third
shil.lesh marks a third-generation position and, in repeated formulas, stands beside a fourth-generation position.
The attested noun marks a third-generation position: most often in formulas extending from fathers to the third and fourth generation, and once for Ephraim’s sons described as the third generation.
Senses in use
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Third position in generational formulas · dominant
The masculine plural absolute form occurs in statements concerning fathers, children, and a following fourth position. In Deuteronomy 5:9 and Exodus 20:5 the APB renders the clause “to the third and fourth generation”; Exodus 34:7 and Numbers 14:18 likewise place the form alongside “fourths” or “the fourth.”
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Third generation of descendants · rare
In Genesis 50:23, the masculine plural absolute form occurs in the statement about Ephraim’s sons. The APB renders them as “sons of the third generation.”
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the term as “third” in generational language, usually paired with “fourth,” and as “third generation” in Genesis 50:23. These renderings reflect the surrounding clauses rather than a fixed English equivalent.