תְּלָת
three or third
Definition
The Aramaic word תְּלָת (tᵉlâth) is a numeral meaning 'three' or 'third.' It functions as a cardinal number, indicating the quantity three, as seen in Ezra 6:4 where the temple is to be rebuilt with three rows of stones. It also serves as an ordinal number, meaning 'third,' such as in Daniel 6:2 where three presidents are appointed, with Daniel being one of them. The word appears exclusively in the Aramaic portions of the Old Testament (Ezra and Daniel), maintaining a consistent numerical sense without symbolic or metaphorical deviation in these contexts.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the Aramaic sections of the books of Ezra and Daniel, occurring 11 times. It consistently denotes the number three or the position third in straightforward, descriptive contexts. For example, it describes structural dimensions (Ezra 6:4), dates (Ezra 6:15), groups of people (Daniel 3:23-24, Daniel 6:2), and even the ribs in a prophetic vision (Daniel 7:5). There is no pattern of symbolic usage; it is employed as a standard numeral within historical and visionary narratives.
Etymology
תְּלָת is the Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew numeral שָׁלוֹשׁ (shâlôsh, H7969), meaning 'three.' Its forms include the masculine תְּלָתָה and תְּלָתָא. This demonstrates the close linguistic relationship between Hebrew and Aramaic, the latter being a sister language used in international diplomacy and sections of the biblical text pertaining to the Jewish exile in Babylon.
Semantic Range
While primarily a numeral, its use in Daniel 6:10, where Daniel prays three times a day, connects to a pattern of devotion. More significantly, in Daniel 3, the 'three' men in the fiery furnace (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) become a powerful testament to God's presence and deliverance. Understanding this as the Aramaic term used in these exile narratives reinforces the theme of God's faithfulness to His people in a foreign land and language.
In the ancient Near East, numbers often carried symbolic weight, with three sometimes representing completeness or intensity. However, in the Aramaic biblical texts, תְּלָת is used practically for counting and ordering. Its appearance in official decrees (Ezra) and court documents (Daniel) reflects the administrative and legal use of Aramaic in the Persian Empire, the lingua franca of the time.
שָׁלוֹשׁ (shâlôsh, H7969) — The direct Hebrew equivalent for 'three,' used throughout the Hebrew Old Testament. שְׁלִישִׁי (shᵉlîyshîy, H7992) — The Hebrew ordinal for 'third.'
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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