ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA HEBREA
Shaneh — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
Shaneh (שָׁנֶה, H8141) is the standard Hebrew noun for a year, used for time division, age measurement, and a person's whole lifespan.
Significado de la palabra
Shaneh denotes a year understood as one full revolution of time. The lexicon defines it simply as 'a year (as a revolution of time),' and the plural form šānîm is given the same gloss. As such it covers both the calendar unit and the broader idea of an annual cycle.
In Scripture the word carries three closely related senses: a division of time (e.g., seasons marked by lights in Genesis 1:14), a measure of how long someone has lived, and an indication of age at a particular event such as begetting a child. It can also stretch to mean an entire lifetime when paired with expressions like 'all the days.'
The KJV usage summary tags shaneh with phrases such as 'whole age,' 'old,' 'long,' and 'year(-ly),' reflecting that the term functions both as a precise number and as a rough expression for a long span.
Uso en las Escrituras
In the early chapters of Genesis, shaneh structures the genealogical record. The repeated formula — 'X lived Y years and begat…' (Genesis 5:3, 5:6, 5:9) and 'all the days of X were Y years, and he died' (Genesis 5:5, 5:8) — uses shaneh to mark both age at fatherhood and the total length of a life. Adam's span is given as 930 years, Seth's as 912 years, anchoring the narrative in numbered time.
At the opening of Scripture, shaneh appears among the created orders of time. Genesis 1:14 places the lights in the firmament 'for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years,' so the year is part of God's designed rhythm rather than a human invention. Readers should note that the word serves equally well for a single calendar year and for the totality of years in a human life.
La palabra en detalle
- H8141 Hebrew noun שָׁנֶה (shaneh), 'a year,' defined as a revolution of time. Used for divisions of time, measures of age, and the totality of a lifetime. Aramaic equivalent noted in the lexicon as shenah.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Genesis 1:14 Shaneh in the plural (šānîm) names 'years' as one of the created orders alongside signs, seasons, and days, grounding the calendar in God's design.
- Genesis 5:3 Adam's age at fatherhood is given as 130 years; 'year' here marks age at a defining life event.
- Genesis 5:4 The phrase 'eight hundred years' uses shaneh as a measure of the years Adam lived after begetting Seth.
- Genesis 5:5 'All the days of Adam were nine hundred and thirty years' shows shaneh stretching from a single year to the sum of a whole lifespan.
Preguntas frecuentes
Is shaneh only a calendar year?
No. The lexicon lists 'year' as the core sense, but adds that it can indicate age and an entire lifetime (a lifetime of years).
What is the plural form of shaneh?
The plural is šānîm, as seen in Genesis 1:14 and in the genealogical counts of Genesis 5.
Does shaneh appear outside genealogies?
Yes. Genesis 1:14 places the year among the created orders of signs, seasons, and days, showing it is part of the created rhythm of time, not only a way to count lifespans.