שְׁלִישִׁי H7992
Third (ordinal); also a third part, three-year-old, or third story — the ordinal adjective with fractional and specialized extensions.
The ordinal number 'third' in Hebrew, שְׁלִישִׁי is far more versatile than a simple counting word. Its most common use marks sequence — the third day, the third year, the third son — appearing throughout the creation narrative (Gen 1:13), the patriarchal stories, and the historical books. But it also serves as a fractional noun ('a third part'), dividing armies (2 Sam 18:2) and prophetic judgments (Ezek 5:2, 12) into thirds. Two specialized extensions round out its range: describing sacrificial animals as 'three-year-old' (Isa 15:5; Jer 48:34) and identifying the 'third story' of Ezekiel's temple (Ezek 42:3). Spanish mirrors the ordinal/fractional split with 'tercero' and 'tercio'; German uses 'dritte' and 'Drittel.'
Senses
1. third (ordinal) — The ordinal number 'third,' indicating position in a sequence. Used attributively or predicatively of days (Gen 1:13; Gen 22:4 'on the third day'), years (1 Kgs 18:1 'in the third year'), rivers (Gen 2:14 'the third river'), sons, and kings. With 80 occurrences this is overwhelmingly the dominant sense. Spanish 'el tercero/la tercera,' French 'le troisième,' German 'der dritte,' and Arabic الثالث all straightforwardly correspond. The 'third day' motif carries particular theological weight as a marker of divine intervention and resolution. 80×
AR["-الثَّالِثِ", "ال-ثَّالِثِ", "الثَّالِثُ", "الثَّالِثِ", "الثّالِثَ", "الثّالِثُ", "الثّالِثِ", "الْ-ثالِثِ", "الْ-ثَالِثِ", "الْـثَّالِثِ"]·ben["-তৃতীয়", "-তৃতীয়কে", "তৃতীয়", "তৃতীয়ের", "সেই-তৃতীয়"]·DE["dem-dritten", "der-dritter", "des-dritten"]·EN["the-third"]·FR["le-troisième"]·heb["ה-שלישי"]·HI["तीसरी", "तीसरे"]·ID["ketiga", "yang-ketiga"]·IT["il-terzo"]·jav["ingkang-kaping-tiga", "kaping-telu", "kaping-tiga", "kaping-tiga,", "kaping-tiga-punika"]·KO["그-셋-번째의", "그-셋째", "셋째", "셋째에게도"]·PT["a-terceira", "o-terceiro"]·RU["-третий", "-третьей", "-третьему", "третий", "третьего", "третьему"]·ES["el-tercero", "la-tercera", "tercero"]·SW["tatu", "wa-tatu", "wa-tatu-", "ya-tatu"]·TR["-üçüncü", "-üçüncüye", "üçüncü"]·urd["-تیسرے", "تیسری", "تیسرے"]
Gen 2:14, Gen 22:4, Gen 31:22, Gen 32:19, Gen 34:25, Gen 40:20, Gen 42:18, Exod 19:1, Exod 19:11, Exod 19:11, Exod 19:16, Exod 28:19 (+38 more)
2. a third part, one-third — Fractional noun: 'a third part' or 'one-third,' denoting one of three equal portions. David divided his army into three parts (2 Sam 18:2); Ezekiel's prophetic sign-act burns, strikes, and scatters thirds of his hair (Ezek 5:2, 12). The Numbers 15 offerings require 'a third of a hin' of wine (Num 15:6-7). Spanish 'la tercera parte' / 'el tercio,' French 'le tiers,' and German 'ein Drittel' all distinguish this fractional use from the ordinal. With 22 occurrences, it is the second-most common sense. 22×
