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יְרַח

𐤉𐤓𐤇

yᵉrach

H3393 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ירח to shine (of the moon), be bright; moon; to mark the passage of time by the moon

Definition

Month; a period of time defined by the lunar cycle, approximately 29-30 days. In biblical Aramaic contexts, יְרַח refers to a full lunar month, lining up with the calendar system in use among the ancient Mesopotamian and Persian administrations. The term is used to designate civil or cultic months, often in official contexts such as decrees, records, or narratives referring to events dated by the lunar calendar. The primary sense is temporal, not ritual or agricultural.

Semantic Range

lunar month, calendar month, period of ~29-30 days, unit of time used for dating events

Root / Etymology

From the root ירח, which in Hebrew denotes 'moon.' The Aramaic form יְרַח (yᵉrach) is a cognate of the Hebrew יֶרַח (yerach) and is similarly related to the Akkadian 'warḫum,' meaning 'month' or 'moon.' The derivational pattern shows a common Northwest Semitic approach to naming the lunar month after the moon itself. Thus, the word moves from the root meaning 'moon' (the celestial body) to 'month' (the period marked by one lunar cycle).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (notably Daniel and Ezra), יְרַח is always used as a technical or administrative term for 'month,' never for 'moon' as an object or deity. It does not appear in Hebrew narrative or poetic passages, where יֶרַח (moon/month, often poetic or archaic) and חֹדֶשׁ (ḥodesh, 'new moon/month,' especially for the first day of the month in cultic calendars) are preferred. In post-exilic contexts, especially under Persian influence, the use of יְרַח reflects the continued coherence of lunar calendars for both civic and cultic timekeeping. English translations in standard Bibles almost always render יְרַח as 'month,' which communicates the primary temporal sense but loses the underlying connection to the moon as the determining factor for the reckoning of time. Unlike ḥodesh, which emphasizes the renewal (new moon) and sometimes carries cultic overtones, יְרַח simply denotes the established monthly cycle. No direct distinction is made in Aramaic contexts between ethnic or religious calendars—the term is neutral and administrative, in contrast to terms that sometimes mark ritual observance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to יֶרַח; a month; month.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ירח (y-r-ḥ) — to shine (of the moon), moon, lunar cycle, marking time by the moon

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3386 יָרוֹחַ Moon-born
H3391 יֶרַח in lunar-month-of
H3392 יֶרַח Yerach
H3394 יָרֵחַ the moon
H3398 יַרְחָע moon

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3393-01 לִ/ירַ֣ח lirach AR/Ncmsc of-month lunar month of 1
H3393-02 יַרְחִ֖ין yarechin ANcmpa days lunar months 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3393-02 Daniel 4:26 יַרְחִ֖ין yarechin ANcmpa days lunar months
H3393-01 Ezra 6:15 לִ/ירַ֣ח lirach AR/Ncmsc of-month lunar month of
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