Number

Number
§ 15. Of the three numbers the dual is now little used. On its use cf. Gr. § 16, R. a.
The plur. of compound expressions like ‏בֵּית אָב‎ a father-house or clan, ‏גִּבּוֹר חַיִל‎ a man of valour (wealth), is formed variously.
‏בֵּית אָבוֹת‎ plur. of second. 1 Samuel 31:9 ‏בֵּית עֲצַבֵּיהם‎ their idol temples. 1 Kings 12:31, 2 Kings 17:29, 2 Kings 17:32, Micah 2:9, Daniel 11:15, Psalms 120:1-7, &c. ‏שִׁיר הַמַּֽעֲלוֹת‎?
‏גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל‎ plur. of first. Jeremiah 8:14 ‏עָרֵי הַמִּבְצָר‎ fenced cities, Isaiah 56:6 ‏בְּנֵי הַנֵּכָר‎ strangers, cf. v. Isaiah 3:1-26 :1 Sa. Isaiah 22:7, 1 Chronicles 5:24; 1 Chronicles 7:2, 1 Chronicles 7:9, 2 Chronicles 8:5; 2 Chronicles 14:5.
‏גִּבּוֹרֵי חֲיָלִים‎ plur. of both. Genesis 42:35 ‏צְרֺרוֹת כַּסְפֵּיהֶם‎ their bundles of money. 1 Kings 13:32 ‏בָּתֵּי הַבָּמוֹת‎. 1 Kings 15:20, 2 Kings 9:1 (cf. sing. Amos 7:14); 2 Kings 23:19; 2 Kings 25:23, 2 Kings 25:26, Isaiah 42:22, Jeremiah 5:17; Jeremiah 40:7, Micah 1:16, 1 Chronicles 5:24; 1 Chronicles 7:5, 1 Chronicles 7:7, 1 Chronicles 7:11, 1 Chronicles 7:40. Cf. Nehemiah 10:36.
§ 16. Many words are used only in plur. (a) Such words as express the idea of something composed of parts, e.g. of several features, as ‏פָּנִים‎ face, ‏צַוָּארִים‎ neck (also sing.), or of tracts of space or time, ‏שָׁמַיִם‎ heaven, ‏מַיִם‎ water, ‏עֲבָרִים‎ region on the other side, Isaiah 7:20; ‏חַיִּים‎ life, ‏עוֹלָמִים‎ eternity, Isaiah 45:17, ‏נְצָחִים‎ id., ‏נְעוּרִים‎ time of youth, ‏זְקֻנִים‎ time of old age, &c. Comp. ‏סְפָרִים‎ a letter (also sing.), 2 Kings 20:12, Jeremiah 29:25.
(b) Abstract nouns. As ‏סַנְוֵרִים‎ blindness, ‏בְּתוּלִים‎ virginity, ‏מֵישָׁרִים‎ uprightness, ‏כִּפֻּרִים‎ atonement, ‏זְנוּנִים‎ whoredom, ‏שִׁלֻּמִים‎ requital, ‏תַּהְפֻּכוֹת‎ perversity, &c. The plur. in this case may express the idea of a combination of the elements or characteristics composing the thing, or of the acts realising it.
(c) The plur. of eminence or excellence (majesty) also expresses an intensification of the idea of the sing.; e.g. ‏אֱלֺהִים‎ God, and analogically ‏קְדוֹשִׁים‎ Holy One, Hosea 11:12, Proverbs 30:3, ‏עֶלְיוֹנִים‎ Most High, Daniel 7:18; so ptcp. referring to God, Isaiah 54:5, Psalms 149:2, Job 35:10. Similar words are ‏אֲדֺנִים‎ lord, master, ‏בְּעָלִים‎ owner, cf. Isaiah 10:15, Proverbs 10:26. So ‏תְּרָפִים‎ Teraphim, even of one image. On the consn. of such plur. cf. § 31, and § 116, R. 4.
