Lexical Summary
shanah: Year
Original Word:שָׁנֶה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:shaneh
Pronunciation:shah-NAH
Phonetic Spelling:(shaw-neh')
KJV: + whole age, X long, + old, year(X -ly)
NASB:years, year, length, annually, count, every year, yearling
Word Origin:[fromH8138 (שָׁנָה - second time)]
1. a year (as a revolution of time)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
whole age, long, old, yearly
(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; fromshanah; a year (as a revolution of time) -- + whole age, X long, + old, year(X -ly).
see HEBREWshanah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
shanaDefinitiona year
NASB Translationannual* (1), annually (2), annually* (4), count (2), every year (2), length (3), life (1), year (318), yearling (2), yearly (1), years (451), years the year (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
877 (on apparent exception see Albr
ZAW xvi (1896), 46) (etymology see √); — absolute
Amos 2:10 +; construct
Genesis 41:50 +; suffix
Ezekiel 46:13 +,
Leviticus 14:10 2t.; dual
Amos 1:1 +, -
1 Kings 15:25 +; plural
Exodus 21:2 +, construct
Genesis 23:1 24t.,
Deuteronomy 32:7 8t. (in poetry and late); suffix
Leviticus 25:52 4t. suffix;
Isaiah 38:15;
Psalm 31:11,
Psalm 78:33 8t. suffix; —
year, as division of time,
Exodus 23:14,17 3t. +, etc.;
Deuteronomy 11:12, opposed to
Deuteronomy 11:12,
Exodus 23:16,
Exodus 34:22; 2Chronicles 24:23,
2 Samuel 11:1 +, etc.;
2 Kings 13:20, read Bur, Kit, compare =
year by year1 Samuel 1:7 +; Benz, compare
Nehemiah 10:33; so
Deuteronomy 14:22,
2 Samuel 21:1,
Esther 9:21,27; especially of duration of life;
Genesis 23:1;
Genesis 25:7 + (P);
Job 36:11 +,
Psalm 31:11 ("" ), etc.; of God
Job 10:5;
Psalm 102:25;
Psalm 102:28; in phrase of age, see
,
; indefiniteEzekiel 38:17 =for years,Daniel 11:6;1 Samuel 29:3; specificallyIsaiah 6:1;Isaiah 14:28,Isaiah 20:1,Deuteronomy 15:9;Deuteronomy 31:10,Leviticus 25:13 +, etc.;Isaiah 16:14;Isaiah 21:16 (see );Jeremiah 11:23 2t.;Isaiah 61:2, etc.;Deuteronomy 32:7, compareJoel 2:2; most often with cardinal numbers: plural after units, apposition,Exodus 21:2 +, so also2 Samuel 2:10 +, but dualAmos 1:1 4t.,Genesis 41:1 4t.; very rarely with number (certainly) construct1 Samuel 13:1 (corrupt),Leviticus 25:21; 8+2 Kings 22:1; before unit (rare, late) 2Chronicles 11:17 (twice in verse);Daniel 1:5; singular after 11-19, tens and hundredsGenesis 5:3,9;Genesis 14:4 + often; so 90 9yearsGenesis 17:24 +, rarely 30 3years1 Kings 2:11, etc.; butPsalm 90:4 1000years, so (+ )Ecclesiastes 6:6 1000years twice over; with compare number often repeated, 900year30yearGenesis 5:5, etc.; 100year70year5yearsGenesis 25:7, etc.; with cardinal number = ordinal,1 Kings 22:41in the fourth year of, etc., also2 Kings 15:23, etc.; but2 Kings 18:13, etc. (often), and1 Kings 6:38, etc.; also (c. units),Leviticus 19:24 +, etc., +2 Kings 17:6the ninth year of, etc.; and even (Ges§ 134p)2 Kings 25:1, compareEzra 7:8;Jeremiah 46:2;Jeremiah 51:59 #NAME?Jeremiah 28:1;Jeremiah 32:1 (Qr ).
II. (√of following, meaning dubious; Thes compare Arabic
shine, Ethiopic
=
be beautiful, Di251, compare PhilippiZAW xxxii (1878), 79; but Assyrianšinîtu isdyed cloth).
Topical Lexicon
Principle Measure of Biblical TimeShanah frames all covenant chronology. From Genesis to Malachi it is the divinely ordained yard-stick by which life-spans, agricultural cycles, regal reigns, festival schedules, prophetic periods, and redemptive expectations are measured. Scripture never hints at randomness in its unfolding of years; each occurrence witnesses to a God who “has set a time for every purpose” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
The Year in Patriarchal Chronology
• Genealogies hinge on shanah: “So all the days that Adam lived were 930 years” (Genesis 5:5).
