An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

c An adjective often agrees with its noun ad sensum (i.e., according to its inherent
sense) rather than according to its grammatical form. With respect to number, an
adjective may be plural with a singular collective noun (## 9–10) or singular with a
plural of honorific distinction or intensification (## 11–12; 7.4.3).
10.
11.
12.
9.
תוֹבּר ַ ןאֹ צ large flocks
וֹמּ ִע םיאִ ְצ ְמ ִנּה ַ ם ָע ָ
ה ֶשׁ ק ָ םינֹד ִ ֲ
קידִּ ַצ םיהלֹ ִ ֱ
Gen 30:43
ה the troop(s) present with him 4
1 Sam 13:15
א a cruel master
Isa 19:4
א O righteous God 5
Ps 7:10
With feminine nouns whose plurals are formed with a masculine plural suffix, the
adjective agrees with the noun’s intrinsic gender (## 13–16; 6.5.2).
14.
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15.
16.
13. תֹא ָבּה ַ תֹבטּה ַ םינִ ָשּׁ הַ
ה ֶלּא֑ ֵ֫
הָ
these good years that are coming
Gen 41:35
תוֹקיני ִ מ ֵ םי ִלּ ַמ ְגּ nursing camels
תוֹבזֻ ֲע םי ִצי ֵ
תוֹנּ ַנאֲ ַשׁ םי ִשׁ ָ
Gen 32:16
בּ abandoned eggs
Isa 10:14
נ resting women
Isa 32:9
d There is a priority of the masculine gender (6.5.3). When two adjectives follow a
feminine substantive, sometimes only the one standing next to the substantive takes
the feminine suffix. 6
17. ףֵי ָעו ְ הָיּ ִצ־ץרֶ א֫ ֶ ְבּ in a dry and weary land
Ps 63:2
When an attributive adjective qualifies several substantives of different genders, it
agrees with the masculine.
4
But cf. hā˓ām hannimṣā˒ ˓immām in 1 Sam 13:16, where the LXX has a plural
participle.
5
The plural is rarely used with appellatives for God, but cf. ˒ĕlōhîm qədōšîm ‘holy
God’ in Josh 24:19.
6
See also 1 Kgs 19:11, Jer 20:9. The apparent clash of hm˒t (masc. noun with -ôt
plural) hgdlym (Gen 1:16) is only formal (cf. ## 13–16).