כִּסְלֵו
Kisleu, the 9th Hebrew month
Definition
Kisleu (כִּסְלֵו) is the ninth month of the Hebrew religious calendar, corresponding roughly to November-December in the modern Gregorian calendar. It is a month mentioned in the context of specific historical events in the post-exilic period. In Nehemiah 1:1, the report of Jerusalem's broken walls reaches Nehemiah in the month of Kisleu while he is in the Persian citadel of Susa. In Zechariah 7:1, a delegation comes to Jerusalem in the ninth month, Kisleu, to inquire about fasting. The name itself is likely borrowed from the Babylonian calendar, reflecting the Jewish community's interaction with surrounding cultures after the exile.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a proper noun for the month in the Old Testament, appearing only twice in post-exilic historical books. Both occurrences are in similar contexts of dating significant events or inquiries. In Nehemiah 1:1, it dates Nehemiah's receipt of distressing news, and in Zechariah 7:1, it dates a religious inquiry posed to the priests and prophets. Its usage is strictly calendrical, providing a specific timeframe within the restored Jewish community.
Etymology
The etymology of כִּסְלֵו (Kisleu) is uncertain but is generally considered to be of foreign, specifically Akkadian/Babylonian, origin. It is borrowed from the Babylonian month name 'Kislimu,' demonstrating the linguistic and cultural influence of the Babylonian exile period on the Hebrew calendar. This adoption is part of a broader pattern where several Hebrew month names were replaced with Babylonian names during and after the exile.
Semantic Range
While the month name itself is not theologically loaded, its biblical occurrences are significant. It anchors the timing of Nehemiah's pivotal prayer (Nehemiah 1) that led to Jerusalem's rebuilding, and it frames a prophetic inquiry in Zechariah 7 about the purpose of fasting, which God redirects toward justice and mercy. Understanding this month helps situate these key post-exilic events in their historical sequence, highlighting God's ongoing work of restoration and spiritual reformation among his people after the return from Babylon.
In the original cultural setting, Kisleu was part of the lunar-based Hebrew calendar. After the Babylonian exile, the Jewish community adopted Babylonian month names like Kisleu, which became standard. The month falls in the rainy season in Israel and contains the minor festival of Hanukkah (though this event occurred later in history and is not mentioned in the Old Testament). Its mention in Nehemiah and Zechariah dates events in the administrative and religious life of the restored community.
חֹדֶשׁ (chodesh, H2320) — The generic Hebrew word for 'month' or 'new moon', of which Kisleu is a specific instance.
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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