AR["الثُّلُثَ", "الـ-ثُلُثَ", "ثُلثَ", "ثُلُثًا", "ثُلُثَ", "ثُلُثُكِ", "ثُلْثُ", "وَ-الثُّلثُ", "وَ-الثُّلُثَ", "وَ-الـ-ثُلُثَ", "وَ-الـ-ثُلُثُ", "وَالثُّلُثُ", "وَثُلُثُ", "وَٱلثُّلُثُ", "ٱلثُّلُثُ"]·ben["-তৃতীয়াংশ", "আর-এক-তৃতীয়াংশ", "আর-তৃতীয়াংশ", "আর-তৃতীয়াংশকে", "এক-তৃতীয়াংশ", "এবং-এক-তৃতীয়াংশ", "এবং-তৃতীয়াংশ", "তৃতীয়াংশ", "তোমার-তৃতীয়াংশ"]·DE["der-dritter", "dritte", "dritter", "dritter-von", "und-der-dritter", "und-dritte", "und-dritter", "und-dritter-von"]·EN["a-third-of", "and-the-third", "and-third-of", "the-third", "third", "third-of", "third-of-you"]·FR["et-le-troisième", "et-tiers-de", "et-troisième", "le-troisième", "tiers-de", "troisième"]·heb["ה-שלישית", "ו-ה-שלישי", "ו-ה-שלישית", "ו-שלישי", "שלישי", "שלישיותיך", "שלישית"]·HI["एक-तिहाई", "और-एक-तिहाई", "और-तिहाई", "और-ती-एक-तिहाई", "और-तीसरा", "और-हश्शलीशित", "तिहाई", "ती-एक-तिहाई", "तीसरा-भाग", "तीसरी", "तेरी-तिहाई", "हश्शलीशित"]·ID["-sepertiga", "Dan-sepertiga", "Sepertiga", "Sepertiga-mu", "dan-sepertiga", "dan-sepertiga-itu", "sepertiga", "sepertiga-itu"]·IT["e-il-terzo", "e-terzo", "e-terzo-di", "il-terzo", "terzo", "terzo-di"]·jav["Lan-ingkang-sapratiganipun", "Satunggal-saking-tigang-péranganing", "Satunggal-saking-tigang-péranganing-panjenengan", "ingkang-sapratiganipun", "lan-ingkang-katiga", "lan-ingkang-sapratiganipun", "lan-sapetiganipun", "lan-sapratiganing", "lan-satunggal-saking-tigang-péranganing", "lan-sepratelonipun", "sapratiganipun", "satunggal-saking-tigang-péranganing", "sepertiganing", "sepertiganipun", "sepratelonipun"]·KO["그-삼분의-일은", "그-삼분의-일을", "그리고-그-삼분의-일은", "그리고-삼분의-일-을", "그리고-삼분의-일은", "그리고-삼분의-일을", "그리고-셋째가", "네-삼분의-일은", "삼분의-일", "삼분의-일은", "삼분의-일을", "삼분의-일이"]·PT["E-o-terço", "Terça-parte", "Terça-parte-de-ti", "a-terça-parte", "e-a-terça-parte", "e-o-terceiro", "e-o-terço", "e-terço-de", "o-terço", "terça-parte-de", "terço-de"]·RU["и-треть", "треть", "треть-твоя", "третья-часть"]·ES["El-tercio", "Y-el-tercio", "Y-la-tercera-parte", "el-tercio", "tercera-de", "tercera-parte-de", "tercio", "tercio-de-ti", "y-el-tercio", "y-la-tercera-parte", "y-tercio-de"]·SW["Na-theluthi", "na-sehemu-ya-tatu", "na-theluthi", "na-theluthi-moja", "na-theluthi-ya", "sehemu-ya-tatu", "sehemu-ya-tatu-ya", "sehemu-yako-ya-tatu", "theluthi", "theluthi-moja", "theluthi-ya", "ya-tatu"]·TR["ve-et", "ve-üçte-biri", "ve-üçte-biri-o", "ve-üçüncüsü", "çevrende", "üçte-bir", "üçte-biri", "üçte-biri-o", "üçte-birin", "üçte-birini"]·urd["اور-تہائی", "اور-تیسرا", "اور-تیسرا-حصہ", "اور-تیسری", "تہائی", "تہائی-تیری", "تیسرا-حصہ", "و-تہائی", "و-تہائی-کو"]
Num 15:6, Num 15:7, Num 28:14, 2 Sam 18:2, 2 Sam 18:2, 2 Sam 18:2, 2 Kgs 11:5, 2 Kgs 11:6, 2 Kgs 11:6, 2 Chr 23:4, 2 Chr 23:5, 2 Chr 23:5 (+10 more)
3. three-year-old — Attributive use designating an animal as 'three-year-old,' appearing in the place-name or epithet 'Eglath-shelishiyah' (a three-year-old heifer) in Isaiah 15:5 and Jeremiah 48:34 in oracles against Moab. Spanish 'de tres años' and the BDB cross-reference to Genesis 15:9's sacrificial specifications confirm this age-marking function. A specialized but lexicographically distinct sense with only two attestations. 2×
AR["ثَالِثَةٌ", "ثُلَاثِيَّةً"]·ben["তিন-বছরের", "তৃতীয়"]·DE["[שלשיה]"]·EN["the-third", "third-year"]·FR["[שלשיה]"]·heb["שלישיה"]·HI["तीन-वर्ष-की", "तीन-वर्षीय"]·ID["berumur-tiga-tahun", "yang-berumur-tiga-tahun"]·IT["terzo"]·jav["tigang-taun", "umur-tiga-taun"]·KO["세살배기-라", "셋째의"]·PT["de-três-anos", "terceira"]·RU["трёхлетняя"]·ES["tres-años"]·SW["miaka-mitatu", "wa-miaka-mitatu"]·TR["uc-yasinda", "üç-yaşındaki"]·urd["تین-سالہ"]
