Number Plural

Summary

The plural form of a term refers to two or more of that item.

Article

In Biblical Hebrew, a term with plural form usually refers to multiple persons or objects. However, Biblical Hebrew can use the plural form of a word to express many different meanings about a singular entity.

Form

Nouns and adjectives

Feminine plural nouns and adjectives usually end in וֹת- (holem waw + taw).

Masculine plural nouns and adjectives usually end in ־ִים (hireq-yod + final mem).

Plural Noun Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine plural absolute	סוּסִים	susim	stallions
masculine plural construct	סוּסֵי	suse	stallions of
feminine plural absolute	סוּסוֹת	susoth	mares
feminine plural construct	סוּסוֹת	susoth	mares of

Plural Adjective Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine plural absolute	טוֹבִים	tovim	good
masculine plural construct	טוֹבֵי	tove	good
feminine plural absolute	טוֹבוֹת	tovoth	good
feminine plural construct	טוֹבוֹת	tovoth	good

Other terms

Besides nouns, a plural term can be recognized by a variety of changes to the form. These changes differ greatly from each other and are hard to sum up in a simple, helpful way. This paradigm shows a sample of the kinds of changes that signal a plural form for verbs, independent personal pronouns, the direct object marker with a pronominal suffix, and pronominal suffixes.

Qal Suffix Conjugation Plural Forms

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
common plural first person	קָטַלְנוּ	qatalnu	we killed
second person masculine plural	קְטַלְתֶּם	qetaltem	you killed
second person feminine plural	קְטַלְתֶּן	qetalten	you killed
common plural third person	קָטְלוּ	qatlu	they killed
common plural first person	נִקְטֹל	niqtol	we will kill
second person masculine plural	תִּקְטְלוּ	tiqtelu	you will kill
second person feminine plural	תִּקְטֹלְנָה	tiqtolenah	you will kill
third person masculine plural	יִקְטְלוּ	yiqtelu	they will kill
third person feminine plural	תִּקְטֹלְנָה	tiqtolenah	they will kill

Independent Personal Pronoun Plural Forms

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
second person masculine plural	אַתֶּם	‘attem	you
second person feminine plural	אַתֵּנָה	‘attenah	you
third person masculine plural	הֵם / הֵמָּה	hem / hemmah	they
third person feminine plural	הֵן / הֵנָּה	hen / hennah	they

Direct Object Marker with Pronominal Suffix Plural Forms

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
second person masculine plural	אֹתְכֶֶם	‘othekhem	you
second person feminine plural	אֹתְכֶֶן	‘othekhen	you
third person masculine plural	אֶתְהֶם / אֹתָם	‘ethhem / ‘otham	them
third person feminine plural	אֶתְהֶן / אֹתָן	‘ethhen / ‘othan	them

Pronominal Suffix Plural Forms

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
second person masculine plural	לָכֶם / -כֶם	lakhem / -khem	(to) you
second person feminine plural	לָכֶן / -כֶן	lakhen / -khen	(to) you
third person masculine plural	לָהֶם / -הֶם / - ָם	lahem / -hem / -am	(to) them
third person feminine plural	לָהֶן / -הֶן / - ָן	lahen / -hen / -an	(to) them

Function

Nouns marked as plural

Common Plural

The common plural expresses more than one of a thing.

Example: ECC 10:7

רָאִ֥יתִי עֲבָדִ֖ים עַל־סוּסִ֑ים

ra’ithi ‘avadim ‘al-susim

I-have-seen servants on_horses.

I have seen servants on horses.

The term אֲלֹהִים can function as a common plural, but it most often functions as a majestic plural (see example below).

Example: JDG 5:8

יִבְחַר֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים חֲדָשִׁ֔ים

yivhar ‘elohim hadashim

And-they-chose gods new

When they chose new gods

Complex Plural

Some nouns can be singular or plural even though they appear in plural form. For example, the term שָׁמַיִם can be translated into English as “heaven” or “heavens”, and the term מַיִם can be translated in English as “water” or waters”, depending on the context.

Example: GEN 1:1

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם

bereshith bara ‘elohim ‘eth hashamayim

In-beginning he-created God [dir.obj] the-heavens

In the beginning God created the heavens

Example: GEN 1:2

וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃

weruah ‘elohim merahefeth ‘al-pene hammayim

and-the-Spirit-of God was-moving on_the-face-of the-waters.

The Spirit of God was moving on the surface of the waters.

Biblical Hebrew can use the plural form for actions that have multiple processes or an action involving a collective noun (see example Gen 4:10 below, “bloods” = “bloodshed”).

Example: GEN 50:3

כִּ֛י כֵּ֥ן יִמְלְא֖וּ יְמֵ֣י הַחֲנֻטִ֑ים

ki ken yimle’u yeme hahanutim

for so are-filled days-of the-embalmings.

for that was the full time for embalming.

