עָשָׂר (a.sar)
a.sar
ten
H:NQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 262 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N
Word Overview
The Hebrew word asar functions as a numerical building block, specifically denoting the numbers eleven through nineteen. It does not stand alone as "ten" but attaches to a preceding unit to form compound values like twelve or fifteen. This usage is consistent across both cardinal and ordinal contexts, allowing for precise counting in genealogies, ages, and historical records.
Its structural role is vital for the detailed accounting found throughout the Pentateuch and historical books. For instance, it appears in Genesis 5:8 to record Methuselah’s age as eighty and two, forming "eighty-two," and in Numbers 7:3 to describe the fifteenth day of the month. The word ensures clarity when listing large groups or specific timelines without ambiguity.
The term illustrates Hebrew’s additive approach to numbers above ten, contrasting with English suffixes like "-teen." By combining a unit with asar, speakers created a flexible system for enumeration that supported the meticulous record-keeping essential to Israel’s legal and historical narratives. This linguistic precision helped preserve accurate data for generations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word asar acts as a bridge in counting, connecting single digits to form numbers between eleven and nineteen. It appears frequently in Scripture to record ages, genealogies, and historical timelines with precision. This careful accounting shows that God values the specific details of human life and history.
When you read about Joseph being seventeen or the Israelites counting their tribes, these numbers are not random. They ground the biblical narrative in real time and real people. The use of asar helps us see how faithfully the biblical writers preserved accurate records for future generations.
This linguistic precision reminds us that our lives have a place in God’s story. The same care given to counting years and sons is extended to every individual mentioned in Scripture. We can find comfort in knowing that our own days are known and recorded by Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 262 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- teen158×
- ten145×
- the/ ten2×
- teenth1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עָשָׂ֖ר45×
- עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה33×
- עָשָֽׂר\׃31×
- עָשָׂר֙25×
- עָשָׂ֥ר25×
- עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה19×
- עֶשְׂרֵה֙17×
- עָשָׂ֣ר16×
- עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה14×
- עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה10×
- עָשָׂ֛ר8×
- עָשָֽׂר\׃\ \ס7×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 5:8
All of the days of Seth were nine hundred twelve years, then he died.
This verse uses the word to complete Methuselah’s age, showing how asar attaches to other numbers to record long lifespans in Genesis.
-
Genesis 37:9
He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
Joseph’s dream mentions eleven stars, using this term to highlight the specific number of brothers who would bow down to him.
-
Genesis 42:13
They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is today with our father, and one is no more.”
The brothers identify themselves as twelve sons, where asar helps form the number that establishes their family structure before Joseph.
-
Exodus 15:27
They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They encamped there by the waters.
This occurrence describes the twelve springs at Elim, using the term to quantify the resources God provided for Israel’s journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word asar mean?
How is asar different from the word for ten?
Where does this word appear in the Bible?
Why is this word important for understanding Scripture?
Every Occurrence (262 verses across 21 books)
Genesis 22 verses
All of the days of Seth were nine hundred twelve years, then he died.
Genesis 5:10Enosh lived after he became the father of Kenan eight hundred fifteen years, and became the father of other sons and…
Genesis 7:11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the…
Genesis 7:20The waters rose fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered.
Genesis 8:4The ship rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on Ararat’s mountains.
Genesis 11:25Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of more sons and…
Genesis 14:4They served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
Genesis 14:5In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim,…
Genesis 14:14When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his three hundred eighteen trained men, born in his…
Genesis 17:20As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him…
Genesis 17:25Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
Genesis 25:16These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes,…
Genesis 31:41These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for…
Genesis 35:22While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now…
Genesis 37:2This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his…
Genesis 37:9He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and…
Genesis 42:13They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest…
Genesis 42:32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of…
Genesis 46:18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob, even sixteen souls.
Genesis 46:22These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
Genesis 47:28Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred…
Genesis 49:28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed…