יְרַח (ye.rach)
ye.rach
month
A:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-M
Word Overview
The word yērāḥ is an Aramaic noun meaning month, appearing only once in the Hebrew Bible at Ezra 4:7. It functions as the direct equivalent of the Hebrew ye·raḥ (H3391), serving as a standard unit of time within the imperial administrative language of the Persian period.
Its singular occurrence places it in a formal letter to King Artaxerxes, where scribes use precise dating to challenge the rebuilding efforts in Jerusalem. This context highlights how timekeeping was not merely practical but political, with months marking official decrees and historical interruptions. The term carries no theological weight beyond its chronological function, anchoring the narrative in the specific calendar of the ancient Near East.
Translators consistently render it as month, preserving the distinction between Hebrew and Aramaic texts while maintaining clarity for modern readers. Its rarity underscores the bilingual nature of biblical literature, where Aramaic sections reflect the diplomatic tongue of the empire rather than the liturgical language of Israel.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word yerach, meaning month, appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, found within an Aramaic letter in Ezra 4:7. In this context, it serves as a precise marker of time during the Persian period. The scribes used specific months to document official decrees and historical interruptions regarding the rebuilding of Jerusalem. This usage highlights how timekeeping was not just practical but also political, anchoring events in the calendar of the ancient Near East.
While this term lacks deep theological weight, it reminds us that God’s work unfolds within real history. The precise dating of months shows that God cares about the details of our lives and the timeline of His plans. Even when opposition arises, as seen in these records, God’s purposes are not thwarted by human delays or political maneuvering.
For your faith, this word invites trust in God’s timing. Just as the rebuilding was completed at a specific moment, your own journey is held within His sovereign schedule. You can find comfort knowing that every season, marked by its months and years, is known and overseen by Him. This perspective helps us wait with patience, confident that God’s work will be finished according to His perfect plan.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- of/ [the] month of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לִ/ירַ֣ח1×
Key Verses
-
Ezra 6:15
This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
This verse records the completion of the temple on a specific day of a month, demonstrating how precise chronological markers were used to validate historical events in the biblical narrative.