Original Word: תֵּשַׁע
Part of Speech: Noun
Transliteration: tesha`
Pronunciation: TEH-shah or TISH-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (tay'-shah)
KJV: nine (+ -teen, + -teenth, -th)
NASB: nine, ninth, nine-tenths
Word Origin: [perhaps from H8159 (שָׁעָה - have regard) through the idea of a turn to the next or full number ten]

1. nine or (ord.) ninth

nine

Or (masculine) tishtah {tish-aw'}; perhaps from sha'ah through the idea of a turn to the next or full number ten; nine or (ord.) Ninth -- nine (+ -teen, + -teenth, -th).

see HEBREW sha'ah

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a nine
NASB Translation
139* (1), 29* (2), 3,930* (1), 59,300* (2), 928* (1), 945* (1), 956* (1), 973* (2), forty-nine* (1), nine (21), nine-tenths (1), nineteen* (3), nineteenth* (4), ninety-nine* (2), ninth (5), sixty-nine* (1), thirty-ninth* (3), twenty-nine* (6).

תֵּ֫שַׁע, תִּשְׁעָה₅₈

noun masculine and feminine a nine, nonad (Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Assyrian tišit (feminine), nine, tešû, ninth; Sabean תסעת nine, תסעי ninety Hom^{Chr 48}; Lihyanian תסע DHM^{Ep. Denkm. Ar. 52}, Arabic , Ethiopic Aramaic תְּשַׁע , Nabataean, Palmyrene תשע Lzb³⁸⁸, Mandean (א for ע; sometimes ע prefixed) תשא, עשתא Nö^{M 188}, all nine); — masculine with

feminine noun absolute תֵּ֫שַׁע Deuteronomy 3:11 20t., construct תְּשַׁע Judges 4:3 18t.; feminine with

masculine noun absolute תִּשְׁעָה 2 Samuel 14:8 13t., construct תִּשְׁעַת Joshua 13:7 2t. (these include 9 10= 19); — nine (Hexateuch chiefly P); 1 no other number:

a. before plural noun תֵּשַׁע אַמּוֺת Deuteronomy 3:11, שָׁנִים ׳ת 2 Kings 17:1; Genesis 11:19, הַיָּדוֺת ׳ת Nehemiah 11:1, חֳדָשִׁים 2 Samuel 24:8, תִּשְּׁבָטִים Joshua 13:7 (J E?), compare Joshua 14:2; Numbers 34:13 (both P); after plural noun עָרִים תֵּ֫שַׁע Joshua 15:44,51; Joshua 21:16 (all P), מָּרִים תִּשְׁעָה Numbers 29:26 (P); noun omitted 1 Chronicles 3:8.

b. = ordinal לַחֹדֶשׁ 2 Kings 25:3 3t. on the ninth (day) of the month; שְׁנַתתֵּֿשַׁע לְ 2 Kings 18:10 the ninth year of. 2910= 19, with

feminine noun תְּשַׁעעֶֿשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה Genesis 11:25, עָרִים תְּשַׁעֿ עֶשְׂרֵהJoshua 19:38 (both P), as ordinal שְׁנַת תְּשַׁעֿ עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה לְ 2 Kings 25:8 "" Jeremiah 52:12; with

masculine noun תִּשְׁעָה עָשָׂר אִישׁ 2 Samuel 2:30, compare (as ordinal, גּוֺרָל omitted) 1 Chronicles 24:16; 1 Chronicles 25:26.

3900= תְשַׁע מֵאוֺת Judges 4:3 14t.

4 with tens (20, 30, etc.): ׳ת following 2 Kings 14:2 10t., precedes Genesis 11:24 6t., compare Kö^{ii. 1. 215 ff}.

Overview of Usage

The cardinal “nine” appears about fifty-eight times in the Hebrew Scriptures, functioning both as a standalone number and as the units digit of compound numbers such as ninety-nine or nine hundred. Occurrences are scattered from Genesis through Zechariah and include genealogical lifespans, census totals, reign lengths, dimensions, and quantities in sacrificial regulations. Every context treats the number as historically factual, yet the Holy Spirit also weaves patterns that invite theological reflection.

Representative Passages

• Genesis 17:1 – “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him…” (covenant sign of circumcision and name change).
• Genesis 17:24 – “Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.”
• Genesis 5:31 – “All the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years, and he died.” (the closing “seven” is preceded by “nine” in Methuselah’s 969, v. 27).
• Genesis 46:22 – “These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob: fourteen in all.” (the preceding subsection counts nine born to Rachel through Joseph and Benjamin once grandsons are included).
• 2 Kings 17:1 – “In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel, and he reigned nine years in Samaria.”
• Ezra 2:13 – “The sons of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-six.” (the threefold six follows the clan of Zattu, which numbers nine hundred forty-five; plural nine appears repeatedly in the surrounding census).
• Ezekiel 48:33 – “On the south side it will be four thousand five hundred cubits, with three gates… Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.” (each wall of the eschatological city totals twelve gates; nine of the tribal names appear before the final side is reached, underscoring order and completeness).

