10:16 with 17, and 2 K. 2:16 with 17; Ex. 26:19 with 36:24. The sing. is chiefly used with things which one is accustomed to count; the sing. king, 1 K. 20:1, 16, is unusual. Rem. 1.
(f) When the expression is def. the Art. usually goes with the noun, and the Num. is def. of itself. Jud. 7:7 שִׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת הָאִישׁ the 300 men (Rem. 1). 17:3 את־אֶלֶף וּמֵאָה הַכֶּסֶף the 1100 (shekels) of silver. 1 S. 30:21 מָאתַיִם הָֽאֲנָשִׁים the 200 men. Gen. 18:28, Deu. 9:25, Jos. 4:20, Jud. 7:22; 18:17, 1 K. 7:44, 2 Chr. 25:9, Ex. 26:19; 36:24.
Rem. 1. Words used in sing. in the cases a — d are יוֹם days, שָׁנָה years, אִישׁ men (esp. of troops), אֶלֶף thousands, אַמָּה cubits (often pl.), כֹּר, בַּת (measures), כִּכָּר talents (also pl.), נֵּרָה, שֶׁקֶל (oftenest pl.) &c.; and collect. as רַגְלִי infantry, רֶכֶב chariots, נפשׁ persons, בקר cattle, צאן sheep. Usage fluctuates; cf § 17. — Adj. and words in Appos. may agree grammatically in sing. 1 S. 22, 18, 1 K. 20:16, or ad sensum in pl. Jud. 18:16, 1 K. 1:5.
Rem. 2. In eleven the forms ע׳ עֶשְׂרֵה, עַשְׁתֵּי עָשָׂר occur Deu. 1:3, Jer. 1:3; 39:2, Ez. 26:1, but chiefly belong to later style. In twelve the forms שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה, שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר are usual, the cons. שְׁנֵי &c., comparatively rare.
Rem. 3. The form twenty-and-three (in c) is the older order and the one usual at all times, i.e. the larger number first and the two joined by and. The same order is usual when there are higher numbers, thus: hundreds and tens and units; thousands and hundreds and tens, &c. It is characteristic of later style (occasionally in Kings) to put the smaller number first or omit the and. Cf. Ezr. 2 or Neh. 7 pass., Nu. 4:36, 1 K. 10:14. The repet. 20 year and 3 years or reverse order is almost peculiar to P.[1]
Rem. 4. Words readily understood in expressions of weight, measure, or date are often omitted, as shekel, ephah, day, Gen. 24:22 עֲשָׂרָה זָהָב ten (shekels) gold, Ru. 3:15 שֵׁשׁ שְׂעֹרִים six (ephahs) of barley, Gen. 20:16; 45:22, 1 S. 10:3, 4;
- ↑ According to Herner, § 12, only 1 K. 6:1 outside of P.
