### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻâsôwr**, represented by `{{H6218}}`, primarily means **ten**. It appears 16 times across 16 unique verses. While its base meaning is numerical, it is used in two specific ways: to denote the "tenth" day of a month and to describe a musical instrument with "ten strings," also known as a decachord.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical usage, `{{H6218}}` frequently marks significant dates in the Israelite calendar. It is central to the Day of Atonement, which falls on the "tenth day of this seventh month" ([[Leviticus 23:27]], [[Leviticus 16:29]], [[Numbers 29:7]]). This was a day for a holy convocation and afflicting one's soul. The word also designates the day for selecting the Passover lamb [[Exodus 12:3]]. In a different context, `{{H6218}}` is used in the Psalms to describe an "instrument of ten strings," an instrument of worship used to sing praises to the LORD ([[Psalms 33:2]], [[Psalms 144:9]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words are built upon the same root for the number ten, helping to define time and quantity:
* `{{H6224}}` **ʻăsîyrîy** (tenth; by abbreviation, tenth month or part): This ordinal form is often used for the "tenth month," sometimes appearing in the same verse as `{{H6218}}` to specify a date with precision, such as the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem [[2 Kings 25:1]].
* `{{H6240}}` **ʻâsâr** (ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen): This form is used to construct numbers in the teens. For example, it is combined with `{{H702}}` to form "fourteenth" when marking a significant year in a vision [[Ezekiel 40:1]].
* `{{H6242}}` **ʻesrîym** (twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth): This word for "twenty" is also used for dating and counting, as seen in the "five and twentieth year" of the captivity mentioned in the same passage as `{{H6218}}` [[Ezekiel 40:1]].
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H6218}}` is tied to its role in defining sacred time and acts of worship.
* **Appointed Holy Days:** The word is foundational to Israel's sacred calendar. Its use pinpoints the Day of Atonement [[Leviticus 25:9]] and the preparation for Passover [[Exodus 12:3]], marking these as divinely scheduled moments of religious observance.
* **Instruments of Praise:** As an "instrument of ten strings," `{{H6218}}` is directly associated with joyful worship and singing new songs to God, often mentioned alongside the psaltery and harp ([[Psalms 92:3]], [[Psalms 144:9]]).
* **Markers of History and Prophecy:** The term precisely dates critical events in Israel's history, most notably the day the siege of Jerusalem began, a moment of profound judgment ([[2 Kings 25:1]], [[Jeremiah 52:4]], [[Ezekiel 24:1]]).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6218}}` is a term with distinct and significant applications. It moves beyond a simple count to function as a crucial marker of time, identifying one of the holiest days in the Hebrew calendar, the Day of Atonement. Simultaneously, it contributes to the language of worship as a ten-stringed instrument for praise. Whether marking a sacred day, a historical turning point, or an act of worship, **ʻâsôwr** illustrates how numbers in scripture carry specific and weighty meaning.
TRV