H7243 H7243
Fourth (ordinal numeral); a fourth part or quarter (fractional); rarely, square or foursquare (geometric).
The ordinal number 'fourth,' appearing across narrative, legal, and prophetic texts to mark position in sequences of days, rivers, generations, sons, and months. It is the word for the 'fourth river' of Eden (Gen 2:14), the 'fourth day' of creation (Gen 1:19), and the 'fourth generation' of God's covenant promise to Abraham (Gen 15:16). In its feminine construct form it serves as a fraction — 'a fourth of a hin' of wine or oil in the sacrificial regulations (Num 15:4–5; 28:5, 7). Spanish distinguishes 'cuarto' (ordinal) from 'cuarta parte' (fraction), while French uses 'quatrième' across both. A unique architectural use in Ezekiel 48:20 describes a plot of land as 'square,' extending the root's 'four' semantics into geometry.
Senses
1. fourth (ordinal) — The ordinal 'fourth,' indicating position in a sequence — fourth day, fourth river, fourth son, fourth generation, fourth month, etc. French 'quatrième' and Spanish 'cuarto/cuarta' translate consistently. From the fourth river of Eden (Gen 2:14) through the fourth row of priestly stones (Exod 28:20) to the fourth year of kings' reigns (1 Kgs 6:1; Jer 39:2), this is by far the most frequent use, appearing in both masculine and feminine forms with and without the article. 45×
AR["ال-رَّابِعَةِ", "الرَّابِع", "الرَّابِعَةُ", "الرَّابِعَةِ", "الرَّابِعُ", "الرَّابِعِ", "الرّابِعُ", "الـ-رابِع", "الـ-رَّابِعَةِ", "رَابِعٌ"]·ben["-চতুর্থ", "চতুর্থ", "চতুর্থের", "সেই-চতুর্থ", "হা-রেবিই"]·DE["der-Vierte", "der-vierte", "der-vierter", "vierter"]·EN["fourth", "the-fourth"]·FR["der-quatrième", "le-quatrième", "quatrième"]·heb["ה-רביעי", "ה-רביעית", "ה-רביעת", "רביעי"]·HI["-का-चौथा", "-चौथा", "-चौथी", "चौथा", "चौथी", "चौथे"]·ID["keempat", "yang-keempat"]·IT["il-fourth", "il-quarto", "quarto"]·jav["ingkang-kaping-sekawan", "kaping-sekawan", "kaping-sekawan,"]·KO["그-네-번째", "그-넷-번째의", "그-넷째", "넷째", "넷째는", "넷째의"]·PT["a-quarta", "o-quarto", "quarto"]·RU["-четвёртая", "четвертого", "четвёртом", "четвёртый"]·ES["cuarto", "el-cuarto", "la-cuarta"]·SW["-wa-nne", "ha-nne", "wa-Zivu", "wa-nne", "wa-nne-", "ya-nne"]·TR["-dördüncü", "dördüncü", "dördüncüsü"]·urd["چوتھا", "چوتھی", "چوتھے", "چوتھے-", "کے-چوتھے", "ہ-چوتھا"]
Gen 1:19, Gen 2:14, Gen 15:16, Exod 28:20, Exod 39:13, Lev 19:24, Num 7:30, Num 29:23, Josh 19:17, Judg 19:5, 2 Sam 3:4, 1 Kgs 6:1 (+33 more)
2. a fourth part, quarter — A fractional quantity meaning 'one quarter' or 'a fourth part of' a standard measure, used in construct with units of measurement in sacrificial and cultic regulations. Spanish 'cuarta parte de' and German 'ein Viertel' make the fractional sense explicit. The priestly instructions prescribe 'a fourth of a hin' of oil (Num 15:4; 28:5) and 'a fourth of a hin' of wine (Num 15:5; 28:7) for various offerings, and Samuel mentions 'a fourth of a shekel of silver' (1 Sam 9:8). 9×
