שִׁשִּׁים (shish.shim)
shish.shim
sixty
H:NQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 53 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N
Word Overview
The Hebrew word shishshim is a numeral meaning sixty, or three score. It appears fifty-three times in the Old Testament, with significant usage in Genesis, Numbers, and 1 Chronicles. The term functions as a concrete count rather than an abstract concept, anchoring biblical narratives in specific historical and genealogical details.
Its form is derived from the root for six, extending the base number into a larger unit. This linguistic connection highlights the systematic way ancient Hebrew speakers constructed numbers beyond ten. In many instances, such as the ages of patriarchs in Genesis 5 or the census figures in Numbers, it provides precise data that structures the timeline and population records of Israel’s early history.
Translators typically render shishshim simply as "sixty," though the King James Version often uses "three score" to preserve the older numerical grouping. This distinction reflects a cultural preference for counting by scores rather than tens in certain contexts. The word’s consistent appearance in genealogies and administrative lists underscores its role in establishing order and lineage within the biblical text.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Numbers in Scripture often serve as more than simple statistics; they provide the concrete framework for God’s historical narrative. The word shishshim, meaning sixty, appears frequently in genealogies and census records to anchor these stories in reality. When you read about ages or population counts, you are seeing a text that values precision and order, reflecting a world where specific details mattered deeply to the community's identity.
In the context of daily life and worship, this number also marks significant thresholds. For instance, it defined the age range for those who had primary responsibility in temple service, distinguishing between different stages of adult commitment. This structure helps us understand how ancient Israel organized its society around clear, measurable commitments to God and community.
Whether appearing in the long lifespans of early patriarchs or the dimensions of Solomon’s Temple, sixty points to a sense of established order. It reminds us that God is interested in the specifics of our lives and history. These numbers ground our faith in real events and real people, showing that the divine story unfolds within human time and space.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 53 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sixty26×
- and/ sixty25×
- [was] sixty2×
- and/ with/ sixty1×
- [were] sixty1×
- [are] sixty1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שִׁשִּׁ֥ים14×
- שִׁשִּׁ֣ים6×
- וְ/שִׁשִּׁ֛ים6×
- וְ/שִׁשִּׁ֥ים5×
- וְ/שִׁשִּׁ֖ים4×
- וְ/שִׁשִּׁים֙3×
- שִׁשִּׁים֙2×
- שִׁשִּׁ֔ים2×
- שִׁשִּׁ֑ים2×
- וְ/שִׁשִּֽׁים\׃\ \ס2×
- וְ/שִׁשִּֽׁים\׃2×
- שִׁשִּֽׁים\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 5:21
Enoch lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Methuselah.
This verse uses shishshim to record Enoch's age when he became a father, anchoring the patriarchal timeline in specific generational data.
-
Leviticus 27:3
your valuation of a male from twenty years old to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
Here the word defines the upper age limit for those subject to full valuation vows, marking a distinct phase of adult responsibility in temple service.
-
Numbers 7:88
and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings: twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication offering of the altar, after it was anointed.
The repetition of sixty for rams, goats, and lambs highlights the precise symmetry and order required for the altar's dedication offerings.
-
I Kings 6:2
The house which King Solomon built for Yahweh had a length of sixty cubits, and its width twenty, and its height thirty cubits.
Shishshim describes the length of Solomon’s Temple, using a specific measurement to convey the grandeur and proportion of God's dwelling place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word shishshim mean?
Why does shishshim appear so often in Genesis?
How is shishshim different from other numbers like seventy?
Where does this word appear in the New Testament?
Every Occurrence (53 verses across 16 books)
Genesis 8 verses
Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Jared.
Genesis 5:18Jared lived one hundred sixty-two years, then became the father of Enoch.
Genesis 5:20All of the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty-two 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 5:27All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, then he died.
Genesis 25:26After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old…
Genesis 46:26All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct offspring, in addition to Jacob’s sons’ wives, all…