4. the third time, thrice — Adverbial or temporal use meaning 'the third time' or 'a third time,' indicating the repetition count of an event. Young Samuel is called 'the third time' (1 Sam 3:8); the sword strikes 'a third time' in Ezekiel 21:14. Spanish 'por tercera vez,' French 'la troisième fois,' and German 'zum dritten Mal' all express this adverbial iteration. Distinguished from the ordinal by modifying the occurrence of an action rather than the position of a noun in a series. 2×
AR["ثَلَاثًا", "فِي-الـ-ثَّالِثَةِ"]·ben["তৃতীয়বার"]·DE["der-dritter-Zeit", "dritter"]·EN["the-third-time", "third-time"]·FR["le-troisième-temps", "troisième"]·heb["ב-שלישית", "שלישיתה"]·HI["तीन-गुनी", "तीसरी-बार"]·ID["ketiga-kalinya", "tiga-kali"]·IT["il-terzo-tempo", "terzo"]·jav["kaping-tiga", "tigang-kaping"]·KO["-에-그-셋째", "세-번째로"]·PT["na-terceira", "terceira-vez"]·RU["в-третий-раз", "меч"]·ES["por-tercera-vez", "tres-veces"]·SW["mara-tatu", "mara-ya-tatu"]·TR["-üçüncü-kez", "üçüncü-kez"]·urd["تیسری-بار"]
5. the three, threefold group — Collective or grouping sense: 'the three' or a 'threefold group,' appearing in a textually difficult passage (2 Sam 23:18) involving a ketiv/qere variant regarding David's mighty warriors. The context concerns Abishai as chief 'of the three' or 'of the thirty,' with the numeral functioning as a substantivized group designation. A rare and text-critically complex sense with only one clear attestation. 1×
AR["الثَّلاثِي"]·ben["(কেতিব)"]·DE["[k]"]·EN["[k]"]·FR["[k]"]·heb["ה-שלושה"]·HI["तीनों-का"]·ID["[yang-ketiga]"]·IT["[k]"]·jav["[tetiga]"]·KO["[그-셋-의]"]·PT["[os-três]"]·RU["[кетив]"]·ES["[los-tres]"]·SW["watatu"]·TR["[üçlerin]"]·urd["[تین-کا]"]
6. third story, three-storied — Architectural term: 'the third story' or 'three-storied,' referring to the third level of a multi-tiered structure. In Ezekiel 42:3, the temple's galleries are arranged 'in thirds' — three stories of chambers. Spanish 'en los tres pisos,' reflecting the spatial-structural meaning. A hapax use within this lemma, specialized to temple architecture. 1×
AR["فِي-الْ-ثَّلَاثَةِ"]·ben["-তিনতলায়"]·DE["in-dreissig"]·EN["in-the-third-stories"]·FR["dans-trente"]·heb["ב-שלישים"]·HI["तीन-मंजिलों-में"]·ID["pada-tingkat-ketiga"]·IT["terzo"]·jav["ing-tigang-undak"]·KO["에-그-셋째-층에"]·PT["nos-três"]·RU["в-третьем-ярусе"]·ES["en-los-tres-pisos"]·SW["katika-orofa-ya-tatu"]·TR["üçünde"]·urd["تین-منزلہ-میں"]
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
שְׁלִישִׁי m. שְׁלִישִׁית f. adj.num. ord.108 third;—יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי Gn 1:13 + 31 times, etc. (64 times, rarely שְׁלִשִׁי); pl. שְׁלִשִׁים (third 50, set of messengers, etc.) 1 S 19:21; 2 K 1:13 + 4 times; בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית 1 K 18:1 + 4 times, etc. (33 times; sometimes שְׁלִשִׁית, שְׁלִשִׁת, etc.); = third part, a third 2 S 18:2(×3) + 13 times, + (cstr.) Nu 15:6 + 4 times, + שְׁלִשִׁתֵיךְ…