Hebrew word · H8029

שִׁלֵּשׁ

shileshim

third

Nouns that mean members of the third generation and members of the fourth generation: grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They are not the ordinary ordinal numbers.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

pertaining to the third, third (generation)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Deuteronomy 5:9

Range of meaning

Nouns that mean members of the third generation and members of the fourth generation: grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They are not the ordinary ordinal numbers.

Against the English

English supplies 'generation(s)'. That is correct but abstract, and it can sound like centuries of descendants not yet born.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 50:23: Joseph 'saw the shilleshim of Ephraim', meaning his great-grandchildren in his own lifetime. Job 42:16: Job sees 'four generations'. Ancient household structure (the beit av, 'father's house') often held three or four living generations under one head. Ancient Near Eastern texts also speak of a long life as seeing the fourth generation.

From the study of Exodus 20:5

Range of meaning

Nouns meaning 'members of the third generation' and 'members of the fourth generation': great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. They are not abstract numbers.

Against the English

English versions add '[generation]' (KJV italics). That is fine, but it can make readers think of a long chain of separate, consecutive punishments over a century or more.

Used elsewhere in the period

Four generations is the most a long-lived patriarch could see: Joseph saw Ephraim's children 'of the third generation' (Gen 50:23), and Job saw 'four generations' (Job 42:16). A 7th-century BC Aramaic funerary inscription from Nerab (KAI 226) has a priest boast that he saw children of the fourth generation.

From the study of Genesis 50:23

Range of meaning

A plural noun from the root for 'three', meaning 'third-generation members' of a family. It is not an ordinal number ('third'). It names a group of people.

Against the English

KJV, BSB, YLT and most modern versions add the word 'generation', which is a fair reading. The Hebrew does not say exactly where the counting starts, and the English often hides that uncertainty. 'To the third generation' (BSB, WEB) could be read as 'up to his grandchildren' or as 'up to his great-grandchildren'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Outside this verse it appears only in the fixed formula 'upon the sons, upon the thirds and upon the fourths' (Exod 20:5; 34:7; Num 14:18; Deut 5:9). There, counting from the 'fathers', the thirds are grandsons and the fourths are great-grandsons, which is the most generations one household could hold at once. Rashi reads this verse as 'sons of sons of sons', that is, Ephraim's great-grandchildren. The Septuagint ('until the third generation') and the Vulgate ('usque ad tertiam generationem') both read it as a generation count.

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 50:23 שִׁלֵּשִׁ֑ים a third generation

    He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.

    Here: A rare word for 'thirds', meaning third-generation descendants. Outside this verse it appears only in the 'third and fourth generation' formula of Exodus 20:5 and its parallels. Here it means Joseph lived to see at least three generations come out of Ephraim.

Exodus · 2

  1. Exodus 20:5 שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים a third generation

    You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

    Here: Literally 'thirds'. The noun refers to people, the members of the third generation counted from the fathers' children.

  2. Exodus 34:7 שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים a third generation

    maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

    Here: A plural noun meaning third-generation people, not the abstract word "generation." Gen 50:23 uses it for the great-grandchildren Joseph lived to see.

Numbers · 1

  1. Numbers 14:18 שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים a third generation

    ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’

    Here: Literally 'thirds': members of the third generation, grandchildren. The word 'generation' is implied by the form, not written out.

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 5:9 שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים a third generation

    You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

    Here: Not the ordinal 'third' but a noun for members of the third generation, in effect grandchildren. Genesis 50:23 uses it of Joseph seeing his great-grandchildren.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.