Hebrew word · H8345
שִׁשִּׁי
shishi
sixth
The ordinal number 'sixth'. When it is used with months, the count starts from the spring month Nisan (also called Abib) as month one, following Exod 12:2.
Appears 28 times in 26 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
1) sixth
1a) sixth (ordinal number)
1b) sixth (as fraction)
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
- Range of meaning
The ordinal number 'sixth'. When it is used with months, the count starts from the spring month Nisan (also called Abib) as month one, following Exod 12:2.
- Against the English
English readers tend to hear 'sixth month' as June. In this calendar it is Elul, which runs from about mid-August to mid-September.
- How it drifted
Modern readers count months from January in the Roman calendar. Israel's religious calendar after the exile, which followed the Babylonian one, counted from spring.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Babylonian Ulūlu, Hebrew Elul (Neh 6:15). Calculated against Babylonian records (Parker and Dubberstein, Babylonian Chronology), the 24th of Elul in Darius's second year comes out at about 21 September 520 BC.
Similar words
Where it appears
Genesis · 2
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Genesis 1:31 הַשִּׁשִּֽׁי׃ פ <the> sixth
And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Here: This is the first time in the chapter that a day's number has the definite article 'the'. Days two to five are literally 'a second day', 'a third day' and so on. The article sets this day apart as the climax before the seventh day. The letter פ after it is a scribal paragraph break.
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Genesis 30:19 שִׁשִּׁ֖י sixth
Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
Exodus · 4
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Exodus 16:5 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י <the> sixth
Then on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”
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Exodus 16:22 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֗י <the> sixth
On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food—two omers per person—and all the leaders of the congregation came and reported this to Moses.
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Exodus 16:29 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֖י <the> sixth
Understand that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day He will give you bread for two days. On the seventh day, everyone must stay where he is; no one may leave his place.”
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Exodus 26:9 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔ית <the> sixth
Join five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another. Then fold the sixth curtain over double at the front of the tent.
Leviticus · 1
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Leviticus 25:21 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֑ית <the> sixth
But I will send My blessing upon you in the sixth year, so that the land will yield a crop sufficient for three years.
Here: 'The sixth.' It answers v. 20's worry about 'the seventh year.' God's answer comes one year before the problem year. This is the same pattern as the manna, where a double portion fell on the sixth day so Israel could rest on the seventh (Exodus 16:5, 22).
Numbers · 2
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Numbers 7:42 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י <the> sixth
On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the Gadites, drew near.
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Numbers 29:29 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֛י <the> sixth
On the sixth day you are to present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished,
Joshua · 1
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Joshua 19:32 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֑י <the> sixth
The sixth lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Naphtali:
Here: The ordinal number 'sixth'. It counts the drawings for the seven tribes still without land at Shiloh (18:1–10): Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan. Naphtali is the sixth, and only Dan is left after it.
2 Samuel · 1
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2 Samuel 3:5 וְהַשִּׁשִּׁ֣י and [was] the sixth
and his sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These sons were born to David in Hebron.
1 Chronicles · 9
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1 Chronicles 2:15 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י the sixth
Ozem sixth, and David seventh.
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1 Chronicles 3:3 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֥י the sixth
the fifth was Shephatiah by Abital; and the sixth was Ithream by his wife Eglah.
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1 Chronicles 12:11 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י the sixth
Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
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1 Chronicles 24:9 הַשִּׁשִּֽׁי׃ the sixth
the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,
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1 Chronicles 25:13 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֣י the sixth
the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
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1 Chronicles 26:3 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י the sixth
Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, and Eliehoenai the seventh.
Here: 'The sixth' son in birth order.
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1 Chronicles 26:5 הַשִּׁשִּׁי֙ the sixth
Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth. For God had blessed Obed-edom.
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1 Chronicles 27:9 הַשִּׁשִּׁי֙ הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י [was] the sixth, <the> sixth
The sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. There were 24,000 men in his division.
Here: "The sixth" commander in the list. The noun is left unstated. The Hebrew just counts down the roster (first, second, … sixth), and English versions supply "captain" or "commander."
Nehemiah · 1
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Nehemiah 3:30 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֖י <the> sixth
Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, as well as Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his own quarters.
Ezekiel · 5
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Ezekiel 4:11 שִׁשִּׁ֣ית <the> sixth of
You are also to measure out a sixth of a hin of water to drink, and you are to drink it at set times.
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Ezekiel 8:1 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֗ית בַּשִּׁשִּׁי֙ <the> sixth, in the sixth [month]
In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me.
Here: The sixth year of the exile, which is 592 BC, about five or six years before Jerusalem fell.
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Ezekiel 45:13 שִׁשִּׁ֤ית [the] sixth [part] of
This is the contribution you are to offer: a sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and a sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley.
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Ezekiel 46:14 שִׁשִּׁ֣ית <the> sixth of
You are also to provide with it every morning a grain offering of a sixth of an ephah with a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour—a grain offering to the LORD. This is a permanent statute.
Haggai · 2
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Haggai 1:1 הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י <the> sixth
In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, stating
Here: The sixth month, later called Elul (late August to September). It is the season of the grape, fig and olive harvest, which matters for the oracle about failed crops that follows (1:6, 10–11).
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Haggai 1:15 בַּשִּׁשִּׁ֑י in the sixth [month]
on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.
Here: 'In the sixth [month]'. The word 'month' is understood, not repeated. The sixth month counted from spring is Elul, roughly late August to September. This is the same month as the oracle in 1:1.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.