• Milestone ages carry theological weight—Abram departs Haran at seventy-five (Genesis 12:4); Isaac is offered when Abraham calls him his “only son,” though the narrative later dates Sarah’s death at one hundred twenty-seven years (Genesis 23:1), enabling careful students to estimate Isaac’s age.
• Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream in seven-year blocks (Genesis 41:26-30), reinforcing the year as prophetic unit.
Covenant Calendars: Sacred and Civil
Exodus 12:2 reorients Israel around redemption: “This month is to be for you the beginning of months.” Later texts assume a civil reckoning beginning in the seventh month (Tishri), so Scripture speaks of two concurrent “first” months. The coexistence of calendars highlights different theological emphases—redemption (Nisan) and creation/kingship (Tishri).
Sabbath Year (Shemitah)
Every seventh shanah the land rests (Exodus 23:10-11;Leviticus 25:3-4). The command embodies:
1. Trust in Yahweh’s provision (“I will send My blessing in the sixth year,”Leviticus 25:21).
2. Social justice—debts canceled (Deuteronomy 15:1-2).
3. Ecological stewardship.
Failure to honor Sabbatical years contributes to the exile (2 Chronicles 36:21).
Jubilee Year
After seven cycles of seven years, the fiftieth year is proclaimed: “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land” (Leviticus 25:10). Themes include:
• Restoration of hereditary land.
• Emancipation of Israelite slaves.
• Typology of ultimate redemption, echoed inIsaiah 61:2 and declared fulfilled by Jesus inLuke 4:19.
Royal Annals and Regnal Years
Kings are dated by accession and interlocking reigns. Examples:
• “In the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt… Solomon began to build the house of the LORD” (1 Kings 6:1).
• Synchronisms such as2 Kings 14:23 anchor history and reveal the reliability of Scripture against external chronologies.
Festal Cycle and Agricultural Seasons
Leviticus 23 orders feasts within the shanah, tying worship to harvest:
• Spring: Passover and Unleavened Bread (redemption).
• Early summer: Weeks (firstfruits).
• Autumn: Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles (ingathering and eschatological hope).
Prophetic Timetables
• “Seventy weeks” (literally “sevens,”Daniel 9:24-27) employs sabbatical-year groupings to project messianic arrival.
•Isaiah 61:2 announces “the year of the LORD’s favor,” testifying that divine grace has a definitive season.
• Ezekiel’s symbolic siege (Ezekiel 4:5-6) allots Israel 390 years and Judah 40 years, underscoring covenant accountability.
Personal Age and Life-Spans
Shanah records life journeys:
• Moses’ life in three forty-year segments (Acts 7:23, 30, 36 reflects Exodus narrative).
•Psalm 90:10 estimates human life at “seventy years, or eighty if we have the strength,” teaching stewardship of limited days.
Historical Narratives: Key Year Markers
• Wilderness judgment: “Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness forty years” (Numbers 14:33).
• Judges’ cycles often close with a statement such as “the land had rest forty years” (Judges 3:11).
• Post-exilic reforms: “In the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes” (Nehemiah 2:1) pinpoints Nehemiah’s mission.
Redemptive Typology and Theological Significance
The seventh and fiftieth years prefigure ultimate release in Christ.Hebrews 4 links Sabbath-rest concepts to the believer’s salvation rest, while Jubilee language shapes New Testament soteriology. The vigilant numbering of years reminds believers that God rules history toward consummation.
Eschatological Horizons
Shanah frames apocalyptic visions:
•Daniel 7:25 speaks of “a time, times, and half a time” (three and a half years).
