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

Example: 1SA 13:17

הָרֹ֨אשׁ אֶחָ֥ד

harosh ‘ehad

The-group one

One group

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

“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

Example: 2CH 3:15

עַמּוּדִ֣ים שְׁנַ֔יִם

‘ammudim shenayim

pillars two

two pillars

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

Example: GEN 3:7

שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם

shenehem

two of them

both of them

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

Example: JOB 1:2

שִׁבְעָ֥ה בָנִ֖ים וְשָׁל֥וֹשׁ בָּנֽוֹת

shiv’ah vanim weshalosh banoth

seven sons and-three daughters

seven sons and three daughters

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.

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

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

Example: 2SA 9:10

חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר בָּנִ֖ים

hamishah ‘asar banim

five ten sons

fifteen sons

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.