שָׁנֶה (H8141) — Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁנֶה

𐤔𐤍𐤄

shâneh

H8141 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A period of one year; the unit of time marked by a complete cycle of seasons or agricultural activities; by extension, used to refer to age (in terms of years), to specific durations (e.g., years of reign), or metaphorically to long or indefinite periods. In idiomatic or formulaic phrases, it can indicate old age or ongoing passage of time.

Semantic Range

year, a period of twelve months, cycle of time, age (in years), duration (in regnal or life years), passage of time, old age (in idioms), indefinite or long period (figurative)

Root / Etymology

The word derives from the root שׁנה, which fundamentally means 'to repeat, do again, change.' While the root expresses the idea of repetition or cycle, the noun שָׁנָה (year) refers specifically to the annual repetition of seasons or agricultural events. The masculine plural form שָׁנֶה (shâneh) occurs rarely but parallels the much more common feminine singular/plural (שָׁנָה/שָׁנִים).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite usage, the year (שָׁנָה) was primarily an agricultural marker, counting the cycles from sowing to harvest, and central to events such as sabbatical years and jubilees. The masculine form שָׁנֶה is rare and appears in specific constructions or poetic texts, often in parallelism for poetic emphasis. The typical form for 'year' is the feminine singular (שָׁנָה) or plural (שָׁנִים). Over time, the reckoning of years shifted from a strictly agricultural base to include regnal years, eras, and age. English translations consistently render the word as 'year,' but do not always capture its use in idioms ('old,' 'all years,' 'for many years') or its metaphorical sense. No association with later calendrical systems (e.g., Rabbinic era calculations) is present in biblical usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "year" 6 occurrences

'Year' is the natural, most frequent English equivalent for שָׁנֶה and covers the primary senses in the SILEX—a twelve‑month cycle, an age in years, regnal or life durations, and figurative long periods. Using the singular base 'year' allows consistent inflection to 'years', 'yearly', 'year-of', etc., while remaining the most idiomatic and widely applicable choice for all occurrences.

Alternatives (44 occurrences):

"year-cycle" (44x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה; from שָׁנָה; a year (as a revolution of time); [phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

שנה (shinʼân) — to repeat, do again, change

Root שנה to repeat, to do again, to change

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H8136	שִׁנְאָן	repeated multitude
H8138	שָׁנָה	I will alter
H8139	שְׁנָה	and his sleep
H8147	שְׁנַיִם	in two

