H7224 H7224
The first; an unusual feminine form in Jeremiah 25:1 likely requiring textual correction to standard spelling
This adjectival form means 'the first' and appears in Jeremiah 25:1 to mark the date when Jeremiah received his message—'the first year' of Jehoiakim's reign. However, the form itself is irregular, and most scholars recommend reading the standard feminine form instead. The date marking is historically significant: Jehoiakim's first year (605 BC) coincides with Nebuchadnezzar's victory at Carchemish and the beginning of Babylonian dominance. This temporal marker anchors Jeremiah's 70-year prophecy of exile, making the precise dating crucial for understanding the prophetic timeline.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Jeremiah 25:1 dates the oracle: 'The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim... that is, the first year of Nebuchadnezzar.' The phrase 'the first year' (הַשָּׁנָה הָרִאשֹׁנִית) uses an unusual feminine form that textual critics suggest correcting. The historical synchronism is crucial—605 BC marks when Babylon defeated Egypt at Carchemish and established itself as the dominant Near Eastern power. Jeremiah's prophecy of 70 years of servitude begins its countdown from this pivotal moment, making the 'first year' designation theologically and chronologically significant. 1×
AR["الْأُولَى"]·ben["-প্রথম"]·DE["[הראשנית]"]·EN["the-first"]·FR["[הראשנית]"]·heb["ה-ראשונית"]·HI["पहला"]·ID["pertama"]·IT["[הראשנית]"]·jav["ingkang-kaping-setunggal"]·KO["그-첫째"]·PT["o-primeiro"]·RU["первый"]·ES["el-primero"]·SW["wa-kwanza"]·TR["birinci"]·urd["پہلا"]
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
† [רִאשֹׁנִי] adj. first;—fs. הַשָּׁנָה הָרִאשֹׁנִית Je 25:1 the first year; but read -נָה, Gie Du Köii. 1, 225.