עֲשַׂר (a.sar)
a.sar
ten
A:NQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N
Word Overview
The word aśar is the Aramaic form for the number ten, functioning as both masculine and feminine noun. It serves as the direct linguistic counterpart to the Hebrew eśer (H6235), appearing with equal frequency in contexts requiring precise numerical count. In the biblical text, it operates as a straightforward unit of measurement or enumeration rather than carrying metaphorical weight.
Its usage is concentrated in the later prophetic and historical books where Aramaic was the administrative language. The sources highlight its appearance in Daniel and Ezra, often describing tangible quantities such as weights, measurements, or groups of people. For instance, it appears in Daniel 3:1 when Nebuchadnezzar sets up a statue of specific dimensions, illustrating its role in recording imperial details.
Translators consistently render this term simply as "ten," preserving the exact numerical value without adding interpretive layers. The distinction between the Hebrew and Aramaic forms reflects the bilingual nature of the Persian period texts, where scribes switched languages based on the source material or genre. This word anchors the narrative in concrete reality, marking specific amounts in legal and historical records.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word aśar simply means ten. It appears in the Aramaic sections of Ezra and Daniel, marking specific counts in historical records. In Daniel 7, it describes the ten horns on a beast, symbolizing ten kings. This number grounds the vision in concrete reality, showing that God knows exactly how many powers will rise.
For your faith, this precision offers comfort. The visions of future turmoil are not vague or chaotic. They are measured and accounted for. When you face uncertainty about leaders or changing times, remember that no event escapes divine notice. The same God who counts the horns also holds history in His hands.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- ten5×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עֲשַׂ֔ר2×
- עַשְׂרָ֥ה1×
- עֲשַׂר֙1×
- עֲשַׂ֖ר1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 7:7
“After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there was a fourth animal, awesome, powerful, and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the animals that were before it. It had ten horns.
This verse introduces the ten horns as part of the terrifying fourth beast, establishing them as a key symbol of earthly power in the vision.
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Daniel 7:20
and concerning the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke arrogantly, whose look was more stout than its fellows.
Here the number specifies the group of kings associated with the beast, distinguishing them from the single arrogant horn that follows.
-
Daniel 7:24
As for the ten horns, ten kings will arise out of this kingdom. Another will arise after them; and he will be different from the former, and he will put down three kings.
The text explicitly interprets the ten horns as ten kings who will arise, providing a direct explanation for the symbolic number.