passages, however, it refers to the moon itself as a celestial body: the blessings of the 'moons' in Moses' blessing (Deut 33:14) and the promise that 'your moon shall not withdraw' (Isa 60:20). The cognate Aramaic yarchaa and Akkadian arhu share this same dual range.
Senses
1. month — The temporal sense 'month,' used as a unit of time reckoned by the lunar cycle. Appears in both construct chains naming specific calendar months (1 Kgs 6:37 'the month of Ziv,' 1 Kgs 6:38 'the month of Bul,' 1 Kgs 8:2 'the month of Ethanim') and in plural forms measuring durations ('months of emptiness,' Job 7:3; 'months of old,' Job 29:2; 'three months,' Exod 2:2). Spanish 'en el mes de' and French 'dans mois de' consistently render this temporal meaning. The expression 'a month of days' (Deut 21:13; 2 Kgs 15:13) is a pleonasm emphasizing the full duration of the period. 11×
AR["أَشْهُرٍ","أَشْهُرَ","الأَشْهُرَ","الشُّهورِ","شَهْرَ","شَهْرَ-","فِي-شَهْرٍ","فِي-شَهْرِ","كَ-شُهورِ"]·ben["-মাসে","-যেমন-মাসগুলো","এক","মাস","মাস-","মাসগুলি","মাসগুলির"]·DE["Monat-von","Monat-von-","Monate","[ירחי]","[ירחים]","[כירחי]","in-Monat-von","in-Mond"]·EN["as-months-of-","in-month","in-month-of","month-of","month-of-","months","months-of-","the-months"]·FR["comme-mois","dans-lune","dans-mois-de","mois","mois-de","mois-de-"]·heb["ב-ירח","ירח","ירח-","ירחי","ירחים","כ-ירחי"]·HI["महीना","महीने","महीने-","महीने-में","महीनों","महीनों-में-पहले-के","में-महीने","येरख-"]·ID["bulan","bulan-bulan","dalam-bulan","pada-bulan","sebulan","sebulan-","seperti-bulan-bulan-"]·IT["[בירח]","come-as-months-of","il-months","in-mese-di","mese-di","mese-di-","mesi","months","months-of"]·jav["ing-wulan","kadosdene-wulan-wulan","sasasi","sawulan-","wulan","wulan-wulan"]·KO["-에-달","~안에-달","달","달들-같이-","달들을","달들을-의","달들의","달에","셋","한-달"]·PT["como-meses-de","em-mês","meses","meses-de","mês-de","no-mês-de","os-meses"]·RU["в-месяц","как-месяцы-","месяц","месяц-","месяца","месяцев","месяцы"]·ES["como-meses-de-","en-el-mes-de","en-mes","en-mes-de","mes-de","meses","meses-de"]·SW["kama-miezi-ya","katika-mwezi","katika-sikukuu","miezi","miezi-ya","mitatu","mwezi","mwezi-","wa-Buli"]·TR["ay","ayları","ayları-","ayları-gibi-","ayların","ayında"]·urd["ایک-مہینہ-","مہینوں","مہینوں-کی-طرح-","مہینہ","مہینے","مہینے-میں","میں-مہینے"]
2. moon — The astronomical sense 'moon' as a visible celestial body, distinct from the more common synonym yareach (H3394). In Deuteronomy 33:14, the plural 'moons' refers to the agricultural yield that the lunar cycles bring forth, where English and Spanish render 'moons' and 'las lunas' respectively. Isaiah 60:20 uses the singular with a possessive suffix ('your moon') in the eschatological promise that Israel's moon will never wane. French and German leave these forms transliterated in some witnesses, suggesting the astronomical reading was perceived as less routine than the calendar sense. 2×
AR["الْأَقْمَارِ","وَ-قَمَرُكِ"]·ben["-এবং-তোমার-চন্দ্র","চন্দ্রের"]·DE["[וירחך]","moons"]·EN["and-your-moon","moons"]·FR["[וירחך]","moons"]·heb["ו-ירחך","ירחים"]·HI["और-तेरा-चन्द्रमा","चन्द्रमाओं-की।"]·ID["bulan-bulan","dan-bulanmu"]·IT["[וירחך]","moons"]·jav["lan-rembulan-panjenengan","wulan"]·KO["그리고-너의-달이","달들의"]·PT["e-lua-tua","luas"]·RU["и-луна-твоя","лун"]·ES["las-lunas","y-tu-luna"]·SW["miezi","na-mwezi-wako"]·TR["ayların","ve-ayin"]·urd["اور-تیرا-چاند","مہینوں-کے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. יֶ֫רַח n.m. Zc 11:8 month (Aramaic יַרְחָא, ܝܰܪܚܳܐ new moon, month; Palm. ירח VogNo. 1; Assyrian arḫu COTGloss. Muss-ArnoltJBL xi. 1892, 73, 163; cf. Ph. Ethiopic sub יָרֵחַ; Sab. ורחֿ month, DHMZMG 1876, 603; 1883, 369 HalJAS vii, 1 516)—abs. יֶ֫רַח 1 K 6:37 + 3 times; cstr. id. Dt 21:13 2 K 15:13; pl. יְרָחִים Ex 2:2 + 3 times; cstr. יַרְחֵי Jb 7:3; 29:2;— 1. month, as measure of time,…