Chodesh or Yareach

People today look at the calendar that they are using and many believe it is the calendar that they find in His word. Many say that the moon is not related to the appointed times He has provided us in His word. They get this understanding by separating the words Moon and Month saying that the two are unrelated. But let us look into His word and see if the scriptures agree with this view or if they differ.

All Bibles today are translations from the original scriptural language. The word “yareach” from scripture means moon or month and is used when referring to the moon alone.

The word “chodesh” from scripture means new moon or month and refers to the count from the new moon. This tends to be used to refer to part of a month or the count within a month.

Below you will see some verses that use these two words. Here you are able to see the meaning of these words in English as being translated as either moon or month.

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Chodesh means New Moon, or Month

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second CHODESH, the seventeenth day of the CHODESH, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Here the word Chodesh can be translated as either month or new moon.

Exodus 12:2
This CHODESH shall be unto you the beginning of CHODESHIM it shall be the first CHODESH of the year to you.

Here the year is divided into months which are based upon the new moon.

Num 10:10
Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the ROSH CHODESHIM, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your Elohim: I am Yahuwah your Elohim.

Here, “rosh chodeshim” means “beginnings of your months” or “heads of the new moons”. It is referring the very start of the month – the first day.

1 Chronicles 23:31
And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto Yahuwah in the sabbaths, in the CHODESH, and at the appointed times, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before Yahuwah.

Here, “chodesh” again means New Moon.

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Yareach means Moon, or Month

Genesis 37:9
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the YAREACH and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

Here, “yareach” must mean “moon”.

Exodus 2:2
And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three YAREACH.

Here, the word “yareach” can only mean “month”.

Deuteronomy 4:19
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the YAREACH, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, …

Here, “yareach” must mean “moon”.

Deuteronomy 21:13
And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full YAREACH and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

Here, the word “yareach” can only mean “month”.

Deuteronomy 33:14
And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the YAREACH

Here, the word “yareach” can only mean “moon”.

Isaiah 60:20
Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy YAREACH withdraw itself: for the Yahuwah shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

Here the yareach is clearly the moon.

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A Yareach is a Chodesh

There are scriptures found which actually use both words, which show us just how closely these two words are related.

1 Kings 6:1,37
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the CHODESH Zif (second new moon), which is the second CHODESH, that he began to build the house of the LORD. In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Yahuwah laid, in the YAREACH Zif (second month):

Here, Zif is the second “chodesh” (start of the month), and the work went through the entire second “yareach” (month).

1 Kings 6:38
And in the eleventh year, in the YAREACH Bul (the month called Bul), which is in the eighth CHODESH (new moon), was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, …

Here it is saying that the eighth Yareach (month) starts at the eighth Chodesh (new moon)

1 Kings 8:2
And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the appointed time in the YAREACH Ethanim (month if Ethanim), which starts with the seventh CHODESH (seventh new moon).

Here it is saying that the Yareach (moon) of Ethanim, starts with the seventh chodesh (new moon)

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How are Chodesh and Yareach Different?

Chodesh and Yareach both mean “month”. But Chodesh also means “New Moon”.  Chodesh is used when speaking of the appointed times where as Yereach is not. It only speak of the month and nothing more and generally encompases the entire month.

Chodesh speaks of the appointed times count from the new moon. Yereach only speaks of the month and is not used to refer to His appointed times.

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Non-Scriptural Evidence

1. Historical and Cultural Evidence

• The Hebrew calendar has always been a lunisolar system, meaning that months were determined by the sighting of the new moon (Rosh Chodesh).
  
  More information can be found in historical records at Jewish Virtual Library and Chabad.org.
  
• Talmudic References: The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 20a) describes the process of new moon sightings and the role of witnesses who reported the appearance of the moon to the Sanhedrin.
  
  This can be studied in Sefaria.
  
• Dead Sea Scrolls: Some Qumran texts confirm the use of the lunar calendar for determining appointed times.
  
  Research on this can be found at The Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library.

2. Linguistic Parallels in Other Semitic Languages

• Akkadian Influence: The Akkadian word “arḥu” (𒌍) is similar to “yareach” and also means moon/month.
  
  More details on this can be found in scholarly linguistic studies such as the Chicago Assyrian Dictionary.
  
• Ugaritic and Phoenician Usage: In Ugaritic texts, “yrḥ” (same root as “yareach”) also refers to the moon and months.
  
  Ugaritic studies can be referenced in the work Ugaritic Grammar by Stanislav Segert.

3. Testimony of Historical Jewish Authorities

• Philo of Alexandria (1st Century CE): Philo wrote that the lunar cycle determines months and festivals.
  
  His works can be accessed at Early Jewish Writings.
  
• Josephus (Antiquities 1.3.9): Josephus describes how the Hebrew months were structured around the lunar cycle.
  
  His writings are available at Perseus Digital Library.

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Conclusion

By incorporating historical, linguistic, additional biblical, and logical evidence, we see that the connection between the moon and biblical months is deeply embedded in scripture, history, and ancient tradition.