H8027 H8027
To do a third time, divide into three parts; three years old; threefold/three-storied; on the third day — a denominative from 'three'
A denominative verb built on the number three (shalosh), this word shows how Hebrew turns numerals into active verbs. It can mean performing an action for the third time, as when Elijah commands that water be poured on the altar a third time (1 Kgs 18:34), or dividing territory into three parts (Deut 19:3). As a Pual participle, it describes sacrificial animals as 'three years old' — the age of maturity for the covenant-ratification ceremony of Gen 15:9. The architectural sense of 'three-storied' appears in Ezek 42:6, while Eccl 4:12 uses the 'threefold cord' as a proverb of strength in unity. Hindi 'तीन मंजिली' (three-storied) and Arabic 'ثُلَاثِيَّةً' (triple) show the numeral-adjective pattern paralleled across Semitic and South Asian languages.
4. to divide into thirds — The Piel sense of dividing a territory or object into three equal parts, a practical administrative action. In Deut 19:3, Moses commands Israel to divide the promised land into three regions for the cities of refuge, ensuring geographic accessibility. Spanish 'dividirás-en-tres,' Hindi 'तीन भाग करेगा' (will make three parts), and Arabic 'وَتُثَلِّثُ' all render this partitioning sense clearly, showing how the verbal denominator from 'three' naturally generates a division-by-three meaning. 1×
AR["وَتُثَلِّثُ"]·ben["এবং-তুমি-তিনভাগ-করবে"]·DE["und-du-soll-teilen-in-thirds"]·EN["and-you-shall-divide-into-thirds"]·FR["et-tu-devra-diviser-dans-thirds"]·heb["ו-שילשת"]·HI["और-तीन-भाग-करेगा"]·ID["dan-bagilah-tiga"]·IT["e-tu-dovra-dividere-in-thirds"]·jav["lan-panjenengan-ambagi-tiga"]·KO["그리고-셋으로-나누라"]·PT["e-dividirás-em-três"]·RU["и-разделишь-на-три"]·ES["y-dividirás-en-tres"]·SW["na-utagawanya-tatu"]·TR["ve-üçe-böleceksin"]·urd["اور-تین-حصوں-میں-تقسیم-کرے"]
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
1. three years old (Pual participle) — The Pual participial form describing an animal as three years old, indicating full maturity for sacrificial purposes. All three occurrences appear in Gen 15:9, where God instructs Abraham to bring a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, and a three-year-old ram for the covenant-cutting ceremony. Spanish 'de-tres-años,' Arabic 'ثُلَاثِيَّةً,' and Hindi 'तिन वरश कि' all construct the age descriptor from their respective words for 'three,' mirroring the Hebrew denominative pattern exactly. 3×
AR["ثُلَاثِيًّا","ثُلَاثِيَّةً"]·ben["তিন-বৎসরের"]·DE["dreijährige","dreijährigen"]·EN["three-years-old"]·FR["trois-ans-ancien"]·heb["משלש","משלשת"]·HI["तिन-वरश-क","तिन-वरश-कि"]·ID["tiga-tahun"]·IT["tre-anni-vecchio"]·jav["tigang-taun"]·KO["삼-년된"]·PT["de-três-anos"]·RU["трёхлетнего","трёхлетнюю"]·ES["de-tres-años"]·SW["wa-miaka-mitatu"]·TR["üç-yaşında"]·urd["تین-سالہ"]
2. threefold, three-storied (tripled structure) — The adjectival sense of being arranged in three layers, stories, or strands — a structural tripling. In Ezek 42:6, temple chambers are described as 'three-storied,' and in Eccl 4:12, the famous 'threefold cord is not quickly broken' uses this form. Hindi 'तीन मंजिली' (three-storied) and Spanish 'de-tres-pisos' (of three floors) demonstrate how naturally this architectural metaphor translates, while the Ecclesiastes proverb about the cord extends tripling from architecture to relational strength. 2×
