Lexical Summary
shilshowm: The day before yesterday, previously, formerly
Original Word:שִׁלְשׁוֹם
Part of Speech:Adverb
Transliteration:shilshowm
Pronunciation:shil-SHOME
Phonetic Spelling:(shil-shome')
KJV: + before (that time, -time), excellent things (from the margin), + heretofore, three days, + time past
Word Origin:[from the same asH8028 (שֶׁלֶשׁ - Shelesh)]
1. trebly, i.e. (in time) day before yesterday
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
before that time, heretofore, three days, time past
Or shilshom {shil-shome'}; from the same asShelesh; trebly, i.e. (in time) day before yesterday -- + before (that time, - time), excellent things (from the margin), + heretofore, three days, + time past.
see HEBREWShelesh
Brown-Driver-Briggs
and (less often)
25 = , specifically (Köii. 1. 255 f. LagBN 20 Anm. BaNB § 216 b); — in phraseExodus 5:8yesterday (and)day before, idiomatic forhitherto, soRuth 2:11,1 Samuel 4:7;Genesis 31:2,5 (E),Exodus 5:7,14 (J),2 Kings 13:5, compare1 Samuel 14:21;1 Samuel 19:7;Exodus 4:10 (J),2 Samuel 3:17;1 Chronicles 11:2, compare2 Samuel 5:2; fromaforetime, previouslyExodus 21:29,36 (E),Deuteronomy 4:42;Deuteronomy 19:4,6;Joshua 4:18 (J),Joshua 3:4;Joshua 20:5 (both R), compare1 Samuel 10:11;1 Samuel 21:6as formerly (but Bu =for some days). —Proverbs 22:20 Kt is difficult; Qr (see III. ) is impossible; supply perhaps have I not theeheretofore, etc.?
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and ScopeShilshom marks the near past, stretching from “yesterday” through “three days ago,” and idiomatically “formerly” or “in times past.” Scripture employs it to summon collective memory, frame justice, validate leadership, and highlight God’s unbroken faithfulness.
Narrative Anchors of Divine Activity
•Exodus 4:10. Moses confesses, “I have never been eloquent—neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant”. Shilshom places his weakness in a timeline over which God now asserts mastery.
•Exodus 5:7-14. Israel’s quota is no longer as “before,” intensifying oppression and setting a redemptive stage.
•Joshua 3:4. “You have not passed this way before,” underscoring dependence as Israel crosses into promise.
•Joshua 4:18. The river returns to flood stage as soon as the priests leave, contrasting the dry path “formerly” under their feet.
Legal Safeguards in the Torah
• Manslaughter (Deuteronomy 4:42; 19:4-6;Joshua 20:5). Refuge is granted to one who “did not hate his neighbor in the past,” preserving life through a remembered lack of malice.
• The Goring Ox (Exodus 21:29-36). An owner becomes culpable once the beast “was in the habit of goring in the past,” proving awareness and reinforcing accountability.
Covenantal Leadership Remembered
•2 Samuel 5:2;1 Chronicles 11:2. Elders affirm David: “In times past, while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in.” Past service undergirds present enthronement.
•2 Samuel 3:17. Tribal desire for David traced back “for some time past,” legitimizing political transition.
•2 Kings 13:5. Post-deliverance Israel “lived in their homes as in times past,” a benchmark of restored peace.
Identity and Testimony
•Ruth 2:11. Boaz knows Ruth’s devotion “since the death of your husband,” validating her noble standing.
•1 Samuel 10:11. “All who had formerly known him” marvel at Saul’s prophetic transformation, magnifying the Spirit’s work.
•1 Samuel 4:7; 14:21; 19:7. Philistine panic and Hebrew realignment pivot on deeds unparalleled “heretofore,” revealing fear, repentance, and reconciliation.
Wisdom Literature
Proverbs 22:20: “Have I not written to you excellent things of counsel and knowledge?”—a reminder that truth deposited “before” continues to guide.
Theological Motifs
• Continuity. Shilshom links past acts of God to current obedience, revealing a covenantal through-line.
• Memory-Based Justice. Prior knowledge intensifies responsibility; ignorance cannot be pled where shilshom is documented.
• Grace and New Beginnings. God often interrupts yesterday’s patterns to launch fresh works—crossing Jordan, empowering Saul, restoring Israel.
Ministry Reflections
• Invite believers to erect figurative “stones of shilshom” that commemorate recent mercies.
• Teach that biblical justice weighs prior history; nurture communities that remember rightly.
• Encourage emerging leaders to cultivate present faithfulness so that future calls rest on “times past.”
• Proclaim that yesterday’s bondage can give way to today’s freedom, as the Lord restores “dwelling in tents as before.”
Summary
Shilshom functions as Scripture’s hinge between memory and mission—recalling what was, to galvanize what must now be. Yesterday’s deeds of God and His people instruct, warn, and inspire, assuring that the God who acted then remains the same today and forever.
Forms and Transliterations
מִשִּׁלְשֹׁ֔ם משלשם שִׁלְשֹֽׁם׃ שִׁלְשֹׁ֑ם שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם שִׁלְשֹׁ֗ם שִׁלְשֹׁם֙ שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃ שִׁלְשׁ֑וֹם שִׁלְשׁ֔וֹם שִׁלְשׁ֖וֹם שִׁלְשׁ֗וֹם שָׁלִישִׁ֑ים שלישים שלשום שלשום׃ שלשם שלשם׃ miš·šil·šōm mishshilShom miššilšōm šā·lî·šîm šālîšîm shaliShim shilShom šil·šō·wm šil·šōm šilšōm šilšōwm
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