### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻesrîym**, represented by `{{H6242}}`, is the numeral for **twenty**. It appears 315 times across 281 unique verses, serving as a common counter for quantities, time, and measurements. Derived from the word for ten, `{{H6235}}`, it functions as both a cardinal number (twenty) and an ordinal number (twentieth).
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H6242}}` is used to quantify significant values, periods, and groups. It marks the price for which Joseph was sold by his brothers, "**twenty** pieces of silver" [[Genesis 37:28]]. It is established as the minimum age for military service and census counts in Israel, as seen in the command to number all men "from **twenty** years old and upward" [[Numbers 1:3]]. The number also defines the full lifespan of Moses, who was "an hundred and **twenty** years old when he died" [[Deuteronomy 34:7]], and it is used to measure key dimensions of the temple [[1 Kings 6:3]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related numerals are often used in conjunction with `{{H6242}}` to form larger or more specific numbers:
* `{{H6235}}` **ʻeser** (ten): As the root word, it represents the foundational unit from which twenty is derived. The two are often used together in measurements, such as the temple porch being **twenty** cubits long and **ten** cubits wide [[1 Kings 6:3]].
* `{{H3967}}` **mêʼâh** (a hundred): This numeral is frequently combined with **ʻesrîym** to denote large sums or significant ages, such as the 120 years of man's days before the flood [[Genesis 6:3]] or the 120,000 sheep offered at the temple dedication [[1 Kings 8:63]].
* `{{H505}}` **ʼeleph** (a thousand): This term is used with **ʻesrîym** to count large groups, particularly armies, such as the "**twenty** thousand footmen" hired by the Ammonites [[2 Samuel 10:6]].
* `{{H702}}` **ʼarbaʻ** (four): This is one of several single-digit numbers combined with **ʻesrîym** to create compound numbers, as in the "**twenty** and fourth day" for a holy assembly [[Nehemiah 9:1]].
### Theological Significance
The number `{{H6242}}` carries significant legal and thematic weight in scripture.
* **Maturity and Responsibility:** The age of **twenty** marks the transition to adulthood concerning military duty and legal accountability. The generation that murmured against God and was condemned to die in the wilderness was defined as those "**twenty** years old and upward" [[Numbers 14:29]]. Levites also began their service at this age [[1 Chronicles 23:24]].
* **Periods of Trial and Waiting:** The number often delineates a period of hardship or servitude. Jacob served Laban for **twenty** years [[Genesis 31:41]], and the children of Israel were mightily oppressed by the king of Canaan for **twenty** years [[Judges 4:3]].
* **Symbol of Completion:** The lifespan of Moses at 120 years (6 x 20) and the pre-flood lifespan limit of 120 years [[Genesis 6:3]] suggest that **twenty**, when multiplied, can signify a full or divinely appointed measure of time.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6242}}` is more than just a numerical value. It is a foundational number used to define legal status, measure sacred spaces, and mark significant periods in Israel's history. From the price of a patriarch to the age of a warrior, **ʻesrîym** provides a consistent benchmark for value, maturity, and divinely ordained time within the biblical text.
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