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unfoldingWord Hebrew Grammar ⌂ ©

Adjective Cardinal Number

Summary

Cardinal numbers are used to describe quantity or to express the name of a number itself ("one", "two", "three", etc.).

Article

Neither Biblical Hebrew nor Biblical Aramaic contains numerals ("1", "2", "3", etc.) but rather uses words to express numbers ("one", "two", "three", etc.). There are two different kinds of numbers: cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers. Cardinal numbers are used either to express the name of a number itself or to express the quantity of a thing ("one", "two", "three", etc.).

Cardinal numbers function as attributive adjectives, but they do not always follow the same grammatical rules. They may appear either before or after the noun they describe, and they may not always have the same grammatical form (gender, number, definiteness) as the noun they describe. As with other adjectives, a cardinal number can function as a noun and can appear in either the absolute the construct state.

Note

Sometimes a cardinal form ("one", "two", "three", etc.) is used, but an ordinal meaning ("first", "second", "third", etc.) is clearly indicated from the context.

"One"

"One" Paradigm
Form Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
masculine singular absolute אֶחָד 'ehad one
masculine singular construct אַחַד 'ahad one of
feminine singular absolute אַחַת 'ahath one
feminine singular construct אַחַת 'ahath one of
Example: JDG 18:19
אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֔ד
'ish 'ehad
man one
one man

OET comparison: JDG 18:19: RV JDG 18:19 · LV JDG 18:19 · Read together JDG 18:19

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OET-RV JDG 18:19

19 “Stay quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be like a father and a priest for us. Is it better to be a priest for only one household, or to be a priest for a whole related tribe in Yisrael (Israel)?”
Example: 1SA 13:17
הָרֹ֨אשׁ אֶחָ֥ד
harosh 'ehad
The-group one
One group

OET comparison: 1SA 13:17: RV SA1 13:17 · LV SA1 13:17 · Read together SA1 13:17

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OET-RV SA1 13:17

17 and they sent out three raiding parties—one went north to Ofrah in the Shual region,

The following example is a cardinal number functioning as a noun.

Example: GEN 19:9
הָאֶחָ֤ד בָּֽא־לָגוּר֙
ha'ehad ba-lagur
The-one came-in_to-live-as-a-foreigner
This one came here to live as a foreigner

OET comparison: GEN 19:9: RV GEN 19:9 · LV GEN 19:9 · Read together GEN 19:9

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OET-RV GEN 19:9

9 But they insisted, “Stand back!” Then they said to each other, “This guy came to stay with us, and now he’s judging us. We’ll treat you worse than them!” Then they started pushing hard against Lot and came closer to break down the door.

"Two"

As would be expected, the number “two” in Biblical Hebrew always takes the dual form.

"Two" Paradigm
Form Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
masculine dual absolute שְׁנַיִם shenayim two
masculine dual construct שְׁנֵי shene two of
feminine dual absolute שְׁתַּיִם shetayim two
feminine dual construct שְׁתֵּי shete two of
Example: 1CH 4:5
שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֑ים
shete nashim
two women
two women

OET comparison: 1CH 4:5: RV CH1 4:5 · LV CH1 4:5 · Read together CH1 4:5

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Word details: ׃

Example: 2CH 3:15
עַמּוּדִ֣ים שְׁנַ֔יִם
'ammudim shenayim
pillars two
two pillars

OET comparison: 2CH 3:15: RV CH2 3:15 · LV CH2 3:15 · Read together CH2 3:15

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OET-RV CH2 3:15

15 For the front of the temple he made two sixteen metre tall pillars, which each had a ‘capital’ topping that was another two metres high.

The following example is a cardinal number with a pronominal suffix.

Example: GEN 3:7
שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם
shenehem
two of them
both of them

OET comparison: GEN 3:7: RV GEN 3:7 · LV GEN 3:7 · Read together GEN 3:7

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OET-RV GEN 3:7

7 Immediately they both had new understanding and they felt their nakedness. So they sewed some fig leaves together and made skirts for themselves.

Word details: ׃

3-10

Note

These numbers have specialized uses when they take either a dual ending or a plural ending. When these numbers take a dual ending, they become simple multiples ("three-fold", "four-fold", "five-fold", etc.); but when they take a plural ending, they become multiples of ten ("thirty", "forty", "fifty", etc.).

The following table presents the possible forms of the cardinal numbers three through ten. Note that this table presents the numbers as masculine or feminine according to their morphology. When a cardinal number modifies a noun, it appears with the opposite morphological gender of the noun that it modifies. This can be seen in the examples below the table as well as in the table for numbers 11-19, where the numbers 3-9 take the opposite gender morphology from the number 10 that follows. The number ten in this combination will take the morphological gender of the noun that the combined number modifies.