§ 17. Many words in sing. have a collective meaning, and do duty for the plur., as ‏בָּקָר‎ cattle, ‏צאֹן‎ sheep, goats, ‏טף‎ children, ‏רֶמֶשׂ‎ creeping things, ‏עוֹף‎ birds, ‏בְּהֵמָה‎ cattle, beasts, &c., ‏רֶכֶב‎ chariots. Almost any word may be used in the sing. as collective, as ‏אִישׁ‎ men, ‏נֶפֶשׁ‎ persons, ‏עֵץ‎ trees, Genesis 3:8, ‏שׁוֹר‎ oxen, Genesis 49:6, ‏אַרְבֶּה‎ locusts, ‏עִיר‎ cities, ‏אֶבֶן‎ stones. 1 Kings 22:46 ‏הַקָּדֵשׁ‎ hierodouli, 2 Kings 11:10 ‏הַֽחֲנִית‎ spears (beside a plur.), 2 Kings 25:1. 1 Kings 16:11 ‏רֵעֵהוּ‎ his comrades (beside a plur.), 1 Chronicles 20:8. Particularly in enumerations, where the emphasis is on the number, and it is sufficient to state the kind or class of thing enumerated, e.g. ‏חָלָל‎ slain, 2 S. 1 Chronicles 23:8, ‏נַֽעֲרָה בְתוּלָה‎ young virgins, Judges 21:12, ‏מֶלֶךְ‎ kings, 1 Kings 20:1 (more usual Judges 1:7), ‏גֶּפֶן‎ vines, Isaiah 7:23, ‏מָשָׁל‎ proverbs, 1 Kings 4:32; and expressions like ‏עשֵֺׁה מִלְחָמָה‎ warriors, 2 Chronicles 26:13, ‏רֺעֵה צאן‎ Genesis 47:3, cf. 2 Kings 24:14, ‏הַסַּבָּל‎ the burden bearers, Nehemiah 4:10 (1 K. 5:29 rd. perhaps ‏סֵבֶל‎). It is, however, chiefly words that express classes of persons or things that are used in the sing., and words of time, weight, and measure. Cf. § 37.
Rem. 1. The plur. is quite natural in such instances as ‏עֵצִים‎ timber (pieces of wood), ‏חִטִּים‎ wheat in grain, 2 Samuel 17:28 (‏חִטָּה‎ wheat in crop, Exodus 9:32). So ‏שְׂעֺרִים‎ and ‏שְׂעֺרָה‎ barley, &c.
Rem. 2. The plur. seems often used to heighten the idea of the sing., 1 Samuel 2:3 ‏דֵּעוֹת‎ knowledge, Judges 11:36 vengeance, 2 Samuel 4:8, Isaiah 27:11 understanding, Isaiah 40:14; Psalms 16:11 joy, Psalms 49:3; Psalms 76:11; Psalms 88:9 abomination, Proverbs 28:20, Job 36:4. Cf. § 16b. In poetry the plur. comes to be used for sing. without difference of meaning, Genesis 49:4 bed sing. and plur., 1 Chronicles 5:1, Psalms 63:6; Psalms 46:5; Psalms 132:5, Job 6:3 (seas).
Rem. 3. The plur. is sometimes used to express the idea in a general and indefinite way. Judges 12:7 ‏בְּעָרֵי גלעד‎ in (one of) the cities of Gilead, 1 Samuel 17:43 staves, 2 Kings 22:20 thy graves, Job 17:1, Genesis 21:7, Exodus 21:22, Zechariah 9:9, Nehemiah 6:2. The word ‏דִּבְרֵי‎ matters of seems to convey the same meaning, Psalms 65:3.
Rem. 4. Such words as hand, head, mouth, voice, &c., when the organ or thing is common to a number of persons, are generally used in the sing. Judges 7:16 put the trumpets into the hand of them all, Judges 7:19, Genesis 19:10. Judges 7:25 the head of Oreb and Zeeb, cf. Judges 8:28; Judges 9:57, Joshua 7:6, Daniel 3:27. Psalms 17:10 their mouth, Psalms 78:36 tongue, Psalms 144:8. So to clap ‏כַּף‎ the hands 2 Kings 11:12, Isaiah 55:12. So perhaps ‏נְבֵלָה‎ and ‏פֶּגֶר‎ carcases, Isaiah 5:25, 1 Samuel 17:46, cf. πτῶμα Revelation 11:8. But cf. heads Job 2:12, and usually eyes, though cf. Genesis 44:21.
Rem. 5. The idea of universality is sometimes expressed by the use of both genders, Isaiah 3:1 ‏מַשְׁעֵן וּמַשְׁעֵנָה‎ every stay, Deuteronomy 7:14. Also by the use of contrasted expressions, as Zechariah 7:14 ‏עֺבֵר וָשָׁב‎ passing or returning, Zechariah 9:8, and the common ‏עָצוּר וְעָזוּב‎ restrained ox free, Deuteronomy 32:36, 1 Kings 14:10; 1 Kings 21:21, 2 Kings 9:8; 2 Kings 14:26. Cf. Noeld. Carm. Arab. 42:4.
Rem. 6. The coll. ‏בקר‎ cattle is used in plur. Nehemiah 10:36, but ‏צאֹנֵנו‎ is to be read in same verse. The parall. to 2 Chronicles 4:3, viz. 1 Kings 7:24, reads differently. Plur. of ‏רכב‎ chariots, Son_1:9. In Amos 6:12 rd. perhaps ‏בַּבָּקָר יָם‎.