Lexical Summary Kislev: Kislev Original Word: כִּסְלֵו Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Chisleu Probably of foreign origin; Kisleu, the 9th Heb. Month -- Chisleu. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition the ninth month of the Jewish calendar NASB Translation Chislev (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs כִּסְלֵו proper name [masculine] kislew, ninth month (post-exilic) = November-December, Zechariah 7:1; ׳בְּחֹדֶשׁ כ Nehemiah 1:1 (ᵑ7 id.; loan-word from Babylonian kislimu, kislivu, Muss-ArnJBL 1892, 167; conjectures on etymology by JenZA ii, 210, Anm. 3 Hptib. 265, Anm. 2; Palmyrene כסלול VogNo. 24; Greek χασελευ I Makk Nehemiah 1:54). Topical Lexicon Designation and Calendar Placement Kislev is the ninth month of the biblical year, reckoned from the spring month of Nisan (Exodus 12:2). On the modern Jewish calendar it straddles late November and December. Falling after the autumn harvest and at the onset of Judea’s rainy season, Kislev marks the transition from the former rains to the winter cold (Jeremiah 36:22). Occurrences in Scripture • Nehemiah 1:1 situates Nehemiah’s burden for Jerusalem “in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year,” when he received news of the city’s broken walls while serving Artaxerxes in Susa. These two notices frame pivotal moments in the post-exilic restoration: the mobilizing of Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem’s defense, and the call through Zechariah to shift from ritual fasting to covenant obedience. Historical Setting Nehemiah’s reference (ca. 445 B.C.) belongs to the Persian period, when Jewish exiles enjoyed limited autonomy yet remained vulnerable. News of Jerusalem’s desolation reached Nehemiah during Kislev, a season when travel slowed and agricultural labor tapered, giving him space for intensified prayer and fasting (Nehemiah 1:4). Zechariah’s timestamp (518 B.C.) occurs roughly two decades earlier. The remnant had laid the second Temple’s foundation, but spiritual lethargy threatened progress. By dating the oracle to Kislev, the text anchors the prophet’s exhortation in the same wintry month that would later stir Nehemiah’s intercession. Agricultural and Climatic Features Kislev’s first rains softened hardened ground (Joel 2:23), allowing wheat and barley to germinate. The chill of the season required hearth fires (Jeremiah 36:22) and extended nights favored communal gatherings for Scripture reading, as evident when Baruch read Jeremiah’s scroll. The physical environment thus served the spiritual themes of preparation and watchfulness. Religious Observances and Later Tradition By Second Temple times the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) began on the twenty-fifth of Kislev, commemorating the Maccabean cleansing of the Temple (1 Maccabees 4:52-59). While this feast arises after the Old Testament canon, its placement in Kislev deepens the month’s association with renewed worship. Jesus honored this celebration, walking in Solomon’s Colonnade at “the Feast of Dedication” (John 10:22), underscoring Kislev’s continuum from restoration under Zerubbabel and Nehemiah to the greater cleansing accomplished by Christ. Theological Significance 1. Seasons of Prayerful Waiting. Nehemiah’s prolonged fasting in Kislev models persevering intercession that precedes decisive action (Nehemiah 1:6-11). Applications for Ministry • Encourage congregational seasons of corporate prayer during the year’s darker months, taking cues from Nehemiah’s disciplined petitions. Related Passages and Themes Jeremiah 36:9-10 – a public fast in the ninth month that precipitated a call to repentance. Ezra 10:9 – another ninth-month assembly, this time confronting unlawful marriages. John 10:22-23 – Jesus attending the Feast of Dedication in Kislev, confirming its acceptance and pointing to a greater sanctification. Kislev therefore stands in Scripture as a month of awakening: prayers intensify, prophetic words are heeded, and renewed dedication readies God’s people for the unfolding of His redemptive plan. Forms and Transliterations בְּכִסְלֵֽו׃ בכסלו׃ כִּסְלֵיו֙ כסליו bə·ḵis·lêw bechisLev bəḵislêw kis·lêw kisLeiv kislêwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Nehemiah 1:1 HEB: [כִּסְלֵו כ] (כִּסְלֵיו֙ ק) שְׁנַ֣ת NAS: in the month Chislev, [in] the twentieth KJV: And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth INT: happened the month Chisleu year the twentieth Zechariah 7:1 2 Occurrences |
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