### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **chămishshîym**, represented by `{{H2572}}`, is the numeral for **fifty**. It is defined as a multiple of `{{H2568}}` **châmêsh**, or five. This number appears **162 times** across **141 unique verses**, where it is used to quantify people, time, measurements, and currency, establishing order in civil, military, and sacred contexts.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H2572}}` is used in several significant ways. It establishes administrative and military structure, as seen in the appointment of "rulers of **fifties**" to govern the people [[Exodus 18:21]]. It is central to the account of Elijah, who called down fire from heaven to consume two captains and their "**fifty**" men [[2 Kings 1:10]]. The number also defines important measurements, such as the "**fifty** cubits" height of the gallows Haman prepared for Mordecai [[Esther 5:14]] and the "**fifty** shekels" weight of the wedge of gold Achan coveted [[Joshua 7:21]]. Furthermore, it marks the duration of sacred service for the Levites, who were to work in the tabernacle until they were "**fifty** years old" [[Numbers 4:3]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related numbers provide a framework for understanding the scale and organization described in scripture:
* `{{H2568}}` **châmêsh** (five): The primitive numeral from which **fifty** is derived.
* `{{H6235}}` **ʻeser** (ten): This numeral often appears alongside **fifty** in organizational structures, such as "captains over fifties, and captains over **tens**" [[Deuteronomy 1:15]].
* `{{H3967}}` **mêʼâh** (hundred): This term is frequently used in parallel with **fifty** to structure the people of Israel under rulers [[Exodus 18:25]].
* `{{H505}}` **ʼeleph** (thousand): This represents the largest unit in the administrative hierarchy that also includes rulers of **fifties** [[1 Samuel 8:12]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H2572}}` is particularly evident in its application to sacred time and divine action.
* **The Year of Jubilee:** The **fiftieth** year was to be hallowed as a time to "proclaim liberty throughout all the land," signifying ultimate restoration and return to one's family and possessions [[Leviticus 25:10]].
* **Sacred Service and Valuation:** The number sets the upper age limit for Levites serving in the tabernacle [[Numbers 4:3]]. It also serves as a standard for valuation, such as the "**fifty** shekels of silver" for a male dedicated to the LORD [[Leviticus 27:3]].
* **Divine Judgment and Power:** It appears in dramatic accounts of God's power, including the fire from heaven that consumed the king's soldiers sent to Elijah [[2 Kings 1:10]] and the fire that devoured the men in Korah's rebellion [[Numbers 26:10]].
* **Structure and Provision:** The number is used to organize people for governance [[Deuteronomy 1:15]] and to describe God's provision, as when Obadiah hid and fed the LORD's prophets by "**fifty** in a cave" [[1 Kings 18:4]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2572}}` **chămishshîym** functions as more than a simple quantity. It is a foundational number for organizing civil and military life, for defining sacred measurements and periods of service, and for understanding key theological concepts. From the liberation of the Jubilee year to demonstrations of divine judgment, the number fifty illustrates how numerical values in scripture carry significant weight for establishing order, value, and spiritual principles.
TRV