Strong’s Concordance, Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon, and Gesenius’ Hebrew Chaldee Lexicon all agree that “chodesh/hodesh” means a new moon and by implication means a new month. The terms are used synonymously in the scriptural text, as the scriptural month is based on the lunar cycle.
The root word of the term “chodesh” is “hadas” (H2318), which means “to make new, renew or repair.”
I’ve heard many say that the word “chodesh” cannot mean “new moon,” chalking it up to a translation/scribal error because the word for “moon” in Scripture is a completely different word—you can find the word “moon” in Scripture as the Hebrew word “yerah” (H3391). It is also found as “yareah” (H3394).
While it is true that these are separate words, this statement and assumption is made to imply that these two words have nothing in common, and that a “new month” cannot mean “new moon,” therefore “chodesh” cannot be a lunar term.
According to Scripture, this assumption is wrong.
Even though you only need 2-3 witnesses to confirm a matter, I would like to take some time to give you 11 witnesses in Scripture in which the word “chodesh” (month) is used interchangeably with the word “yerah” (moon).
1 Kings 6:37-38
In the fourth year the foundation of the house of Yahuah was laid, in the month (H3391, MOON) of Ziv. And in the eleventh year, in the month (H3391, MOON) of Bul, which is the eighth month (H2320, MONTH), the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.
1 Kings 8:2
Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month (H3391, MOON) of Ethanim, which is the seventh month (H2320, MONTH).
Exodus 2:2
So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months (H3391, MOONS).
2 Kings 15:13
Shallum the son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month (H3391, MOON) in Samaria.
Job 3:6
As for that night, may darkness seize it; may it not rejoice among the days of the year, may it not come into the number of the months (H3391, MOONS).
Job 7:3
So I have been allotted months (H3391, MOONS) of futility, and wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
Job 29:2
“Oh, that I were as in months (H3391, MOONS) past, as in the days when Eloah watched over me...”
Job 39:2
Can you number the months (H3391, MOONS) that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young?
Zechariah 11:8
I dismissed the three shepherds in one month (H3391, MOON). My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
Deuteronomy 21:13
She shall put off the clothes of her captivity, remain in your house, and mourn her father and her mother a full month (H3391, MOON); after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.
Additionally, we have two witnesses that use the Hebrew word ‘yerah’ (Strong’s H3393), which is another word that is derived from the Hebrew root word meaning ‘moon’ (the only difference is the vowel points).
- Ezra 6:15
And this house was finished on the third day of the month (H3393, MONTH - derived from the Hebrew root word meaning MOON) Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. - Daniel 4:29
At the end of twelve months (H3393, MONTH - derived from the Hebrew root word meaning MOON) he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
We also have a bonus witness in the Greek Septuagint (LXX):
“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon (G3561, NOUMENIA) or sabbaths...”
Colossians 2:16
Noumenia means “new moon.”
Our English words for “month” and “moon” are derived from the Greek word “men.” MENstruation is also derived from these words to refer to a women’s monthly cycle.
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary:
menstruation (n.)
"the period of menstruation," 1680s, from past-participle stem of Late Latin menstruare, from menstruus "monthly" (from mensis "month;" see moon (n.)) + -ation. Old English equivalent was monaðblot "month-blood." Middle English had menstrue (n.), late 14c., from Old French menstrue, from Latin menstruum.
And because I know Psalm 81:3 may get brought up as a counterargument that “new moon is a full moon,” I will go ahead and address that here as well.
“Blow the trumpet in the new moon (H2320, MONTH), in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.”
Psalm 81:3
“In the time appointed” is H3677, and it means “full moon.”
Many people understand that verse to say that the trumpet should be blown in the new moon, when it is full (fully lit). It’s very easy to understand why people would think that.
However, in reading the rest of the verse, we see that it says “on the solemn feast day.”
The word for “feast” here is “HAG” (H2282—which is derived from H2287, HAGAG), and it is in reference to a pilgrimage feast. Scripture defines these pilgrimage feasts (outlined in Exodus 23:14-16 & reiterated in 2 Chronicles 8:13) as Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot (Pentecost), and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles).
Without understanding the scriptural calendar, the reader will fail to realize that the moon is ALWAYS full at the commencement of Passover/Unleavened Bread and Sukkot.
Look back to the previous verse I shared (1 Kings 8:2): “Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month (H3391, MOON) of Ethanim, which is the seventh month (H2320, MONTH).” The seventh month is talking about the feast of Tabernacles (see Lev. 23:34)!
So, this verse is not to be interpreted as “blow the trumpet at the new moon, when it is full.” It is most appropriately interpreted as: “blow the trumpet at the new moon AND on the appointed time when it is full, on the solemn feast day of Passover/Unleavened Bread and/or Sukkot.”
Scripture speaks for itself. Everything we need to know about the truth is in His Word. You just have to dig.
“It is the glory of Elohim to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”
Proverbs 25:2
If we are to be His priests, we can’t reject knowledge when it is presented to us, or else we will be no priest to Him (Hosea 4:6).
Psalm 104:19 says that Yahuah appointed the moon for moedim (appointed times).
Jeremiah 31:35-36 says that Yahuah gives the moon ordinances and if those ordinances ever depart from Him, then Israel will cease from being a nation.
Psalm 89:37 says that the moon is established forever as a faithful witness in heaven and Proverbs 14:5 says that a faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.
The moon is the luminary that we are to use to determine our Creator’s appointed times.
To the torah and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Isaiah 8:20
The ones uttering lies are those who have sought to boot the moon out of our Creator’s calendar.
The faithful witnesses (Scripture) do not lie.
With love,
Stephanie