AR["بِ-رُبْعِ", "رُبُعَ", "رُبْعٍ", "رُبْعَ", "رُبْعُ", "وَ-رُبُعَاً", "وَرُبْعُ"]·ben["আর-এক-চতুর্থাংশ", "এক-চতুর্থাংশ", "এক-চতুর্থাংশে", "এবং-এক-চতুর্থাংশ", "চতুর্থাংশ"]·DE["[ורבעית]", "[רבעית]", "ein-vierter", "ein-vierter-von", "mit-vierter-von", "und-vierter-von", "vierter-von"]·EN["a-fourth", "a-fourth-of", "a-fourth-part-of", "and-a-fourth-part", "and-fourth-of", "fourth-of", "with-fourth-of"]·FR["avec-quart-de", "et-quart-de", "et-quatrième", "quart-de", "quatrième", "un-quart-de", "un-quatrième"]·heb["ב-רבעית", "ו-רביעי", "ו-רביעת", "רביעי", "רביעית", "רביעת"]·HI["और-चौथाई", "चौथाई", "चौथाई-में", "चौथे-भाग"]·ID["dan-seperempat", "dengan-seperempat", "seperempat"]·IT["con-quarto-di", "e-quarto", "e-quarto-di", "quarto", "quarto-di", "un-quarto", "un-quarto-di"]·jav["kaping-sekawan", "lan-saprasekawan", "lan-seperapat", "mawi-sepersakawan", "saprapat", "saprasekawan", "seperapat", "sepersakawan"]·KO["그리고-사분의-일-을", "그리고-사분의-일은", "넷째의", "사분의-일", "사분의-일-에", "사분의-일-을", "사분의-일-의"]·PT["com-quarto-de", "e-quarto", "e-quarto-de", "quarto-de", "quartos"]·RU["и-четверть", "с-четвёртой-частью", "четверти", "четверть", "четвёртая-часть"]·ES["con-cuarta-parte-de", "cuarta-de", "cuarta-parte", "cuarta-parte-de", "un-cuarto-de", "y-cuarta-parte", "y-cuarto-de"]·SW["na-robo", "na-robo-ya", "robo", "robo-ya", "robo-ya-", "sehemu-ya-nne"]·TR["-de-dörtte-biriyle", "dört-köşeli", "dörtte-biri", "dörtte-biri-", "dörtte-birini", "ve-dörtte-biri", "ve-dörtte-birinde"]·urd["اور-چوتھائی", "چوتھا", "چوتھائی", "چوتھائی-میں"]
3. square, foursquare — A rare geometric sense meaning 'square' or 'foursquare,' describing a shape with four equal sides. In Ezekiel's visionary land allocation, the sacred portion is described as 'square' (Ezek 48:20). Spanish 'cuadrado' captures the spatial meaning. This extends the root's core 'four' semantics from sequence and fraction into architectural and spatial description. 1×
AR["مُرَبَّعًا"]·ben["চতুর্ভাগ"]·DE["vierter"]·EN["square"]·FR["quatrième"]·heb["רביעית"]·HI["चौकोर"]·ID["seperempat"]·IT["quarto"]·jav["pesagi"]·KO["사분의-일이다"]·PT["quadrada"]·RU["четверть"]·ES["cuadrado"]·SW["mraba"]·TR["dörtgen"]·urd["چوتھائی"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)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×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)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×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רְבִיעִי m., רְבִיעִית f., adj.num.ordin. fourth;m. רְבִיעִי Gn 2:14 + 29 times, רְבִעִי 1 Ch 24:8; 26:11; pl. רְבִיעִים 2 K 15:12, רְבִעִים 10:30; f. abs. רְבִיעִית 1 K 6:1 + 3 times, רְבִיעִת Lv 19:29, רְבִעִית 1 K 6:37 + 6 times + 1 K 6:33 (v. infr.); cstr. רְבִיעִית Nu 15:5, רְבִיעִת Ex 29:40 + 4 times, רְבִעִית Nu 15:4 + 2 times;—fourth, usually הָֽר׳: 1. m. Gn 2:14; 15:16 (JE), also…