AR["المُثَلَّثُ","ثَلَاثِيَّةٌ"]·ben["তিনতলাবিশিষ্ট","ত্রি-পাকানো"]·DE["[המשלש]","[משלשות]"]·EN["the-threefold","three-storied"]·FR["le-המשלש","trois-fois"]·heb["ה-משולש","משולשות"]·HI["तिहरी","तीन-मंजिली"]·ID["tiga-rangkap","tiga-tingkat"]·IT["[משלשות]","il-il-threefold"]·jav["tigang-undak","trikel"]·KO["세-겹-의","셋-층으로-된"]·PT["de-três-fios","em-três-andares"]·RU["в-три-яруса","утроенная"]·ES["de-tres-pisos","el-triple"]·SW["vilikuwa-vya-orofa-tatu","ya-nyuzi-tatu"]·TR["uclu","üç-kattaydılar"]·urd["تین-تہ","تین-منزلہ"]
3. to do a third time (Piel action) — The Piel verbal sense of performing an action for the third time, expressing deliberate repetition. In 1 Kgs 18:34, Elijah commands the onlookers to pour water on the altar offering a third time — the threefold drenching dramatically heightens the miracle of the fire from heaven. Spanish 'Haced-tercera-vez' (do a third time) and the paired imperative-then-narrative structure (command in v. 34a, fulfillment in v. 34b) show the ritual completeness of triple repetition in Israelite practice. 2×
AR["ثَلِّثوا","فَ-ثَلَّثوا"]·ben["এবং-তারা-তৃতীয়বার-করল।","তৃতীয়বার-কর"]·DE["tue-ein-dritter-Zeit","und-sie-tat-ein-dritter-Zeit"]·EN["and-they-did-a-third-time","do-a-third-time"]·FR["et-ils-fit-un-troisième-temps","fais-un-troisième-temps"]·heb["ו-שלשו","שלשו"]·HI["और-तीन-बार-किया","तीन-बार-करो"]·ID["dan-mereka-melakukan-tiga-kali","lakukanlah-tiga-kali"]·IT["e-essi-fece-un-terzo-tempo","fa-un-terzo-tempo"]·jav["ambala-kaping-tiga","lan-ngambal-kaping-tiga"]·KO["그리고-세-번-했다","세-번-하라"]·PT["e-triplicaram","triplicai"]·RU["и-утроили","утройте"]·ES["Haced-tercera-vez","e-hicieron-tercera-vez"]·SW["fanyeni-mara-ya-tatu","na-wakafanya-mara-ya-tatu"]·TR["ve-üçlediler","üçleyin"]·urd["اور-تین-بار-دہرایا","تین-بار-دہراؤ"]
5. on the third day (temporal) — A temporal Piel usage referring to the third day, marking an ordinal point in time. In 1 Sam 20:19, Jonathan tells David to come to a certain place 'on the third day' — a signal tied to their plan for David's escape from Saul. Spanish 'al-tercer-día' and Hindi 'तिस्रे दिन' preserve the ordinal temporal sense. The textual tradition here is debated, with some scholars reading this as a distinct clause rather than a simple temporal marker. 1×
AR["وَ-ثَلَاثَةً"]·ben["এবং-তৃতীয়-দিনে"]·DE["und-auf-der-dritter-Tag"]·EN["and-on-the-third-day"]·FR["et-sur-le-troisième-jour"]·heb["ו-שילשת"]·HI["और-तिस्रे-दिन"]·ID["dan-pada-hari-ketiga"]·IT["e-su-il-terzo-giorno"]·jav["lan-kaping-tiga"]·KO["그리고-셋째-날에"]·PT["e-ao-terceiro-dia"]·RU["и-на-третий-день"]·ES["Y-al-tercer-día"]·SW["na-siku-ya-tatu"]·TR["Ve-üçüncü-gün"]·urd["اور-تیسرے-دن"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [שִׁלֵּשׁ] Pi. denom. do a third time, divide into three parts, etc.;—Pf. 2 ms. וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ֫ Dt 19:3 divide land into three parts (so Impf. וַיְשַׁלֵּשׁ אֶת־הָעָם [for MT וַיְשַׁלַּח] 2 S 18:2 𝔊L Bu); 1 S 20:19 stay three days (cf. Dr); v 20 We Dr al. (cf. 𝔊) read אֲשַׁלֵּשׁ בַּ׳ (for שְׁלשֶׁת הַ׳) = I will shoot on the third day with the arrows (HPS qu.); Impf. 3 mpl. וַיְשַׁלֵּ֑שׁוּ 1…