שִׁתִּין
𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤍
shittîyn
H8361 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
The numeral designating the cardinal number sixty (60), used exclusively in Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible as a quantity referring to groups, ages, measures, or tallies totaling sixty. Semantically, it is a basic numeral with a purely quantitative sense, without inherent symbolic or metaphorical significance in biblical usage.
Semantic Range
sixty (the number 60), threescore
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שֵׁשׁ (shin-shin), meaning 'six,' with the pluralizing and decimal-forming suffix -ין (-in) common in Aramaic. The form parallels the Hebrew שִׁשִּׁים (shishim), also meaning 'sixty.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
שִׁתִּין appears only in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (notably Daniel and Ezra), functioning as the standard way of expressing 'sixty' in an Aramaic context, where the corresponding Hebrew form is שִׁשִּׁים. There is no specialized or symbolic meaning attached to the word; it is a straightforward numeral. In the wider Semitic context, the structure of numerals for multiples of ten is consistent, resulting in close cognates in related languages. Later translations (including the King James Version) render this with terms like 'threescore,' an archaic English numeral for sixty. This word is distinct from שֵׁת (shet, 'foundation, pillar'), despite some phonetic similarity in Aramaic and Hebrew; it is also unrelated to any personal or place names. The frequency and function of the term did not change across biblical periods, remaining a technical term for the quantity sixty.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to שִׁשִּׁים (compare שֵׁת); sixty; threescore.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁשׁ (sh-sh) — six, be six
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7893 | שַׁיִשׁ | bright white marble |
| H8336 | שֵׁשׁ | in shining white linen |
| H8337 | שֵׁשׁ | in six |
| H8341 | שָׁשָׁה | and you shall apportion a sixth |
| H8343 | שָׁשַׁי | White-One |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8361-01 |
שִׁתִּ֔ין | shitin | AAcfpa |
sixty | sixty | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8361-01 |
Daniel 3:1 | שִׁתִּ֔ין | shitin | AAcfpa |
sixty | sixty |
H8361-01 |
Daniel 6:1 | שִׁתִּ֥ין | shitin | AAcbpa |
sixty | sixty |
H8361-01 |
Ezra 6:3 | שִׁתִּ֔ין | shitin | AAcbsa |
sixty | sixty |
H8361-01 |
Ezra 6:3 | שִׁתִּֽין | shitin-2 | AAcbsa |
sixty | sixty |