Month
Hebrew #2320 – Chodesh – שׁדֶחֹ
Definition: month, the twelve periods in a year
Other Words: none
“And in the seventh [chodesh], the seventeenth day of the [chodesh], the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat.”
Berĕshith (Genesis) 8:4
“This [chodesh] is the beginning of [chodesh] for you, it is the first [chodesh] of the year for you. Speak to all the congregation of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this [chodesh] each one of them is to take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.’”
Shemoth (Exodus) 12:2–3
“In the first [chodesh], on the fourteenth day of the [chodesh], between the evenings, is the Pĕsaḥ to [Yahuah]. ‘And on the fifteenth day of this [chodesh] is the Festival of Matzot to [Yahuah] – seven days you eat unleavened bread.’”
Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23:5–6
“And the people came up from the Yardĕn on the tenth day of the first [chodesh], and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Yeriḥo.”
Yehoshua (Joshua) 4:19
“And Shelomoh had twelve governors over all Yisra’ĕl, who provided food for the sovereign and his household – each one made provision for one [chodesh] of the year –”
Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 4:7
“‘And it shall be that from [chodesh] to [chodesh], and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ declares [Yahuah].”
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 66:23
“Shout for joy to Elohim our strength;
Raise a shout to the Elohim of Ya‛aqoḇ.
Lift up a song and beat the tambourine,
The pleasant lyre and with the harp.
Blow a shophar in the [chodesh],
In the covering for the day of our festival.
For this is a law for Yisra’ĕl,
And a right-ruling of the Elohim of Ya‛aqoḇ.”
Tehillim (Psalms) 81:1–4
“And Shelomoh at that time observed the Festival seven days, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, a very great assembly from the entrance of Ḥamath to the wadi of Mitsrayim. And on the eighth day they held an assembly, for they performed the dedication of the slaughter-place seven days, and the festival seven days. And on the twenty-third day of the seventh [chodesh] he sent the people away to their tents, rejoicing and glad of heart for the goodness that [Yahuah] had done for Dawiḏ, and for Shelomoh, and for His people Yisra’ĕl.”
Diḇre haYamim Bĕt (2 Chronicles) 7:8–10
Chodesh — Month or Moon?
The Hebrew word for month, or one of the twelve periods in a year, is chodesh (H2320). Many say the moon determines the length of the month, but Scripture provides evidence that suggests otherwise. Let’s look into it.
Moon or Month?
The Jews, and many others, count months by the moon's phases, totaling about 29.5 days. Because of this, a 13th month is added every few years to account for the accumulated time (½ day × 12 months × 4 years = 24 days).
However, Scripture lays out days, months, and years clearly for those who follow Yahuah’s ways. Beginning in Genesis 7, calendar language is used consistently. In the account of the ark, we see that each month totals exactly 30 days (see Genesis 7:11, 24, and 8:3–4). Based on this account, each month equals 30 days, with no exceptions stated. Another passage in scripture also gives proof that there are only 12 months in the year; never should a 13th be added (1 Chronicles 27:1-15).
Even more compelling is the fact that the Hebrew word for moon is not the same as the Hebrew word for month. While our English word month comes from moon—which is why I inserted chodesh into the verses above—the Hebrew language makes a clear distinction.
The Hebrew word for the physical moon in the sky is H3394 yareach, as seen in Deuteronomy 4:19:
“and lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and shall see the sun, and the moon, and the stars – all the host of the heavens – and you be drawn away into bowing down to them and serving them, which [Yahuah] your Elohim has allotted to all the peoples under all the heavens.”
There is also another word often translated as month or moon: H3391 yerach. This word is used when referring to a period of time measured by the moon’s cycle, whereas H3394 yareach refers to the physical moon itself.
For example, in Exodus 2:1–2:
“And a man of the house of Lĕwi went and married a daughter of Lĕwi. And the woman conceived and bore a son. And she saw that he was a lovely child, and she hid him three months.”
Here, yerach is used to describe the passing of time—three months—measured by the moon’s cycle.
Yet when reading Leviticus 23 and many other passages that describe Yahuah’s appointed times and specific dates, the Hebrew word used is H2320 chodesh, not yerach:
“In the first [chodesh], on the fourteenth day of the [chodesh], between the evenings, is the Pĕsaḥ to [Yahuah]. ‘And on the fifteenth day of this [chodesh] is the Festival of Matzot to [Yahuah] – seven days you eat unleavened bread.’”
Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23:5–6
It seems reasonable to conclude that H3391 yerach is used when speaking of elapsed time measured by the moon’s cycle, while H2320 chodesh is used for fixed dates and Yahuah’s appointed times—independent of the moon’s phases.
This study only scratches the surface. For those who want to explore further, I encourage you to watch this study, called, The Moon Oh the Moon.
Chodesh — A Deeper Look
The Hebrew letters of chodesh are chet, dalet, and shin:
חֹ chet – wall, divider
דֶ dalet – door, open or closed
שׁ shin – teeth, beauty or destruction
This can be pictured as:
A wall with an open door to beauty, or
A wall with a closed door to destruction
Chodesh lays out the months—the twelve periods of the year—and in doing so, lays out the mo’edim (appointed times; see our WAM on Mo’ed). For those who walk in them, they become an open door to life and beauty. For those who turn away and close the door, the end is destruction.
This is my interpretation, but Scripture consistently shows that walking in Yahuah’s ways brings life, blessing, and beauty. Keeping count of Yahuah’s chodeshim and honoring His appointed times aligns us with that blessing.
I hope this has blessed you and encouraged you to seek truth in all you do.
Shalom,
JS