3-10 Paradigm
Form Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
masculine singular absolute שָׁלֹשׁ shalosh three
masculine singular construct שְׁלֹשׁ shelosh three of
feminine singular absolute שְׁלֹשָׁה sheloshah three
feminine singular construct שְׁלֹשֶׁת shelosheth three of
masculine singular absolute אַרְבַּע 'arba' four
masculine singular construct אַרְבַּע 'arba' four of
feminine singular absolute אַרְבָּעָה 'arba'ah four
feminine singular construct אַרְבַּעַת 'arba'ath four of
masculine singular absolute חָמֵשׁ hamesh five
masculine singular construct חֲמֵשׁ hamesh five of
feminine singular absolute חֲמִשָּׁה hamishah five
feminine singular construct חֲמֵשֶׁת hameshet five of
masculine singular absolute שֵׁשׁ shesh six
masculine singular construct שֵׁשׁ shesh six of
feminine singular absolute שִׁשָּׁה shishah six
feminine singular construct שֵׁשֶׁת sheshet six of
masculine singular absolute שֶׁבַע sheva' seven
masculine singular construct שֶׁבַע sheva' seven of
feminine singular absolute שִׁבְעָה shiv'ah seven
feminine singular construct שִׁבְעַת shiv'at seven of
masculine singular absolute שְׁמֹנֶה shemoneh eight
masculine singular construct שְׁמֹנֶה shemoneh eight of
feminine singular absolute שְׁמֹנָה shemonah eight
feminine singular construct שִׁמֹנַת shimonath eight of
masculine singular absolute תֵּשַׁע tesha' nine
masculine singular construct תֵּשַׁע tesha' nine of
feminine singular absolute תִּשְׁעָה tish'ah nine
feminine singular construct תִּשְׁעַת tish'ath nine of
masculine singular absolute עֶשֶׂר 'eser ten
masculine singular construct עֶשֶׂר 'eser ten of
feminine singular absolute עֲשָׂרָה 'asarah ten
feminine singular construct עֲשֶׂרֶת 'asereth ten of
Example: JOS 21:18
עָרִ֖ים אַרְבַּֽע׃
'arim 'arba'
cities four
four cities

OET comparison: JOS 21:18: RV JOS 21:18 · LV JOS 21:18 · Read together JOS 21:18

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OET-RV JOS 21:18

18 Anatot, and Almon—four cities and their surrounding fields.
Example: JOB 1:2
שִׁבְעָ֥ה בָנִ֖ים וְשָׁל֥וֹשׁ בָּנֽוֹת
shiv'ah vanim weshalosh banoth
seven sons and-three daughters
seven sons and three daughters

OET comparison: JOB 1:2: RV JOB 1:2 · LV JOB 1:2 · Read together JOB 1:2

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Word details: וְ,שָׁל֥וֹשׁ · ׃

Example: GEN 4:15
כָּל־הֹרֵ֣ג קַ֔יִן שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם יֻקָּ֑ם
kol-horeg qayin shiv'athayim yuqqam
all_he-who-kills Cain sevenfold he-will-be-avenged
If anyone kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.

OET comparison: GEN 4:15: RV GEN 4:15 · LV GEN 4:15 · Read together GEN 4:15

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OET-RV GEN 4:15

15 “Very well,”, replied Yahweh and declared, “If anyone kills Kayin, then that person will receive a seven times greater sentence.” Then Yahweh marked Kayin so that no one who found him would kill him,

Word details: שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם

Example: 2SA 12:6
וְאֶת־הַכִּבְשָׂ֖ה יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם אַרְבַּעְתָּ֑יִם
we'eth-hakkivsah yeshallem 'arba'tayim
and-[dir.obj]-the-lamb he-will-restore fourfold
He must pay back the lamb four times over

OET comparison: 2SA 12:6: RV SA2 12:6 · LV SA2 12:6 · Read together SA2 12:6

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OET-RV SA2 12:6

6 He must pay back four lambs for doing that and for having no pity on that poor man.”

11-19

The numbers 11-19 are formed by writing the number 1-9 followed by the number 10. Thus, in Biblical Hebrew the number "eleven" is written as "one ten"; the number "seventeen" is written as "seven ten", etc.

