חֲמִשִּׁים (cha.mish.shim)
cha.mish.shim
fifty
H:NQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 127 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N
Word Overview
The Hebrew word chamiššîm simply means fifty, functioning as a cardinal number in most biblical contexts. It appears frequently in historical and legal texts, such as when describing the census results in Numbers or the dimensions of the tabernacle curtains in Exodus 26:5. The term is straightforward, denoting the exact quantity without inherent metaphorical weight.
Its etymology derives from the root for five, extending the base unit into a multiple of ten times that value. In rare instances, it also carries an ordinal sense, referring to the fiftieth item or day in a sequence. This dual usage is visible when counting years, such as the age of Enoch in Genesis 9:28, or marking time periods like the count toward Pentecost in Leviticus 23:16.
While five often holds symbolic significance in Jewish tradition, fifty primarily serves a practical purpose in Scripture. It structures narratives involving genealogies, measurements, and chronological markers. The word anchors these accounts in concrete reality, providing precise data for readers to understand the scale of events or the magnitude of offerings described in the text.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The number fifty appears throughout Scripture as a marker of order and divine provision. In the account of Noah’s Ark, God gives precise dimensions, including a width of fifty cubits, ensuring the vessel was sturdy enough to preserve life through the flood. This specificity reminds us that God cares about the details of our lives, providing structure even in times of chaos.
In Exodus, the number fifty helps organize the community under Moses’ leadership and defines the physical space of the tabernacle. By setting up rulers over fifties and creating fifty clasps to join the curtains, God establishes a system where people are cared for and His presence dwells among them in an orderly way.
When we encounter this number today, it can encourage us to trust in God’s plan. Just as the ancients relied on these measurements for safety and worship, we can find comfort in knowing that our lives are held together by a Creator who brings order out of confusion and provides for our needs.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 127 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- fifty65×
- and/ fifty42×
- the/ fifty7×
- fifties4×
- for/ fifty3×
- and/ fifty [men]/ his3×
- a fifty3×
- [will be] fifty3×
- fifty [men]/ your2×
- fifty [men]/ his2×
- [was] fifty2×
- [are] fifty2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים34×
- חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים23×
- וַ/חֲמִשִּׁ֛ים11×
- חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים8×
- חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים7×
- וַ/חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים6×
- וַ/חֲמִשִּֽׁים\׃5×
- וַ/חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים5×
- וַ/חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים5×
- חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים3×
- וַ/חֲמִשָּׁ֑י/ו3×
- וַ/חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים3×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 6:15
This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
This verse specifies the width of Noah's Ark as fifty cubits, showing God's precise care in preserving life during the flood.
-
Exodus 18:21
Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Moses is instructed to appoint rulers over fifties, establishing a practical system of community leadership and justice.
-
Exodus 26:6
You shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains to one another with the clasps. The tabernacle shall be a unit.
Fifty gold clasps are used to join the tabernacle curtains, symbolizing how God unites His people into one holy dwelling place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word chamiššîm mean?
Where does this number appear most often in the Bible?
Is fifty a symbolic number in the Old Testament?
Every Occurrence (127 verses across 17 books)
Genesis 8 verses
This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its…
Genesis 7:24The waters flooded the earth one hundred fifty days.
Genesis 8:3The waters continually receded from the earth. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters receded.
Genesis 9:28Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood.
Genesis 9:29All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.
Genesis 18:24What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who…
Genesis 18:26Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
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…