H7991c H7991c
Military officer: originally the 'third man' on a war chariot; a triad or group of three; the numeral thirty.
The noun shalish derives from the root shlsh ('three') and originally designated the third warrior stationed on an Israelite or Egyptian war chariot — the fighting man who stood alongside the driver and the shield-bearer. Over time it generalized into a title for high-ranking military officers and royal adjutants, appearing prominently in the Exodus narratives of Pharaoh's drowned chariot forces (Exod 14:7; 15:4) and in the stories of kings' personal attendants (2 Kgs 7:2, 17, 19; 9:25). Spanish capitan and French officier reflect this generalized military rank. Two marginal senses preserve the word's numerical ancestry: the designation 'the three' as a warrior elite in 2 Samuel 23:8, and the enigmatic 'thirty' (or 'excellent things') of Proverbs 22:20, where the Kethiv-Qere tradition and ancient versions diverge on whether Solomon wrote thirty sayings or something else entirely.
Senses
1. military officer, captain — A high-ranking military officer or royal adjutant, originally the 'third man' on a war chariot who served as the fighting warrior beside the driver and shield-bearer. Fourteen occurrences span from Pharaoh's chariot captains drowned in the Sea of Reeds (Exod 14:7; 15:4) to the unnamed officer on whose arm the king of Israel leaned (2 Kgs 7:2, 17, 19) and Jehu's adjutant Bidkar (2 Kgs 9:25). Spanish capitan, French officier, and German Offizier all converge on generalized military rank. In Ezekiel 23:15, 23, the shalishim appear as Babylonian warriors in full regalia — 'officers and commanders, all of them desirable young men' — showing the title had become a marker of military prestige beyond its chariot origins. 14×
AR["(ثالِثِهِ)", "[ثالِثِهِ]", "الثّالِثَ", "الثّالِثُ", "ثَوالِثِهِ", "جُنْدِيُّهُ", "قَادَةٍ", "قَادَةُ", "قَادَتِهِ", "وَ-قَادَةً", "وَ-قُوَّادُهُ", "وَٱلْجُنُودُ", "وَٱلْجُنُودِ"]·ben["এবং-তাঁর-সেনানায়কেরা", "এবং-সেনাপতিদের", "এবং-সেনাপতিরা", "তাঁর-সেনাপতি", "তাঁর-সেনাপতিদের", "তার-সেনাপতিগণ", "সেনাপতি", "সেনাপতিদের"]·DE["[ketiv]", "[שלישיו]", "der-officer", "dreissig", "sein-officer", "sein-officers", "und-der-officers", "und-officers", "und-sein-captains", "und-zu-der-officers"]·EN["[ketiv]", "and-his-captains", "and-officers", "and-the-officers", "and-to-the-officers", "his-officer", "his-officers", "officers", "the-officer"]·FR["[ketiv]", "[שלישיו]", "et-le-officers", "et-officers", "et-son-captains", "et-à-le-officers", "le-officer", "son-officer", "son-officers", "trente"]·heb["[שלשה]", "ה-שליש", "ו-ה-שלישים", "ו-ל-שלישים", "ו-שלישים", "וְ-שָׁלִישָׁיו", "שלישו", "שלישיו", "שלישיו-ו", "שלישים"]·HI["(शालीशो)", "[शलोशेह]", "और-उसके-सरदार", "और-सरदार", "कप्तानों-के-उसके", "वलश्शालीशीम", "वहश्शालीशीम", "शलीशो-अपने", "सरदार-उसके", "सरदारों", "हश्शालीश"]·ID["(ketiv)", "-perwira", "dan-kepada-para-perwira", "dan-para-perwira", "dan-perwira", "dan-perwira-perwiranya", "perwira-perwira", "perwiranya"]·IT["[ketiv]", "[שלישיו]", "[שלשים]", "e-a-il-ufficiali", "e-il-ufficiali", "e-officers", "e-suo-capitani", "il-ufficiale", "suo-officers", "suo-ufficiale"]·jav["(pangageng-nipun)", "[pangageng]", "ajudanè", "lan-dhateng-para-kapten", "lan-para-kapten", "lan-perwira-perwira", "lan-prajurit-kareta", "para-perwira-kareta-ipun", "para-prajurit", "salisi", "senapati-nipun"]·KO["(그의-장관에게)", "[그의-장관]", "그-의-장교들-의", "그리고-그의-삼거리-장교들과", "그리고-장관들", "그리고-장관들을", "그리고-장관들이", "그의-장관", "그의-장관들이", "장관을", "장관이", "