11-19 Paradigm
Form Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
masculine אַחַד עָשָׂר 'ahad 'asar eleven
feminine אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה 'ahath 'esreh eleven
masculine שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר shenem 'asar twelve
feminine שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה shetem 'esreh twelve
masculine שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר sheloshah 'asar thirteen
feminine שָׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה shalosh 'esreh thirteen
masculine אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר 'arba'ah 'asar fourteen
feminine אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה 'arba' 'esreh fourteen
masculine חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר hamishah 'asar fifteen
feminine חָמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה hamesh 'esreh fifteen
masculine שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר shishah 'asar sixteen
feminine שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה shesh 'esreh sixteen
masculine שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר shiv'ah 'asar seventeen
feminine שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה sheva' 'esreh seventeen
masculine שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר shemonah 'asar eighteen
feminine שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה shemoneh 'esreh eighteen
masculine תִּשְׁעָה עָשָׂר tish'ah 'asar nineteen
feminine תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה tesha' 'esreh nineteen
Example: JOS 15:41
עָרִ֥ים שֵׁשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה
'arim shesh-'esreh
cities six_ten
sixteen cities

OET comparison: JOS 15:41: RV JOS 15:41 · LV JOS 15:41 · Read together JOS 15:41

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Example: 2SA 9:10
חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר בָּנִ֖ים
hamishah 'asar banim
five ten sons
fifteen sons

OET comparison: 2SA 9:10: RV SA2 9:10 · LV SA2 9:10 · Read together SA2 9:10

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OET-RV SA2 9:10

10 You and your fifteen sons and your twenty servants must work the land for him and harvest the produce to support your master’s grandson, but he will eat with me at my house.”
Example: JOS 4:4
וַיִּקְרָ֣א יְהֹושֻׁ֗עַ אֶל־שְׁנֵ֤ים הֶֽעָשָׂר֙ אִ֔ישׁ
wayyiqra yehowshua' 'el-shenem he'asar 'ish
And-he-called Joshua to_two ten man
Then Joshua called the twelve men

OET comparison: JOS 4:4: RV JOS 4:4 · LV JOS 4:4 · Read together JOS 4:4

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OET-RV JOS 4:4

4 So Yehoshua called over the twelve men, one from each tribe,

20-99

Multiples of ten (20, 30, 40, etc.)

Multiples of Ten Paradigm
Form Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
gender both עֶשְׂרִים 'esrim twenty
gender both שְׁלֹשִׁים sheloshim thirty
gender both אַרְבָּעִים 'arba'im forty
gender both חֲמִשִּׁים hamishim fifty
gender both שִׁשִּׁים shishim sixty
gender both שִׁבְעִים shiv'im seventy
gender both שְׁמֹנִים shemonim eighty
gender both תִּשְׁעִים tish'im ninety
Example: GEN 18:31
לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית בַּעֲב֖וּר הָֽעֶשְׂרִֽים׃
lo 'ashhith ba'avur ha'esrim
not I-will-destroy for-sake-of the-twenty.
I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake

OET comparison: GEN 18:31: RV GEN 18:31 · LV GEN 18:31 · Read together GEN 18:31

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OET-RV GEN 18:31

31 “Listen, I’ve taken it on myself to speak to my master,” Avraham asked again, “suppose twenty are found there?”
 ¶ “I won’t do it for the sake of the twenty,” he agreed.

In the following example, the nouns "day" and "night" are singular in form but plural in meaning.

Example: GEN 7:4
אַרְבָּעִ֣ים יֹ֔ום וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָ֑יְלָה
'arba'im yowm we'arba'im laylah
forty day and-forty night
forty days and forty nights

OET comparison: GEN 7:4: RV GEN 7:4 · LV GEN 7:4 · Read together GEN 7:4

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OET-RV GEN 7:4

4 Seven days from now I’ll send forty days and nights of rain on the earth, and I’ll eliminate every living thing that I’ve made that’s still on the ground.

Word details: וְ,אַרְבָּעִ֖ים

Multiples of ten plus units (21, 32, 43, etc.)

These numbers are written following the same rules as the numbers 11-19. Thus, the number "twenty-one" is written as "one twenty"; the number "thirty-two" is written as "two thirty"; the number "forty-three" is writen as "three forty", etc.

