Difference between revisions of "Grammar:Number/0"
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<li>Tehillim 66:3 ("מַה נּוֹרָא מַעֲשֶׂיךָ") – See Rashi and Ibn Ezra that the word "" is in singular since the verse's intent is "how awesome is each of your deeds".</li> | <li>Tehillim 66:3 ("מַה נּוֹרָא מַעֲשֶׂיךָ") – See Rashi and Ibn Ezra that the word "" is in singular since the verse's intent is "how awesome is each of your deeds".</li> | ||
<li>Bereshit 49:22</li> | <li>Bereshit 49:22</li> | ||
+ | <li>Shemuel I 19:20 (וַיִּשְׁלַח שָׁאוּל מַלְאָכִים... וַיַּרְא) – Though many messengers were sent by Shaul, the verse states in singular that "he saw".  radak explains that the form implies that "each of the messengers saw". Alternatively, he suggests that the verse refers to just the head messenger.</li> | ||
<li>Yeshayahu 59:12</li> | <li>Yeshayahu 59:12</li> | ||
<li>Yirmeyahu 46:15</li> | <li>Yirmeyahu 46:15</li> |
Version as of 04:35, 20 April 2022
Number
Nonconformity Between Number and Verb
In Biblical Hebrew there is not always conformity between number and verb, with a plural subject sometimes taking a single verb form and vice versa. Some commentators attribute this to "דרך המקרא", the way of the text,1 and do not attempt to explain the various cases, while others try to explain the nonconformity in each case.
- "היה" – Many commentators2 note that the phenomenon is especially prevalent with regards to the root "היה" when it precedes a subject.
- Ibn Ezra explains that this is "the way of the text" and that the lack of conformity might stem from the word's prevalence.3 Shadal compares it to the Italian "impersonale" construction, often used to express a non specific subject ("one", "they" etc) which similarly does not always conform to number.
- Cf. Rashbam who agrees that the nonconformity is simply "the way of the text" but adds that if one nonetheless wanted to look for conformity, one might suggest that in all such cases there is an assumed subject which is implied by the text: "מעשה". Thus, such verses would read as if written: "and [an event] happened, that..."
- Examples include: Bereshit 1:14 ("יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם"),4 Shemot 17:12 ( וַיְהִי יָדָיו אֱמוּנָה),5 Bemidbar 9:6 (וַיְהִי אֲנָשִׁים), Devarim 22:23 (כִּי יִהְיֶה נַעֲרָ בְתוּלָה),6
- Other cases – With other verbs, as well, number and verb might not match. In many of these cases, however, commentators are more hesitant to attribute this to "the way of the text" and attempt to explain away the nonconformity:
- Ambiguous subject:
- Bereshit 4:10 (קוֹל דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ צֹעֲקִים) – Though the word "קוֹל" is singular, the verb "צֹעֲקִים" is plural.7 Many commentators8 explain that the perceived nonconformity stems from a misunderstanding, noting that really the referent of "צֹעֲקִים" is not the singular "קוֹל" but the plural "דמי אחיך".
- Shemuel I 2:4 ("קֶשֶׁת גִּבֹּרִים חַתִּים") – Though the word "קֶשֶׁת" is singular, the word "חַתִּים" is plural. This leads Radak and Ralbag to suggest that the word "חַתִּים" modifies "גִּבֹּרִים" rather than "קֶשֶׁת" and the verse's intent is that the mighty men, with their bows, were broken. Cf. Malbim who suggests that the verb is modifying "קֶשֶׁת", but that since this is "שם המין", the name of a category, it can take a plural verb. Hoil Moshe instead suggests that the verb is in the plural form only due to its juxtaposition to the plural "גִּבֹּרִים".9
- Unmentioned / Implied subject
- Shemot 1:10 ("כִּי תִקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמָה") – Though "מִלְחָמָה" is singular "תִקְרֶאנָה" is plural. Rashbam notes that this is simply "the way of the text:. Cf. Ibn Ezra10 who raises the possibility that the verse is truncated and really means "כִּי תִקְרֶאנָה קורות מִלְחָמָה", in which case the plural "תִקְרֶאנָה" matches the plural "קורות".
- Shemot 17:2 ("וַיָּרֶב הָעָם עִם מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמְרוּ תְּנוּ לָנוּ מַיִם") – Though the verse implies that the nation is speaking only with Moshe, the people nonetheless address him in the plural, saying, "תְּנוּ". This leads Ibn Ezra and Radak to suggest that the nation must have been speaking to Aharon as well, even though he is not mentioned.
- Each of many...
- Tehillim 66:3 ("מַה נּוֹרָא מַעֲשֶׂיךָ") – See Rashi and Ibn Ezra that the word "" is in singular since the verse's intent is "how awesome is each of your deeds".
- Bereshit 49:22
- Shemuel I 19:20 (וַיִּשְׁלַח שָׁאוּל מַלְאָכִים... וַיַּרְא) – Though many messengers were sent by Shaul, the verse states in singular that "he saw". radak explains that the form implies that "each of the messengers saw". Alternatively, he suggests that the verse refers to just the head messenger.
- Yeshayahu 59:12
- Yirmeyahu 46:15
- Yirmeyahu 51:29
- Devarim 30:10 ("מִצְוֺתָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו הַכְּתוּבָה") – See Chizkuni and R. D"Z Hoffmann.
- Yirmeyahu 2:34 ("נִמְצְאוּ דַּם נַפְשׁוֹת") – The word "דַּם" is singular, yet the verb "נִמְצְאוּ" is plural. See Radak that since the verse is referring to the blood of many souls, it is considered plural.
Plural = One of Many
- Sometimes a plural is used when a verse really means "one of ---" . For example:
- Bereshit 8:4 - See Shadal and R. D"Z Hoffmann who both explain "עַל הָרֵי אֲרָרָט" to mean "on one of the mountains of Ararat"
- Shemot 17:12 "" – See Ibn Ezra
- Shofetim 12:7 – וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּעָרֵי גִלְעָד
- Shemuel I 1:1 ("וַיְהִי אִישׁ אֶחָד מִן הָרָמָתַיִם צוֹפִים"). See Radak that the verse might mean "there was a man from one of the Ramot"
- Shemuel i 4:15 ("וְעֵינָיו קָמָה") - See Radak, "each one of his eyes..."
- Shemuel I 18:21 - "בִּשְׁתַּיִם תִּתְחַתֵּן בִּי הַיּוֹם" – see Radak on Shemuel I 1:1 that Shaul means, ""
- Yirmeyahu 31:14 "רחל מבכה על בניה כי איננו" - See Ibn Ezra Shemot 17:12. Compare Radak who suggests that the form is singular as it refers to the nation. Cf. Abarbanel.