חָמֵשׁ (cha.mesh)
cha.mesh
five
H:NQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 220 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N
Word Overview
The Hebrew word chamesh functions as the cardinal number five, appearing over two hundred times in the Old Testament. It serves a straightforward counting purpose, identifying specific quantities in genealogies, census records, and inventory lists. Its most frequent occurrences are found in Numbers and Exodus, where it helps detail the organization of Israel’s tribes and the construction of the tabernacle.
Beyond simple counting, chamesh also conveys ordinal meaning as "fifth" or appears in compound forms like "fifteen." This flexibility allows it to mark sequence as well as quantity. The sources note its cognates in other Semitic languages, such as Arabic khams, highlighting its ancient roots across the region.
While some scholars have suggested that five held sacred numerical significance similar to the number seven, the biblical usage remains largely practical and descriptive. It records exact counts of items like gold rings or soldiers, without implying mystical value in the text itself. The word anchors the narrative in concrete reality, marking precise measurements and generations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chamesh simply means five. It appears two hundred twenty times in the Old Testament, mostly in lists of numbers. You will find it counting generations in Genesis or describing the curtains for the tabernacle in Exodus. The text uses it to record exact facts about history and worship.
This precision shows that God cares about details. He is not vague about His people or His plans. When you read these numbers, you see a faithful God who keeps track of every life and every item used for His glory. It grounds the story in real time and real space.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 220 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- five109×
- and/ five88×
- fif-15×
- [the] five12×
- [was] five9×
- [were] five8×
- and/ [was] five6×
- on/ [the] fif-5×
- five of4×
- for/ five2×
- for/ fif-2×
- five [bars]2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וַ/חֲמֵ֥שׁ18×
- חֲמִשָּׁה֙16×
- וְ/חָמֵ֤שׁ15×
- חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה13×
- חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה12×
- חָמֵ֥שׁ11×
- חֲמֵ֥שׁ10×
- חָמֵ֣שׁ9×
- חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה8×
- וַ/חֲמִשָּֽׁה\׃\ \ס8×
- חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה7×
- חֲמֵ֣שֶׁת6×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 5:6
Seth lived one hundred five years, then became the father of Enosh.
This verse uses chamesh to record Seth's age, anchoring the long genealogies of Genesis in specific historical data.
-
Exodus 26:3
Five curtains shall be coupled together to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another.
Here the word specifies the construction of the tabernacle curtains, showing God’s attention to detail in worship materials.
-
Genesis 45:11
There I will provide for you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have.”’
Joseph mentions five years of famine to reassure his family that God will provide for their survival during this crisis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chamesh mean?
Does the number five have a special spiritual meaning?
Where does this word appear most often?
Every Occurrence (220 verses across 20 books)
Genesis 22 verses
Seth lived one hundred five years, then became the father of Enosh.
Genesis 5:10Enosh lived after he became the father of Kenan eight hundred fifteen years, and became the father of other sons and…
Genesis 5:11All of the days of Enosh were nine hundred five years, then he died.
Genesis 5:15Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Jared.
Genesis 5:17All of the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety-five years, then he died.
Genesis 5:21Enoch lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Methuselah.
Genesis 5:23All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years.
Genesis 5:30Lamech lived after he became the father of Noah five hundred ninety-five years, and became the father of other sons and…
Genesis 5:32Noah was five hundred years old, then Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 7:20The waters rose fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered.
Genesis 11:11Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of more sons and…
Genesis 11:12Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah.
Genesis 11:32The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.
Genesis 12:4So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
Genesis 14:9against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings…
Genesis 18:28What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will…
Genesis 25:7These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years.
Genesis 43:34He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank,…
Genesis 45:6For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be no plowing…
Genesis 45:11There I will provide for you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your…
Genesis 45:22He gave each one of them changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes…
Genesis 47:2From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.