Bible Word Study
שֶׁלֶשׁ
Shelesh · Shelesh, an Israelite
שֶׁלֶשׁ
Shelesh, an Israelite
Definition
Shelesh is a proper name of an Israelite man, a descendant of Asher, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 7:35. The name is derived from the Hebrew root meaning 'three' or 'triplet,' suggesting a possible connection to birth order or a symbolic association with the number three. As a personal name, it functions solely to identify this individual within the genealogical record of the tribe of Asher. No other meanings or applications of the name appear in the biblical text.
Biblical Usage
The word is used only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 7:35, within a genealogical list of the sons of Helem from the tribe of Asher. It functions strictly as a proper noun identifying a person: 'The sons of Helem: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.' Its usage is confined to this historical-ancestral context.
Etymology
The name Shelesh (שֶׁלֶשׁ) is directly derived from the root שָׁלַשׁ (shalash, H8027), meaning 'to do a third time, to triplicate.' It is related to the Hebrew word for the number three, שָׁלֹשׁ (shalosh). As a proper name, it likely originated as a descriptor, perhaps indicating a third-born child, one of triplets, or an association with the symbolic qualities of the number three.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names often held descriptive or aspirational meaning. A name like Shelesh, connected to the number three, may have indicated birth order (e.g., a third son) or been symbolic. The number three held cultural significance, often representing completeness or a full cycle (e.g., morning, noon, and evening). While the specific reason for this individual's name is not stated, it fits the pattern of Hebrew names deriving from numbers or circumstances of birth.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]