Lexical Summary shemonim: Eighty Original Word: שְׁמֹנִים Strong's Exhaustive Concordance eightieth, fourscore Or shmowniym {shem-o-neem'}; mult. From shmoneh; eighty, also eightieth -- eighty(-ieth), fourscore. see HEBREW shmoneh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as shemoneh Definition an eighty NASB Translation 180* (1), 180,000* (3), 185,000* (2), 186,400* (1), 188* (1), 280,000* (2), 284* (1), 288* (1), 8,580* (1), 80 (2), 80,000* (3), 87,000* (1), eightieth (1), eighty (11), eighty-five (2), eighty-seven (1), eighty-six (1), eighty-three (1), eighty-two (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs שְׁמֹנִים38 noun plural indeclinable an eighty; — without other numbers: followed by singular שָׁנָה Psalm 90:10 4t., אִישׁ 2 Kings 10:24; Jeremiah 41:5; followed by plural noun 2Chronicles 26:17; Ezra 8:8; Songs 6:8; noun omitted 2 Kings 6:25; 1 Chronicles 15:9; with other numbers, cardinal: אֶלֶף ׳שׁ Numbers 2:9 + 6t.; ׳שׁ following units Genesis 5:25 4t.; precedes, Genesis 16:16 4t.; following 100 etc. 1 Chronicles 25:7 6t.; precedes, Genesis 5:26 2t.; ordinal, שָׁנָךְ ׳וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֺת שָׁנָה לָּ בִּשׁ 1 Kings 6:1. [שְׁמַנִּים], שְׁמַנֵּי see שָׁמָן. Topical Lexicon שְׁמֹנִים (Strong’s Hebrew 8084)Literal and Symbolic Value The term designates the cardinal number eighty. In Scripture the figure regularly marks the completion of an era or the provision of extraordinary strength beyond the customary span of seventy years (Psalm 90:10), suggesting a fullness that surpasses the norm while still remaining within mortal bounds. Distribution in the Old Testament The word appears thirty-eight times, almost evenly divided between narrative records (especially Kings and Chronicles) and numerical summaries in legal, genealogical, or liturgical contexts. Its placement clusters around five principal themes: personal age, national rest, military or workforce rosters, worship and temple service, and poetic celebration. Personal Ages and Generational Transitions • Moses – “Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:7). The Exodus narrative highlights that decisive leadership may commence well past what many cultures would regard as retirement, underscoring God’s prerogative to empower at His chosen time. National Rest and Deliverance After Ehud’s victory the land “had rest for eighty years” (Judges 3:30). The double-forty of this Sabbath-like peace anticipates the deeper rest offered in Christ (Hebrews 4:8-10) and proves the LORD’s supremacy over oppressors when His people repent and believe. Military and Workforce Rosters 1 Kings 5:15 and the parallel in 2 Chronicles 2:2, 18 list “eighty thousand stonecutters” conscripted for temple construction, illustrating Israel’s peak strength under Solomon and the resources God marshals for worship. Jehu assigns “eighty men” to guard the temple of Baal (2 Kings 10:24), a sober reminder that zeal must be matched with discipline. The siege of Samaria includes “eighty shekels of silver” as the price of a donkey’s head (2 Kings 6:25, underlying Hebrew), showing the extremity of divine judgment when covenant warnings are ignored. Priests and Sanctuary Service When King Uzziah intrudes into the Holy Place, “Azariah the priest, together with eighty courageous priests of the LORD, went in after him” (2 Chronicles 26:17). Their united stand defends the sanctity of worship and affirms that even a powerful monarch submits to God’s order. Poetic and Wisdom Literature Song of Songs contrasts “sixty queens and eighty concubines” (Song of Songs 6:8) with the singular devotion between the bride and groom, reflecting the superiority of covenant fidelity over cultural abundance. Psalm 90:10 (see above) serves liturgically to measure life, anchoring Israel’s hope not in longevity but in the eternal God (Psalm 90:1-2). Typological and Theological Reflections 1. Double measure of testing and completion – Forty often signals probation; eighty therefore depicts tested maturity rewarded with stability (Judges 3:30). Ministry Applications • Retirement does not terminate usefulness; seasoned believers possess unique authority to mentor and intercede. Summary שְׁמֹנִים threads quietly through the Old Testament narrative yet consistently accents divine faithfulness, human responsibility, and the possibilities of renewed strength. Whether recounting the age of a deliverer, the length of national peace, or the muster of workers and priests, the number eighty points beyond itself to the God who equips His servants, governs history, and calls every generation to wholehearted devotion. Forms and Transliterations בִּשְׁמֹנִ֣ים בִשְׁמוֹנִ֣ים בשמונים בשמנים וּשְׁמֹנִ֖ים וּשְׁמֹנִ֛ים וּשְׁמֹנִ֥ים וּשְׁמֹנִֽים׃ וּשְׁמוֹנִ֖ים וּשְׁמוֹנִ֥ים וּשְׁמוֹנִים֙ ושמונים ושמנים ושמנים׃ שְׁמ֘וֹנִ֤ים שְׁמֹנִ֖ים שְׁמֹנִ֣ים שְׁמֹנִ֤ים שְׁמֹנִ֥ים שְׁמוֹנִ֖ים שְׁמוֹנִ֤ים שְׁמוֹנִ֥ים שְׁמוֹנִֽים׃ שמונים שמונים׃ שמנים biš·mō·nîm ḇiš·mō·w·nîm bishmoNim bišmōnîm ḇišmōwnîm šə·mō·nîm šə·mō·w·nîm šəmōnîm šəmōwnîm shemoNim ū·šə·mō·nîm ū·šə·mō·w·nîm ūšəmōnîm ūšəmōwnîm ushemoNim vishmoNimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 5:25 HEB: מְתוּשֶׁ֔לַח שֶׁ֧בַע וּשְׁמֹנִ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּמְאַ֣ת NAS: one hundred and eighty-seven years, KJV: an hundred eighty and seven INT: Methuselah and seven and eighty-seven years hundred Genesis 5:26 Genesis 5:28 Genesis 16:16 Genesis 35:28 Exodus 7:7 Exodus 7:7 Numbers 2:9 Numbers 4:48 Joshua 14:10 Judges 3:30 1 Samuel 22:18 2 Samuel 19:32 2 Samuel 19:35 1 Kings 5:15 1 Kings 6:1 1 Kings 12:21 2 Kings 6:25 2 Kings 10:24 2 Kings 19:35 1 Chronicles 7:5 1 Chronicles 15:9 1 Chronicles 25:7 2 Chronicles 2:2 2 Chronicles 2:18 38 Occurrences |