• Revelation, borrowing Danielic imagery, uses 1,260 days and forty-two months to portray the same period, maintaining the prophetic template established in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Practical Ministry Implications
1. Stewardship: Believers redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16), mindful that God counts years.
2. Sabbatical rhythms encourage rest and trust.
3. Jubilee ideals inspire social ethics—liberty, debt relief, and care for the marginalized.
4. Chronological precision strengthens confidence in biblical reliability and therefore fuels evangelism and teaching.
Selected Key References
Genesis 5:5; 12:4
Exodus 12:2; 23:10-11
Leviticus 25:3-4, 10-12, 21
Numbers 14:33-34
Deuteronomy 15:1
Judges 3:11
1 Samuel 1:3
1 Kings 6:1
2 Kings 14:23
2 Chronicles 36:21
Nehemiah 2:1
Psalm 90:10
Isaiah 61:2
Daniel 7:25; 9:24-27
Ezekiel 4:5-6
Luke 4:19
Forms and Transliterations
בְּשָׁנָ֔ה בְּשָׁנָ֖ה בְּשָׁנָ֣ה בְּשָׁנָֽה׃ בְשָׁנָ֑ה בְשָׁנָ֔ה בְשָׁנָ֗ה בְשָׁנָֽה׃ בִּשְׁנַ֛ת בִּשְׁנַ֣ת בִּשְׁנַ֤ת בִּשְׁנַ֥ת בִּשְׁנַ֨ת בִּשְׁנַת֙ בִּשְׁנַת֩ בִּשְׁנַת־ בִשְׁנַ֨ת בַּשָּׁנִ֑ים בַּשָּׁנִ֛ים בַּשָּׁנִ֣ים בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה בַּשָּׁנָ֛ה בַּשָּׁנָ֜ה בַּשָּׁנָ֡ה בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה בַּשָּׁנָ֤ה בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה בַּשָּׁנָ֧ה בַּשָּׁנָ֨ה בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃ בַּשָּׁנָה֙ בַשָּׁנָ֣ה בַשָּׁנָ֨ה בַשָּׁנָה֩ בַּשָּׁנָה֙ בשנה בשנה׃ בשנים בשנת בשנת־ הַשָּׁנִ֔ים הַשָּׁנִ֗ים הַשָּׁנִ֜ים הַשָּׁנִ֣ים הַשָּׁנִ֥ים הַשָּׁנִֽים׃ הַשָּׁנִים֙ הַשָּׁנָ֑ה הַשָּׁנָ֔ה הַשָּׁנָ֗ה הַשָּׁנָ֛ה הַשָּׁנָ֜ה הַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ הַשָּׁנָה֙ השנה השנה׃ השנים השנים׃ וְשָׁנִֽים׃ וְשָׁנִים֩ וְשָׁנָ֣ה וְשָׁנָֽה׃ וּ֝שְׁנֵיהֶ֗ם וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ וּ֝שְׁנוֹתֶ֗יךָ וּ֝שְׁנוֹתָ֗ם וּבִשְׁנַ֣ת וּבִשְׁנַ֤ת וּבִשְׁנַ֨ת וּבִשְׁנַת֙ וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה וּבַשָּׁנָ֥ה וּבַשָּׁנָ֨ה וּבַשָּׁנָה֙ וּבַשָּׁנָה֩ וּכְשָׁנִ֖ים וּשְׁנ֖וֹת וּשְׁנ֣וֹת וּשְׁנֵי֙ וּשְׁנַ֥ת וּשְׁנוֹתַ֪י ובשנה ובשנת וכשנים ושנה ושנה׃ ושנות ושנותי ושנותיך ושנותם ושני ושניהם ושנים ושנים׃ ושנת ושנתיך כְּשָׁנָ֣ה כִּשְׁנֵ֣י כשנה כשני לְשָׁנִ֣ים לְשָׁנִ֥ים לִשְׁנַ֥ת לִשְׁנָתַ֣יִם לַשָּׁנָ֖ה לַשָּׁנָ֗ה לַשָּׁנָ֛ה לַשָּׁנָ֞ה לשנה לשנים