Patterns in Israel’s History

1. Covenantal Milestones: Abraham’s age of ninety-nine stands at the threshold of the promised birth of Isaac, highlighting God’s power to bring life from barrenness.
2. Regal Accounting: The nine-year reign of Hoshea ends with the Assyrian exile (2 Kings 17), marking the final collapse of the northern kingdom.
3. Genealogical Consistency: Ages ending in nine (e.g., Methuselah 969) emphasize the reliability of the Genesis record and the longevity granted before the Flood.
4. Tabernacle and Temple Measurements: Curtains, frames, and utensils sometimes total measurements where the unit digit is nine, combining with other integers to reach divinely prescribed sizes.
5. Census and Clan Totals: Post-exilic listings (Ezra 2; Nehemiah 7) repeatedly feature figures ending in nine, demonstrating meticulous record-keeping of the remnant community.

Symbolism and Theological Significance

• Completion Before Transition: As the final single-digit, nine signals the brink of a new series. Ninety-nine in Genesis 17 stands one short of the fullness represented by one hundred—mirroring Abraham’s near-completion before God’s covenantal fulfillment.
• Fruitfulness and the Spirit: Nine fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and nine gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 echo the Old Testament’s presentation of nine as fullness within limitation—complete yet awaiting perfection in Christ.
• Judgment Tempered with Mercy: Nine plagues fell on Egypt before the climactic tenth, giving Pharaoh nine opportunities to repent. The pattern illustrates God’s patience prior to final judgment.
• Gestation and New Life: Human gestation typically spans nine months, an implicit testimony to God’s design for life. The prophets frequently employ birth imagery (Isaiah 66:7-9), and the recurrent biblical use of “nine” harmonizes with that motif.

Christological and New Testament Echoes

While 8672 appears only in the Hebrew canon, the narrative arc reaches forward:
• Jesus spoke nine Beatitudes beginning with “Blessed” in Matthew 5:3-11 (when verses 10-11 are taken as distinct).
• At “about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice… ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Matthew 27:46). The ninth hour thus becomes the moment of atonement foreshadowed by centuries of Old Testament occurrences of “nine.”
• The Good Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine (Luke 15:4) to rescue one lost sheep, illuminating the covenant mercy first announced when Abraham was ninety-nine.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Highlight Abraham at ninety-nine to reassure believers that no season of life is beyond divine promise.
• Discipleship: Use the nine fruit of the Spirit as a growth framework, underscoring how the Spirit brings completeness to character.
• Evangelism: The shepherd’s ninety-nine illustrate God’s priority for the lost; sermons can invite hearers to identify with the rescued one.
• Pastoral Care: Remind those in extended trials that nine often precedes breakthrough—whether childbirth’s ninth month or the deliverance after Egypt’s ninth plague.
• Biblical Literacy: Tracing the 58 appearances of תֵּשַׁע equips students to see Scripture’s numerical textures and reinforces confidence in the text’s coherence.

The recurring presence of “nine” thus underlines God’s orderly governance of history, His patience before consummate judgment, and His provision for fullness that ultimately resolves in Jesus Christ.

בְּתִשְׁעָ֣ה בְּתִשְׁעָ֤ה בתשעה וְתִשְׁעָֽה׃ וְתֵ֣שַׁע וְתֵ֥שַׁע וָתֵ֖שַׁע וָתֵ֙שַׁע֙ וָתֵ֤שַׁע וּתְשַׁ֥ע ותשע ותשעה׃ לְתִשְׁעַ֣ת לְתִשְׁעַ֥ת לְתִשְׁעָ֤ה לתשעה לתשעת תְּשַֽׁע־ תְּשַׁ֤ע תְּשַׁ֥ע תְּשַׁ֨ע תִּשְׁעָ֖ה תִּשְׁעָ֣ה תִּשְׁעָ֥ה תִּשְׁעָ֧ה תִּשְׁעָֽה־ תִּשְׁעָֽה׃ תִשְׁעָ֧ה תֵּ֔שַׁע תֵּ֖שַׁע תֵּ֗שַׁע תֵּ֤שַׁע תֵּ֥שַׁע תֵּ֧שַׁע תשע תשע־ תשעה תשעה־ תשעה׃ bə·ṯiš·‘āh bəṯiš‘āh betishAh lə·ṯiš·‘āh lə·ṯiš·‘aṯ ləṯiš‘āh ləṯiš‘aṯ letishAh letishAt tê·ša‘ tə·ša‘ tə·ša‘- têša‘ təša‘ təša‘- teSha tiš‘āh ṯiš‘āh tiš‘āh- tiš·‘āh ṯiš·‘āh tiš·‘āh- tishAh ū·ṯə·ša‘ ūṯəša‘ uteSha vaTesha veTesha vetishAh wā·ṯê·ša‘ wāṯêša‘ wə·ṯê·ša‘ wə·ṯiš·‘āh wəṯêša‘ wəṯiš‘āhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts