Exodus 18:21:12Exod.18.21.W12TAB

שָׂרֵ֥י חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים

sarei khamishim

chiefs of fifties

Transliteration
sa-REI kha-mi-SHIM
Extended
sah-REI kha-mi-SHEEM
IPA
/saˈreː ħămiˈʃiːm/

Meaning by language

English
chiefs of fifties

Alphabet Analysis

Shinshin with right dot; sin with left dot
Qametslong 'ah'
Reshr guttural, like the French r
Tserelong 'ey' as in they
Yody as in yes; marks long ī
Chetch — deep guttural, as in Scottish loch
Hateph Patachreduced 'ah'
Memm as in mother
Hireq'ee' as in machine
Shinshin with right dot; sin with left dot
Hireq'ee' as in machine
Yody as in yes; marks long ī
Mem Sofitfinal form of Mem — at word end

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Vowels (Niqqud)

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The word

Word in context

  1. word

    sa-REI kha-mi-SHIM

  2. clause

    ve-sam-TA a-le-HEM sa-REI a-la-FIM sa-REI meh-OT sa-REI kha-mi-SHIM ve-sa-REI a-sa-ROT

  3. sentence

    ve-a-TA te-khe-ZE mi-KOL-ha-AM an-SHEI-KHAY-il yir-EI e-lo-HIM an-SHEI e-MET sohn-EI VAA-tsa ve-sam-TA a-le-HEM sa-REI a-la-FIM sa-REI meh-OT sa-REI kha-mi-SHIM ve-sa-REI a-sa-ROT

Exegesis

A descending numerical hierarchy—sarei alafim {שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים | śā-rê ʾă-lā-p̄îm}, sarei me'ot {שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת | śā-rê mê-ʾōṯ}, sarei chamishim {שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים | śā-rê ḥă-miš-šîm}, and vesarei asarot {וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹת | wə-śā-rê ʿă-śā-rōṯ} presents a structured delegation pattern. In English, commas and relative clauses preserve the cumulative force and clarify each tier while maintaining the original’s rhythmic parallelism.

Root and etymology

Rootsin–resh–resh

prince, official

In contextExodus 18:21

And you shall select from all the people men of ability , those who fear God , men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall appoint them as leaders over thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens.

About this coordinate

Exodus 18:21:12 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 12 of Exodus 18:21, so the Hebrew word שָׂרֵ֥י חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים (sarei khamishim) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Exod.18.21.W12, which extends further down to each syllable (Exod.18.21.W12.S1) and character.