장교들과", "장교들의"]·PT["[ketiv]", "ajudante-seu", "e-aos-oficiais", "e-capitães-seus", "e-oficiais", "e-os-oficiais", "o-capitão", "oficiais", "seu-oficial", "seus-capitães", "seus-oficiais"]·RU["(сановнику-его)", "[сановнику-его]", "военачальники-его", "военачальников", "воинов-его", "и-военачальники-его", "и-военачальников", "и-сановникам", "и-сановники", "их", "сановник", "сановника", "телохранитель-его"]·ES["[capitán-de-él]", "capitanes", "capitán-de-él", "el-capitán", "su-capitán", "sus-capitanes", "y-a-los-capitanes", "y-capitanes", "y-los-capitanes", "y-oficiales-de-él"]·SW["(afisa-wake)", "[k]", "afisa", "mashujaa", "na-maafisa", "na-maafisa-wake", "ofisa", "ofisa-wake", "wa-maafisa-wake"]·TR["(yardımcısına)", "[yardımcısı]", "savaşçılar", "savaşçıların", "subay", "subaylarının", "subaylarının-onun", "ve-subaylar", "ve-subayları", "ve-yardımcılar-o", "ve-yardımcılara", "yardımcısı"]·urd["اور-اُس-کے-افسر", "اور-سردار", "اور-سرداروں-سے", "اور-سرداروں-نے", "اُس-کے-بہادروں-کے", "اُس-کے-سالار-نے", "اُس-کے-سردار", "سردار", "سردار-نے", "سرداروں-اس-کے"]
Exod 14:7, Exod 15:4, 1 Kgs 9:22, 2 Kgs 7:2, 2 Kgs 7:17, 2 Kgs 7:19, 2 Kgs 9:25, 2 Kgs 9:25, 2 Kgs 10:25, 2 Kgs 10:25, 2 Kgs 15:25, 2 Chr 8:9 (+2 more)
2. the three, triad — A group of three warriors or 'the three' as an elite designation — a numeral sense reflecting the root shlsh ('three'). In 2 Samuel 23:8 (parallel 1 Chr 11:11), the Kethiv reads 'the third' or 'the three,' naming the innermost circle of David's mighty warriors. Spanish los tres and French les trois render this as a straightforward numeral. The textual tradition wavers between shalish and sheloshim ('thirty'), and the Qere in some manuscripts adjusts accordingly, but the singular/triad reading preserves an archaic military institution: an elite corps of three who formed David's personal guard. 1×
AR["الثَّلاثَةِ"]·ben["তিনজনের"]·DE["der-drei"]·EN["the-three"]·FR["le-trois"]·heb["ה-שלישי"]·HI["तीनों-का"]·ID["-yang-ketiga"]·IT["il-tre"]·jav["tetiga"]·KO["그-셉장의"]·PT["os-três"]·RU["тройки"]·ES["los-tres"]·SW["wa-watatu"]·TR["üçlerin"]·urd["تین-کا"]
3. thirty (homographic reading) — The numeral 'thirty,' a homographic or variant plural form where shelishim is read as the cardinal number rather than the officer title. The sole clear instance is Proverbs 22:20, where the speaker asks 'Have I not written for you thirty (shalishim) sayings of counsel and knowledge?' — a reading supported by the Qere and by the Egyptian parallel of the Thirty Chapters of Amenemope. Spanish treinta and French trente confirm the numeral reading. The Kethiv shlshwm creates genuine ambiguity: is Solomon offering 'thirty sayings' or 'excellent things'? Most modern translations follow the numeral, connecting the collection to its Egyptian literary model. 1×
AR["(ثَلاثِينَ)"]·ben["তীসটা"]·DE["[(שלישים)]"]·EN["thirty"]·FR["(שלישים)"]·heb["(שלישים)"]·HI["(तीस)"]·ID["(tiga-puluh)"]·IT["dominare"]·jav["tigang-puluh"]·KO["(서른-번)"]·PT["trinta"]·RU["трижды"]·ES["(treinta)"]·SW["mambo-thelathini"]·TR["(otuz-öğüt)"]·urd["تیس"]
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
† III. שָׁלִישׁ n.m. adjutant or officer (best explained as third man (in chariot), v. especially HptBAS iv. 586 f. BenderZAW xxiii (1903), 19 WMMAs. u. Eur. 329; v. also KauM N., DPV, 1904, 10; doubted by Di Ex 14:7 Baenib. Buhl14);—abs. שׁ׳ of king’s personal attendant at court 2 K 7:2, 17, 19, sf., military officer of king, שָֽׁלִשֹׁה 2 K 9:25, שָֽׁלִישׁוֹ 15:25 (on abnormal—ָ v. Ges§ 93 xx…