Example: JER 13:27

נִֽאֻפַ֤יִךְ וּמִצְהֲלוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ … רָאִ֖יתִי

ni’ufayikh umitshalothayikh … ra’ithi

Your-adulteries and-your-neighings … I-have-seen

I have seen your adultery and neighing

Majestic Plural

The plural form can also express a collective, intensive or superlative sense of a singular item (or kind of item). For example, the noun אֲלֹהִים (God) appears in the plural form but usually refers to the singular entity “God”.

Example: GEN 1:1

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים

bereshith bara ’elohim

In-beginning he-created God

In the beginning God created

Example: Job 40:15

הִנֵּה־נָ֣א בְ֭הֵמוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֣יתִי
hinne_na’ vehemoth ’asher_‘asiti
[dem.part]_[exh.part] behemoth [rel.part]_I-made
Look now at the behemoth	which I made

Abstract Plural

Some plural nouns in Biblical Hebrew are translated as singular in other languages. In English, abstract plurals are often singular and have endings like -ness, -hood, and -ship.

Example: GEN 19:11

הִכּוּ֙ בַּסַּנְוֵרִ֔ים

hikku bassanwerim

they-hit with-the-blindnesses

they struck them with blindness

Example: GEN 21:7

כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי בֵ֖ן לִזְקֻנָֽיו׃

ki-yaladti ven lizqunayw

for_I-bore son to-his-old-ages

yet I have borne him a son in his old age!

Adjectives marked as plural

Generally, plural adjectives (also active and passive adjectival participles) use the common plural.

Example: DEU 8:12 –– attributive adjective with common plural

וּבָתִּ֥ים טֹובִ֛ים תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃

uvottim towvim tivneh weyashavetta

and-houses good you-will-built and-you-will-live

and when you build good houses and live in them

Example: JER 33:22 –– adjectival participle with common plural

וְאֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֖ם מְשָׁרְתֵ֥י אֹתִֽי

we-‘et_halewiyyim mesharete ‘othi

and-[dir.obj]_[def.art]-Levites who-serve [dir.obj]-me

and the Levites who serve before me

Verbs marked as plural

A finite verb and/or verbal participle in plural form indicates that the subject of the verb is plural.

Example: JER 43:7 –– finite verb with common plural

כִּ֛י לֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה

ki lo shom’u beqol yehwah

for not they-listened to-voice-of Yahweh.

because they did not listen to Yahweh’s voice.

Example: ??? ??:? –– verbal participle with common plural

כִּ֛י לֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה

insert transliteration [VERBAL PARTICIPLE]

for not they-listened to-voice-of Yahweh. (this table is just a place holder until an example is added)

because they did not listen to Yahweh’s voice.

Participles marked as plural

Participles in plural form can generally use the common plural, but not always. A verbal participle in plural form indicates that the subject of the participle is plural.

Example: SNG 3:8 –– nominal participle with common plural

כֻּלָּם֙ אֲחֻ֣זֵי חֶ֔רֶב

kullam ‘ahuze herev

all-them holders-of sword

All of them are skilled with a sword

Example: Job 35:10 –– adjectival participle with majestic plural

אַ֭יֵּה אֱל֣וֹהַּ עֹשָׂ֑י

‘ayye ‘eloah ‘osay

where God makers-of-me

Where is God my Maker

Example: GEN 4:10 –– verbal participle participle with complex plural [“bloods” = “bloodshed”]

דְּמֵ֣י אָחִ֔יךָ צֹעֲקִ֥ים אֵלַ֖י

qol deme ‘ahikha tso‘aqim ‘elay

bloods-of your-brother crying-out to-me

Your brother’s blood is calling out to me

Personal pronouns and suffixes marked as plural

Generally, pronouns and suffixes use the common plural.

Example: JOS 2:18 –– independent personal pronoun with common plural

הִנֵּ֛ה אֲנַ֥חְנוּ בָאִ֖ים בָּאָ֑רֶץ

hinneh ‘anahnu va’im ba’arets

behold we coming-in in-the-land

behold, when we come into the land

Example: EZR 9:12 –– pronominal suffixes with common plural

וְ֠עַתָּה בְּֽנֹותֵיכֶ֞ם אַל־תִּתְּנ֣וּ לִבְנֵיהֶ֗ם וּבְנֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ אַל־תִּשְׂא֣וּ לִבְנֵיכֶ֔ם

we’attah benowthekhem ‘al-tittenu livnehem uvenothehem ‘al-tis’u livnekhem

And-now your-daughters not_give to-their-sons and-their-daughters not_take for-your-sons

So now, do not give your daughters to their sons; do not take their daughters for your sons