חֹדֶשׁ
Chodesh, an Israelitess
Definition
Chodesh (חֹדֶשׁ) is a proper noun referring to an Israelitess, specifically mentioned as one of the wives of Shaharaim in the genealogy of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:9). The name is identical to the common Hebrew noun חֹדֶשׁ (chodesh, H2320), which means 'new moon' or 'month.' In this singular biblical occurrence, it functions solely as a personal name, with no additional narrative or descriptive detail provided about the individual. The usage reflects a common ancient Near Eastern practice of naming individuals after calendar terms or natural phenomena.
Biblical Usage
This word occurs only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 8:9, where it is used as the name of a woman, Chodesh, listed among the wives of Shaharaim. It appears strictly in a genealogical context within the Chronicler's record of the tribe of Benjamin. There are no other usages or narrative contexts for this proper noun.
Etymology
The name Chodesh is derived directly from the common Hebrew noun חֹדֶשׁ (chodesh, H2320), meaning 'new moon' or 'month.' This noun itself comes from the root חָדַשׁ (chadash, H2318), meaning 'to be new, to renew.' As a personal name, it follows a pattern where Hebrew names are often based on ordinary words, particularly those related to time, nature, or divine attributes.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often significant and descriptive. Using a term like 'Chodesh' (new moon/month) as a personal name likely connected the individual to concepts of renewal, cyclical time, or perhaps the timing of birth. The new moon (chodesh) was also an important religious festival (e.g., Numbers 28:11-15). While the biblical text gives no specific reason for this naming, it reflects the cultural practice of embedding meaningful, everyday words into personal identity.
חֹדֶשׁ (chodesh, H2320) — This is the identical common noun meaning 'new moon' or 'month,' from which the personal name is derived. יָרֵחַ (yareach, H3394) — Another Hebrew word for 'moon,' but refers to the celestial body itself, not the time period or festival. חָדָשׁ (chadash, H2319) — An adjective meaning 'new,' sharing the same root and concept of renewal.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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