לשנת לשנתים מִשְּׁנַ֣ת מִשְּׁנַ֥ת מִשְּׁנַת֙ משנת נות נותיו נותיך נים שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת שְׁ֝נוֹתֶ֗יךָ שְׁ֝נוֹתָ֗יו שְׁנ֣וֹת שְׁנֵ֖י שְׁנֵ֣י שְׁנֵ֤י שְׁנֵ֥י שְׁנֵֽי־ שְׁנֵי֙ שְׁנַ֛ת שְׁנַ֣ת שְׁנַ֤ת שְׁנַ֥ת שְׁנַ֨ת שְׁנַֽת־ שְׁנַת֙ שְׁנַת־ שְׁנָת֖וֹ שְׁנָת֛וֹ שְׁנָת֜וֹ שְׁנָת֨וֹ שְׁנָתַ֖יִם שְׁנָתַ֣יִם שְׁנָתַ֥יִם שְׁנָתָ֖הּ שְׁנָתָ֛הּ שְׁנָתָֽיִם׃ שְׁנָתוֹ֙ שְׁנוֹתֵ֨ינוּ שְׁנוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ שְׁנוֹתַ֖י שְׁנוֹתָ֑יִךְ שְׁנוֹתָֽי׃ שָׁ֝נִ֗ים שָׁנִ֑ים שָׁנִ֔ים שָׁנִ֖ים שָׁנִ֗ים שָׁנִ֜ים שָׁנִ֡ים שָׁנִ֣ים שָׁנִ֣ים ׀ שָׁנִ֤ים שָׁנִ֥ים שָׁנִֽים׃ שָׁנִים֙ שָׁנֵ֣ינוּ שָׁנָ֑ה שָׁנָ֔ה שָׁנָ֔יו שָׁנָ֖ה שָׁנָ֗ה שָׁנָ֗יו שָׁנָ֛ה שָׁנָ֜ה שָׁנָ֡ה שָׁנָ֣ה שָׁנָ֣ה ׀ שָׁנָ֣יו שָׁנָ֤ה שָׁנָ֥ה שָׁנָ֧ה שָׁנָ֨ה שָׁנָ֨ה ׀ שָׁנָֽה׃ שָׁנָה֙ שָׁנָה֩ שָׁנָה֮ שָׁנִ֔ים שנה שנה׃ שנות שנותי שנותי׃ שנותיך שנותיך׃ שנותינו שני שני־ שניו שנים שנים׃ שנינו שנת שנת־ שנתה שנתו שנתים שנתים׃ baš·šā·nāh ḇaš·šā·nāh baš·šā·nîm bashshaNah bashshaNim baššānāh ḇaššānāh baššānîm bə·šā·nāh ḇə·šā·nāh bəšānāh ḇəšānāh beshaNah biš·naṯ ḇiš·naṯ biš·naṯ- bishNat bišnaṯ ḇišnaṯ bišnaṯ- haš·šā·nāh haš·šā·nîm hashshaNah hashshaNim haššānāh haššānîm kə·šā·nāh kəšānāh keshaNah kiš·nê kishNei kišnê laš·šā·nāh lashshaNah laššānāh lə·šā·nîm ləšānîm leshaNim liš·nā·ṯa·yim liš·naṯ lishNat lishnaTayim lišnaṯ lišnāṯayim miš·šə·naṯ mishsheNat miššənaṯ Nim nîm nō·w·ṯāw nō·w·ṯe·ḵā nō·wṯ Not noTav noTeicha nōwṯ nōwṯāw nōwṯeḵā šā·nāh šā·nāw šā·nê·nū šā·nîm šānāh šānāw šānênū šānîm šə·nā·ṯa·yim šə·nā·ṯā·yim šə·nā·ṯāh šə·nā·ṯōw šə·naṯ šə·naṯ- šə·nê šə·nê- šə·nō·w·ṯā·yiḵ šə·nō·w·ṯay šə·nō·w·ṯāy šə·nō·w·ṯe·ḵā šə·nō·w·ṯê·nū šə·nō·wṯ šənaṯ šənaṯ- šənāṯāh šənāṯayim šənāṯāyim šənāṯōw šənê šənê- šənōwṯ šənōwṯay šənōwṯāy šənōwṯāyiḵ šənōwṯeḵā šənōwṯênū shaNah shaNav shaNeinu shaNim sheNat shenaTah shenaTayim shenaTo sheNei sheNot shenoTai shenoTayich shenoTeicha shenoTeinu ū·ḇaš·šā·nāh ū·ḇiš·naṯ ū·ḵə·šā·nîm ū·šə·naṯ ū·šə·nê ū·šə·nê·hem ū·šə·nō·ṯe·ḵā ū·šə·nō·w·ṯām ū·šə·nō·w·ṯay ū·šə·nō·w·ṯe·ḵā ū·šə·nō·wṯ ūḇaššānāh ūḇišnaṯ ucheshaNim ūḵəšānîm ūšənaṯ ūšənê ūšənêhem ūšənōṯeḵā ūšənōwṯ ūšənōwṯām ūšənōwṯay ūšənōwṯeḵā usheNat usheNei usheneiHem usheNot ushenoTai ushenoTam ushenoTeicha uvashshaNah uvishNat vashshaNah veshaNah veshaNim vishNat wə·šā·nāh wə·šā·nîm wəšānāh wəšānîm
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