An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

14. םי ִכל ָ ְמ ה ָע ָבּר ְאַ
׃ה ָשּׁ מִ חֲ ה־ת ַ אֶ
15.
16.
17.
[Page
279]
18.
19.
20.
21.
רקָ ב ָ ה ָשּׁ מִ ֲ
four kings against five
Gen 14:9
ח five (head of) cattle
Exod 21:37
ה ָנ ָשׁ ה ֶנֹמ ְשׁ eight years
2 Kgs 8:17 Kethiv
בהָ ז ָ הרָ ָשׂ ֲע ten (shekels of) gold
Gen 24:22
םירֹע ִ ְשׂ־שׁ ֵשׁ six (seahs of) barley
ה ָשׁוֹל ְשׁ םימָ ִ
Ruth 3:15
י three days
1 Chr 12:40
שׁוֹל ָשׁ תוֹנ ָבּ three daughters
שׁמֵ ח ָ תוֹמּ ַ
1 Chr 25:5
א five cubits
2 Chr 3:11
15.2.3 Cardinal ‘Eleven-Nineteen’
a The numerals ‘eleven-nineteen’ are normally formed by the juxtaposition of the units
with the numeral in רשׂע. The combined unit-teen phrase usually precedes the
enumerated noun, which is frequently plural, except in the case of the collectives,
especially such words as םוֹי, ה ָנ ָשׁ, שׁיא, ִ שׁ ֶפ ֶנ ֫ and לקֶ ֫
ֶשׁ (## 3, 9, 10). 14 The
numeral רשׂע in the teens (in contrast to its use absolutely) agrees with its noun in
gender, while the units follow their own laws of gender agreement (for ‘one,’ ‘two’)
and gender opposition (for ‘three-nine’). The numeral ‘two’ may be used as an
absolute or a construct.
b There are three morphological oddities about the teens. (1) The numeral רשׂע has
different vocalisms in combination: ר ָשׂ ָע (versus ר ֶשׂ ֶע ֫ alone) and הרֵ ְשׂ ֶע (versus
הרָ ָשׂ ֲע alone). (2) The unit used for ‘eleven’ may be either דחא / תחא or יתֵּ ְשׁ ַע
14 Hetzron argues, on the basis of Akkadian, that the original Semitic order was teen +
unit and that the unit + teen order is secondary, that is, that the basic order is one of
decreasing magnitude; see “Innovations in the Semitic Numeral System,” Journal of
Semitic Studies 22 (1977) 167–201; for a dissent, see M. A. Powell, “Notes on
Akkadian Numbers and Number Syntax,” Journal of Semitic Studies 24 (1979) 13–
18.