Word Forms

44 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H8141-14`	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle	419
`H8141-17`	שָׁנִ֖ים	shanim	`HNcfpa`	years	cycles of years	years	126
`H8141-04`	בִּ/שְׁנַ֨ת	bishenat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in the year	in the year of	in the year of	71
`H8141-01`	בַּ/שָּׁנָ֛ה	bashanah	`HRd/Ncfsa`	in the year	in the year	in the year	49
`H8141-18`	שְׁנַת	shenat	`HNcfsc`	year	year of	year of	31
`H8141-05`	הַ/שָּׁנָ֜ה	hashanah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	of the year	the year-cycle	the year-cycle	24
`H8141-22`	שְׁנֵ֣י	sheney	`HAcmdc`	years	two of	years of	20
`H8141-21`	שְׁנָת֜/וֹ	shenato	`HNcfsc/Sp3ms`	his year	his yearly cycle	his year	17
`H8141-38`	וּ/בַ/שָּׁנָה֩	uvashanah	`HC/Rd/Ncfsa`	and in the year	and in the year-cycle	and in the year-cycle	13
`H8141-20`	שְׁנָתָֽיִם	shenatayim	`HNcfda`	two years	two yearly cycles	two years	11
`H8141-41`	בְ/שָׁנָֽה	veshanah	`HR/Ncfsa`	and year	year-cycle	and year	11
`H8141-06`	הַ/שָּׁנִ֥ים	hashanim	`HTd/Ncfpa`	of the years	the years	the years	10
`H8141-39`	וּ/בִ/שְׁנַת֙	uvishenat	`HC/R/Ncfsc`	And in the year	and in year-of	and in year-of	10
`H8141-03`	בְּ/שָׁנָ֣ה	beshanah	`HR/Ncfsa`	year by year	in a yearly cycle	in a year	8
`H8141-23`	שְׁנ֣וֹת	shenot	`HNcfpc`	years	years of	years of	7
`H8141-09`	לַ/שָּׁנָ֛ה	lashanah	`HRd/Ncfsa`	for a year	for a yearly cycle	for the year	4
`H8141-40`	בַ/שָּׁנָה֩	vashanah	`HRd/Ncfsa`	in-the-year	in the year-cycle	in the year	4
`H8141-02`	בַּ/שָּׁנִ֣ים	bashanim	`HRd/Ncfpa`	in the years	in the yearly cycles	in the years	3
`H8141-13`	מִ/שְּׁנַת֙	mishenat	`HR/Ncfsc`	from the year	from a year-of	from the year of	3
`H8141-15`	שָׁנָ֗י/ו	shanayv	`HNcfpc/Sp3ms`	his years	his year-cycles	his years	3
`H8141-19`	שְׁנָתָ֖/הּ	shenatah	`HNcfsc/Sp3fs`	its year	her year-cycle	her year-cycle	3
`H8141-32`	וּ/שְׁנֵי֙	usheney	`HC/Acmdc`	And the years of	and years-of	and years of	3
`H8141-08`	כִּ/שְׁנֵ֣י	kisheney	`HR/Acmdc`	like-years-of	like two year-cycles of	like the years of	2
`H8141-10`	לְ/שָׁנִ֣ים	leshanim	`HR/Ncfpa`	for years	for years	for years	2
`H8141-24`	שְׁנוֹתָֽ/י	shenotay	`HNcfpc/Sp1cs`	my years	my years	my years	2
`H8141-27`	שְׁ֝נוֹתֶ֗י/ךָ	shenoteykha	`HNcfpc/Sp2ms`	your years	your years	your years	2
`H8141-34`	וּ/שְׁנ֣וֹת	ushenot	`HC/Ncfpc`	and years	and years of	and years of	2
`H8141-37`	וּ֝/שְׁנֹתֶ֗י/ךָ	ushenoteykha	`HC/Ncfpc/Sp2ms`	and your years	and your recurring years	and your years	2
`H8141-42`	וְ/שָׁנִים֩	veshanim	`HC/Ncfpa`	and years	and years	and years	2
`H8141-44`	ב/שנת	vshnt	`HRd/Ncfsa`	in year	in a yearly cycle	in the year	2
`H8141-07`	כְּ/שָׁנָ֣ה	keshanah	`HR/Ncfsa`	year by year	like a year-cycle	year by year	1
`H8141-11`	לִ/שְׁנַ֥ת	lishenat	`HR/Ncfsc`	of year	for year-of	of the year	1
`H8141-12`	לִ/שְׁנָתַ֣יִם	lishenatayim	`HR/Ncfda`	after two years	for two years	after two years	1
`H8141-16`	שָׁנֵ֣י/נוּ	shaneynu	`HNcfpc/Sp1cp`	our years	our yearly cycles	our years	1
`H8141-25`	שְׁנוֹתָ֑יִ/ךְ	shenotayikhe	`HNcfpc/Sp2fs`	your years	your years	your years	1
`H8141-26`	שְׁ֝נוֹתָ֗י/ו	shenotayv	`HNcfpc/Sp3ms`	his years	his yearly cycles	his years	1
`H8141-28`	שְׁנוֹתֵ֨י/נוּ	shenoteynu	`HNcfpc/Sp1cp`	our years	our yearly cycles	our years	1
`H8141-29`	שנה	shnh	`HNcfsa`	year	year-cycle	year	1
`H8141-30`	וּ/כְ/שָׁנִ֖ים	ukheshanim	`HC/R/Ncfpa`	and as years	and like years	and as years	1
`H8141-31`	וּ/שְׁנַ֥ת	ushenat	`HC/Ncfsc`	and year	and year-of	and year	1
`H8141-33`	וּ֝/שְׁנֵי/הֶ֗ם	usheneyhem	`HC/Acmdc/Sp3mp`	and their years	and the two of them	and their years	1
`H8141-35`	וּ֝/שְׁנוֹתָ֗/ם	ushenotam	`HC/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	and their years	and their years	and their years	1
`H8141-36`	וּ/שְׁנוֹתַ֪/י	ushenotay	`HC/Ncfpc/Sp1cs`	and my years	and my cycle-years	and my years	1
`H8141-43`	בִ/שְׁנַ֨ת	vishenat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in year	in cycle-year-of	in the year of	1

Occurrences in Scripture

880 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H8141-42`	Genesis 1:14	וְ/שָׁנִֽים	veshanim	`HC/Ncfpa`	and years	and years	and years
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:3	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:4	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:5	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:5	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-17`	Genesis 5:6	שָׁנִ֖ים	shanim	`HNcfpa`	years	cycles of years	years
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:6	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	year	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-17`	Genesis 5:7	שָׁנִ֔ים	shanim	`HNcfpa`	years	cycles of years	years
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:7	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:8	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:8	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:9	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:10	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:10	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-17`	Genesis 5:11	שָׁנִ֔ים	shanim	`HNcfpa`	hundred	cycles of years	years
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:11	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:12	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:13	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:13	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-17`	Genesis 5:14	שָׁנִ֔ים	shanim	`HNcfpa`	years	cycles of years	years
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:14	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-17`	Genesis 5:15	שָׁנִ֖ים	shanim	`HNcfpa`	years	cycles of years	years
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:15	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:16	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:16	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:17	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:17	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:18	שָׁנָ֖ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:18	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:19	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:20	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:20	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:21	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:22	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:23	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:23	שָׁנָֽה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:25	שָׁנָ֖ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:25	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:26	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:26	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:27	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:27	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:28	שָׁנָ֖ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:28	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:30	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:30	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:31	שָׁנָ֔ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:31	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah-2	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 5:32	שָׁנָ֑ה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years old	year-cycle	year-cycle
`H8141-14`	Genesis 6:3	שָׁנָֽה	shanah	`HNcfsa`	years	year-cycle	year-cycle

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