Example: GEN 5:20
שְׁתַּ֤יִם וְשִׁשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה
shetayim weshishim shanah
two and-sixty year
sixty-two years

OET comparison: GEN 5:20: RV GEN 5:20 · LV GEN 5:20 · Read together GEN 5:20

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OET-RV GEN 5:20

20 So Yered lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
Example: DAN 9:26
וְאַחֲרֵ֤י הַשָּׁבֻעִים֙ שִׁשִּׁ֣ים וּשְׁנַ֔יִם
we'ahare hashavu'im shishim ushenayim
And-after the-weeks sixty and-two
After the sixty-two weeks

OET comparison: DAN 9:26: RV DAN 9:26 · LV DAN 9:26 · Read together DAN 9:26

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OET-RV DAN 9:26

26 After those 434 years, the anointed one will be killed and be left with nothing. The followers of that coming prince will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come with a flood, and then there’ll be war until the end with much destruction having been decreed.

Word details: ׃

Multiples of 100, 1000, 10000, etc.

The nouns "hundred" (100) and "thousand" (1000) function the same as any other common noun with singular, dual, and plural forms. Although the number for "hundred" uses feminine endings and the number for "thousand" uses masculine endings, both numbers should be classified as "gender both" because the same form can be both grammatically-masculine and grammatically-feminine.

Multiples of 100, 1000, 10000, etc. Paradigm
Form Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
gender both singular absolute מֵאָה me'ah hundred
gender both singular construct מְאַת me'ath hundred of
gender both dual absolute מָאתַיִם mathayim two hundred
gender both plural absolute מֵאוֹת me'oth hundreds
gender both plural construct מֵאוֹת me'oth hundreds of
gender both singular absolute אֶלֶף 'elef thousand
gender both singular construct אֶלֶף 'elef thousand of
gender both dual absolute אַלְפַּיִם 'alpayim two thousand
gender both plural absolute אֲלָפַיִם 'alafayim thousands
gender both plural construct אַלְפֵי 'alfe thousands of
Example: GEN 5:5
וַיִּֽהְי֞וּ כָּל־יְמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ אֲשֶׁר־חַ֔י תְּשַׁ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיָּמֹֽת
wayyiheyu kol-yeme 'adam 'asher-hay tesha' me'oth shanah usheloshim shanah wayyamoth
And-it-was all_days-of Adam which_he-lived nine hundred year and-thirty year and-he-died.
Adam lived 930 years altogether, and then he died.

OET comparison: GEN 5:5: RV GEN 5:5 · LV GEN 5:5 · Read together GEN 5:5

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OET-RV GEN 5:5

5 So Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
Example: GEN 11:17
וַֽיְחִי־עֵ֗בֶר ... שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה
wayehi-'ever ... sheloshim shanah we'arba' me'oth shanah
And-he-lived Eber ... thirty year and-four hundred year
Eber ... lived 430 more years

OET comparison: GEN 11:17: RV GEN 11:17 · LV GEN 11:17 · Read together GEN 11:17

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OET-RV GEN 11:17

17 After Peleg was born, Ever lived another 430 years and had other sons and daughters
Example: GEN 20:16
נָתַ֜תִּי אֶ֤לֶף כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לְאָחִ֔יךְ
nathatti 'elef kesef le'ahikh
I-have-given thousand-of silver to-your-brother
I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver.

OET comparison: GEN 20:16: RV GEN 20:16 · LV GEN 20:16 · Read together GEN 20:16

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OET-RV GEN 20:16

16 Then he said to Sarah, “Listen, I’ve given 1,000 pieces of silver to your brother. That’s for you to demonstrate that you did nothing wrong, so that you’re completely cleared.”
Example: 1SA 29:2
וְסַרְנֵ֤י פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ עֹֽבְרִ֔ים לְמֵא֖וֹת וְלַאֲלָפִ֑ים
wesarne felishtim 'overim leme'oth wela'alafim
And-the-lords-of the-Philistines were-passing-over by-hundreds and-by-thousands
The princes of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands

OET comparison: 1SA 29:2: RV SA1 29:2 · LV SA1 29:2 · Read together SA1 29:2

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OET-RV SA1 29:2

2 As the Pelishti leaders marched out groups of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were behind them with King Akish.

In the following example, multiples of 1,000 are expressed by numbers in a construct phrase.

Example: JDG 1:4
וַיַּכּ֣וּם בְּבֶ֔זֶק עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת אֲלָפִ֖ים אִֽישׁ׃
wayyakkum bevezeq 'asereth 'alafim 'ish
And-they-defeated in-Bezek ten-of thousands man
They killed ten thousand of them at Bezek.

OET comparison: JDG 1:4: RV JDG 1:4 · LV JDG 1:4 · Read together JDG 1:4

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OET-RV JDG 1:4

4 When they attacked, Yahweh gave them victory over the Kena’anim and the Perizim and they killed ten thousand men at Bezek.