Original Word: יְרַח
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: yrach
Pronunciation: yeh-RAKH
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-rakh')
KJV: month
NASB: month, months
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H3391 (יֶרַח - month)]

1. a month

month

(Aramaic) corresponding to yerach; a month -- month.

see HEBREW yerach

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to yerach
Definition
month
NASB Translation
month (1), months (1).

Meaning and Scope

The term denotes a single lunar month, the basic unit by which Israel’s ancient calendar marked the passing of time. Its limited distribution in Scripture underscores the care with which the biblical writers employed specialized vocabulary to highlight decisive moments rather than routine chronology.

Old Testament Usage

1. Ezra 6:15 records the completion of the Second Temple: “And this house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius”. Here the word fixes the moment when prophetic promise became historical reality, linking the restoration era to earlier covenant assurances (Isaiah 44:28; Jeremiah 29:10).
2. Daniel 4:29 states, “Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon”. The expression marks a full cycle granted to Nebuchadnezzar for repentance after divine warning (Daniel 4:27). His failure demonstrates that divine patience has limits; judgment eventually coincides with a set point on God’s calendar.

Historical Context

In Persian-period Judah, months were reckoned by the appearance of the new moon, coordinated with imperial systems yet retaining Israel’s distinct sacred festivals (Leviticus 23:5–44). Adar, the twelfth month, carried connotations of completion and transition, anticipating the spring month of Nisan and the Passover deliverance. In Babylon, Daniel could still measure time by familiar lunar reckoning, showing the resilience of covenant identity even in exile.

Theological Implications

• Providence and Timing: Both occurrences connect divine sovereignty to precise temporal markers. Completion of the Temple on a dated month verifies that “the counsel of the LORD stands forever” (Psalm 33:11).
• Mercy and Accountability: The “twelve months” granted to Nebuchadnezzar illustrate the patience of God, yet also His resolve to vindicate His glory when grace is spurned.
• Covenant Continuity: Mention of a specific month during the Second Temple era bridges Mosaic worship with post-exilic faith, confirming that redemptive history progresses without contradiction.

Ministry Application

• Encouragement for Building: Leaders engaged in church or mission construction projects can look to Ezra 6:15 and trust that God appoints a definite “month” for completion when His work is done in His way.
• Urgency of Repentance: Preachers may draw from Daniel 4:29 to urge hearers not to presume upon “another month,” for seasons of opportunity are divinely bounded.
• Faithful Calendar Keeping: Believers who order life around the rhythms of worship—Lord’s Day, communion, and biblical festivals—acknowledge that time itself belongs to God.

Related Terms and Concepts

• New Moon (Numbers 10:10): The recurring celebration that sanctified each month.
• Times and Seasons (Acts 1:7): The New Testament echo that fixed periods remain under the Father’s authority.
• Fulness of Time (Galatians 4:4): The culmination of all appointed months and seasons in Christ’s incarnation.

יַרְחִ֖ין ירחין לִירַ֣ח לירח lî·raḥ liRach lîraḥ yar·ḥîn yarChin yarḥînInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts