Ch11 Number Identification Drill — Hebrew Numbers

BBH Chapter 11 · 20 items

Instructions: For each Hebrew number-noun phrase, fill in: (a) the number word, (b) its numeric value, (c) whether gender polarity applies and how, (d) an English translation.
Gender Polarity: note "yes — [noun gender] noun + [form used]" for cardinals 3–10, "N/A" for 1–2, tens, and ordinals.

Part A — Cardinal Numbers 1–10 (Gender Polarity)

# Hebrew Phrase Number Word Value Gender Polarity? Translation
1 שִׁבְעָה יָמִים
✓ שִׁבְעָה יָמִים שִׁבְעָה 7 Yes — masc. noun (יָמִים) + ה-form seven days
2 שָׁלֹשׁ נָשִׁים
✓ שָׁלֹשׁ נָשִׁים שָׁלֹשׁ 3 Yes — fem. noun (נָשִׁים) + non-ה-form three women
3 אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה
✓ אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה אַרְבָּעִים 40 N/A — tens are invariable (no polarity) forty years
4 שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים
✓ שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים שְׁנֵי 2 N/A — 1–2 agree normally; construct form שְׁנֵי two men
5 עֶשֶׂר עָרִים
✓ עֶשֶׂר עָרִים עֶשֶׂר 10 Yes — fem. noun (עָרִים) + non-ה-form ten cities
6 חֲמִשָּׁה שְׁבָטִים
✓ חֲמִשָּׁה שְׁבָטִים חֲמִשָּׁה 5 Yes — masc. noun (שְׁבָטִים) + ה-form five tribes
7 שְׁתַּיִם עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה
✓ שְׁתַּיִם עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה שְׁתַּיִם עֶשְׂרֵה 12 N/A (12 uses dual; עֶשְׂרֵה agrees fem. with שָׁנָה) twelve years
8 שִׁשָּׁה בָּנִים
✓ שִׁשָּׁה בָּנִים שִׁשָּׁה 6 Yes — masc. noun (בָּנִים) + ה-form six sons

Part B — Tens and Additional Cardinals

# Hebrew Phrase Number Word Value Gender Polarity? Translation
9 שְׁלֹשִׁים אִישׁ
✓ שְׁלֹשִׁים אִישׁ שְׁלֹשִׁים 30 N/A — tens are invariable (no polarity) thirty men
10 תִּשְׁעָה אֲנָשִׁים
✓ תִּשְׁעָה אֲנָשִׁים תִּשְׁעָה 9 Yes — masc. noun (אֲנָשִׁים) + ה-form nine men
11 שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שֵׁבֶט
✓ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שֵׁבֶט שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר 12 N/A (12 uses dual; עָשָׂר = masc. form of ten with masc. noun שֵׁבֶט) twelve tribes
12 אַרְבַּע בָּנוֹת
✓ אַרְבַּע בָּנוֹת אַרְבַּע 4 Yes — fem. noun (בָּנוֹת) + non-ה-form four daughters
13 חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר אִישׁ
✓ חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר אִישׁ חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר 15 Yes (unit portion) — masc. noun (אִישׁ) + ה-form unit + עָשָׂר fifteen men
14 שִׁבְעִים זָקֵן
✓ שִׁבְעִים זָקֵן שִׁבְעִים 70 N/A — tens are invariable (no polarity) seventy elders
15 שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים
✓ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים שֵׁשׁ 6 Yes — fem. noun (שָׁנִים) + non-ה-form six years
16 שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה עִיר
✓ שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה עִיר שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה 13 Yes (unit portion) — fem. noun (עִיר) + non-ה-form unit + עֶשְׂרֵה; noun in singular thirteen cities

Part C — Ordinal Numbers

# Hebrew Phrase Number Word Value Gender Polarity? Translation
17 בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
✓ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי הַשְּׁבִיעִי 7th N/A — ordinals agree normally as adjectives; no polarity on the seventh day
18 בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן
✓ בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן הָרִאשׁוֹן 1st N/A — ordinals agree normally as adjectives; no polarity in the first month
19 הַשַּׁעַר הַשֵּׁנִי
✓ הַשַּׁעַר הַשֵּׁנִי הַשֵּׁנִי 2nd N/A — ordinals agree normally as adjectives; no polarity the second gate
20 הַיּוֹם הָעֲשִׂירִי
✓ הַיּוֹם הָעֲשִׂירִי הָעֲשִׂירִי 10th N/A — ordinals agree normally as adjectives; no polarity the tenth day

Notes on Selected Items

Item 1 (שִׁבְעָה יָמִים): יָמִים is the masculine plural of יוֹם ("day"). Because the noun is masculine, we use שִׁבְעָה (the ה-form). Classic gender polarity.
Item 2 (שָׁלֹשׁ נָשִׁים): נָשִׁים is the suppletive plural of אִשָּׁה ("woman") — a feminine noun. Because the noun is feminine, the non-ה-form שָׁלֹשׁ is used. The "masculine-looking" form goes with the feminine noun.
Item 5 (עֶשֶׂר עָרִים): עָרִים is feminine plural (from עִיר, "city"). The non-ה-form עֶשֶׂר is therefore used; עֲשָׂרָה (ה-form) would go with masculine nouns.
Items 7 & 11 (12 with שָׁנָה / שֵׁבֶט): The number 12 uses the dual of שְׁנַיִם for its unit portion rather than the standard polarity pattern. The "ten" element still agrees: עָשָׂר with masculine nouns, עֶשְׂרֵה with feminine nouns.
Item 16 (שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה עִיר): A teen number with a feminine noun. Note that עִיר appears in the singular (standard after teens). The unit שְׁלֹשׁ is the non-ה-form because the noun is feminine; עֶשְׂרֵה is the feminine form of "ten."
Items 17–20 (ordinals): Ordinals function as attributive adjectives — they follow the noun and take the definite article when the noun is definite. No gender polarity applies; they agree in gender normally.

Reflection Questions

  1. A student writes שָׁלֹשׁ אֲנָשִׁים for "three men." What is wrong, and what is the correct form?
  2. How do you determine whether to use שִׁבְעָה or שֶׁבַע when translating "seven cities" (עָרִים)?
  3. What is the difference between שִׁשָּׁה ("six," with a masculine noun) and שִׁשִּׁי ("sixth")? How does their syntactic behavior differ?

1. The student used the non-ה-form (שָׁלֹשׁ), which is used with feminine nouns. Since אֲנָשִׁים is masculine plural, the correct form is שְׁלֹשָׁה (the ה-form): שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים.

2. עָרִים (cities) is the plural of עִיר, which is a feminine noun. Because the noun is feminine, gender polarity requires the non-ה-form: שֶׁבַע עָרִים ("seven cities").

3. שִׁשָּׁה is a cardinal number ("six") expressing quantity; it may precede or follow the noun and shows gender polarity (the ה-form is used with masculine nouns). שִׁשִּׁי is an ordinal number ("sixth"); it functions as an attributive adjective, always follows its noun, takes the definite article when the noun is definite, and agrees normally in gender — no polarity (e.g., בַּיּוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי, "on the sixth day").