What does שָׁלִישׁ (šāliyš) mean in the Bible?
שָׁלִישׁ (šāliyš): Third rank" officer title that paradoxically denotes highest military rank, not lowest—semantic inversion based on proximity to king.
Hebrew · H7991
שָׁלִישׁ
A triple , i.e. (as a musical instrument) a triangle (or perhaps rather three -stringed lute); also (as an indefinite, great quantity) a three -fold measure (perhaps a treble ephah); also (as an officer) a general of the third rank (upward, i.e. the highest)
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שָׁלִישׁ H7991
Pronunciation šāliyš
What does שָׁלִישׁ (šāliyš) mean in the Bible?
שָׁלִישׁ (šāliyš): Third rank" officer title that paradoxically denotes highest military rank, not lowest—semantic inversion based on proximity to king.
Full entry for שָׁלִישׁ (H7991) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7991?
The BSB source-word alignment has 16 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and officers (2), his captains (2), and other instruments (1), And the officer (1), But the officer (1).
Where does שָׁלִישׁ (šāliyš) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 14:7. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Kings (6), Exodus (2), Ezekiel (2), 1 Kings (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and officers 2× 2 Kings 10:25
his captains 2× 1 Kings 9:22, 2 Chronicles 8:9
and other instruments 1× 1 Samuel 18:6
And the officer 1× 2 Kings 7:19
But the officer 1× 2 Kings 7:2
in a basket 1× Isaiah 40:12
like officers 1× Ezekiel 23:15
of his officers 1× Exodus 15:4
of the Three 1× 2 Samuel 23:8
officers 1× Ezekiel 23:23
the full measure 1× Psalms 80:5
the officer 1× 2 Kings 7:17
Then his officer 1× 2 Kings 15:25
with officers 1× Exodus 14:7
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 14:7 וְשָׁלִשִׁ֖ם to with officers Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural Exodus 15:4 שָֽׁלִשָׁ֖יו to of his officers Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 18:6 וּבְשָׁלִשִֽׁים׃ to and other instruments Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural 2 Samuel 23:8 הַשָּׁלִשִׁ֗י to of the Three Article | Noun - masculine plural 1 Kings 9:22 וְשָׁלִשָׁ֔יו to his captains Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 2 Kings 7:2 הַשָּׁלִ֡ישׁ to But the officer Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Kings 7:17 הַשָּׁלִ֜ישׁ to the officer Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Kings 7:19 הַשָּׁלִ֜ישׁ to And the officer Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Kings 10:25 וְלַשָּׁלִשִׁ֜ים to and officers Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural 2 Kings 10:25 וְהַשָּׁ֣לִשִׁ֔ים to and officers Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 14:7
Aligned rows 16
Books represented 9
Exodus 2 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 6 2 Chronicles 1 Psalms 1 Isaiah 1 Ezekiel 2
Source forms
הַשָּׁלִ֜ישׁ 2x haš·šā·lîš 2 Kings 7:17, 2 Kings 7:19
בַּשָּׁלִ֖שׁ 1x baš·šā·liš Isaiah 40:12
הַשָּׁלִ֡ישׁ 1x haš·šā·lîš 2 Kings 7:2
הַשָּׁלִשִׁ֗י 1x haš·šā·li·šî 2 Samuel 23:8
וּבְשָׁלִשִֽׁים׃ 1x ū·ḇə·šā·li·šîm 1 Samuel 18:6
וְהַשָּׁ֣לִשִׁ֔ים 1x wə·haš·šā·li·šîm 2 Kings 10:25
וְלַשָּׁלִשִׁ֜ים 1x wə·laš·šā·li·šîm 2 Kings 10:25
וְשָׁלִשָׁ֔יו 1x wə·šā·li·šāw 1 Kings 9:22
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine singular 3x 2 Kings 7:2, 2 Kings 7:17, 2 Kings 7:19
Noun - masculine plural 2x Ezekiel 23:15, Ezekiel 23:23
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 2x Exodus 15:4, 2 Chronicles 8:9
Article | Noun - masculine plural 1x 2 Samuel 23:8
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural 1x Exodus 14:7
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 1x 1 Kings 9:22
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural 1x 2 Kings 10:25
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural 1x 1 Samuel 18:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Third rank" officer title that paradoxically denotes highest military rank, not lowest—semantic inversion based on proximity to king.
Source Gloss
a triple , i.e. (as a musical instrument) a triangle (or perhaps rather three -stringed lute); also (as an indefinite, great quantity) a three -fold measure (perhaps a treble ephah); also (as an officer) a general of the third rank (upward, i.e. the highest)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Third rank" officer title that paradoxically denotes highest military rank, not lowest—semantic inversion based on proximity to king.
a triple, i.e. (as a musical instrument) a triangle (or perhaps rather three-stringed lute); also (as an indefinite, great quantity) a three-fold measure (perhaps a treble ephah); also (as an officer) a general of the third rank (upward, i.e. the highest) BDB: sistrum Usage: captain, instrument of musick, (great) lord, (great) measure, prince, three (from the margin).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
שָׁלִישׁ is built from this root:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain