Grammar:Number/0

From AlHaTorah.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Number

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

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".
  • 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 – When the subject of a verb is ambiguous, it might lead to the conclusion that there is nonconformity while in reality it might be that the verb is simply modifying a different word:
      • Bereshit 4:10 (קוֹל דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ צֹעֲקִים) – Though the word "קוֹל" is singular, the verb "צֹעֲקִים" is plural.6 Many commentators7 explain away the nonconformity by suggesting that really the referent of "צֹעֲקִים" is not the singular "קוֹל" but the plural "דמי אחיך".‎8
      • 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, and not just their bows, were broken.‎9 
    • Unmentioned / Implied subject – Nonconformity might result from the fact that the subject of the verb is only implied and not mentioned explicitly in the text:
      • Shemot 1:10 ("כִּי תִקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמָה") –  Though "מִלְחָמָה" is singular "תִקְרֶאנָה" is plural. While Rashbam notes that this is simply "the way of the text", Ibn Ezra10  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 – At times a plural noun will be treated as singular because the verse's intent is to say "each of many --"
      • Tehillim 66:3 ("מַה נּוֹרָא מַעֲשֶׂיךָ") – See Rashi and Ibn Ezra that the word "נּוֹרָא" is in singular despite the plural "מַעֲשֶׂיךָ" since the verse's intent is "how awesome is each of your deeds".
      • Bereshit 49:22 (בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי שׁוּר) – See Rashi, Rashbam and Ibn Ezra, who explain the singular " צָעֲדָה" by saying that each of the many boughs climbed.11
      • 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".12
      • Other examples: Other verses have been explained in a similar manner. See: Shemuel i 4:15 ("וְעֵינָיו קָמָה"),13 Yeshayahu 59:12 ("וְחַטֹּאותֵינוּ עָנְתָה בָּנוּ"), Yirmeyahu 31:14 ("מֵאֲנָה לְהִנָּחֵם עַל בָּנֶיהָ כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ"),14 Yirmeyahu 46:15 (מַדּוּעַ נִסְחַף" אַבִּירֶיךָ"), Yirmeyahu 51:29 ("כִּי קָמָה עַל בָּבֶל מַחְשְׁבוֹת י"י")
    • Miscellaneous
      • 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"
    • Shofetim 12:7 ("וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּעָרֵי גִלְעָד")– See R"Y Kara and Radak that Yiftach was buried in "one of the cities of Gilad". Cf. the Midrash that he was struck with boils and each of is limbs fell off and was buried in a different city.
    • 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 18:21 - "בִּשְׁתַּיִם תִּתְחַתֵּן בִּי הַיּוֹם" – see Radak on Shemuel I 1:1 that Shaul means, ""
    • Other examples include: Zecharya 9:9 ("עַיִר בֶּן אֲתֹנוֹת"),15

Mixed Forms


Genealogies

Nation

"Royal We"