חָמֵשׁ

From the study of Genesis 43:34

Range of meaning

יָד is literally “hand.” It can also mean power, side, or a part or share. In the plural with a number it is an idiom for “times” or “portions”: “four hands” = four parts (Gen 47:24), “ten hands” = ten times (Dan 1:20), and “ten hands in the king” = ten shares (2 Sam 19:44).

Against the English

Most versions turn it into “five times as much,” which is accurate. YLT’s “five hands” keeps the idiom but sounds odd in English.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 47:24; 2 Sam 19:44; Dan 1:20. The Septuagint uses πενταπλασίως, “fivefold.”