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In Biblical Hebrew, a word in its singular form usually refers to a single item, or to a collection of items all of the same
kind. For nouns and adjectives, the singular form is the standard form found in a dictionary or lexicon.
Examples
Nouns marked as singular
Common Singular
Example: ISA 1:3
| יָדַ֥ע שֹׁור֙ קֹנֵ֔הוּ וַחֲמֹ֖ור אֵב֣וּס בְּעָלָ֑יו |
| yada’ showr qonehu wahamowr ‘evus be’alayw |
| He-knows ox his-owner and-the-donkey manger-of his-master |
| The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s feeding trough |
Proper names are always singular, but can be either common singular or
collective singular.
Example: OBA 1:1 –– proper name with common singular
| חֲזֹ֖ון עֹֽבַדְיָ֑ה |
| hazown ‘ovadyah |
| Vision-of Obadiah |
| The vision of Obadiah |
Example: 1SA 29:1 –– proper names with collective singular and common singular
| וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל חֹנִ֔ים בַּעַ֖יִן אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּיִזְרְעֶֽאל׃ |
| weyisra’el honim ba’ayin ‘asher beyizre’el |
| and-Israel camped at-the-spring which-is in-Jezreel. |
| the Israelites camped by the spring that is in Jezreel. |
Collective Singular
Sometimes a singular noun can refer to an entire kind of item rather than an individual entity. For example, the noun עַם
“(people”) is singular and refers to an entire group of people as a single unit.
Example: EXO 6:7 –– collective singular of עַם
| וְלָקַחְתִּ֨י אֶתְכֶ֥ם לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם |
| insert transliteration |
| And-I-take [dir.obj]-you to-me for-people |
| I will take you to myself as my people |
With some nouns, the singular form can be used as either a common singular or a collective
singular. For example, the noun עוֹף֙ can mean “bird” or “birds”.
Example: GEN 1:21 –– common singular of עוֹף
| וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־ע֤וֹף כָּנָף֙ לְמִינֵ֔הוּ |
| we’eth kol-‘of kanaf leminehu |
| and-[dir.obj] every_winged bird after-its-kind. |
| every kind of bird that has wings |
Example: GEN 40:17 –– collective singular of עוֹף
| וְהָע֗וֹף אֹכֵ֥ל אֹתָ֛ם מִן־הַסַּ֖ל מֵעַ֥ל רֹאשִֽׁי |
| weha’of ‘okhel ‘otham min-hassal me’al roshi |
| and-the-birds ate them out-of_the-basket from-on my-head. |
- but birds were eating them from the top basket that was on my
- head
|
An adjective (also active and passive adjectival
participles) in singular form describes a singular noun (either common or
collective).
Example: 2KI 20:19 –– predicate adjective with common singular
| טֹ֥וב דְּבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבַּ֑רְתָּ |
| towv devar-yehwah ‘asher dibbarta |
| Good word-of_Yahweh that you-spoke. |
| The word of Yahweh that you have spoken is good. |
Example: PRO 28:15 –– adjectival participle with common singular
| אֲרִי־נֹ֭הֵם וְדֹ֣ב שׁוֹקֵ֑ק |
| insert transliteration |
| lion_roaring and-bear charging |
| Like a roaring lion or a charging bear |
Verbs marked as singular
A finite verb (and/or verbal participle) in singular form
indicates that the subject of the verb is singular (either common or
collective).
Example: GEN 1:20 –– finite verb with collective singular
| וְעוֹף֙ יְעוֹפֵ֣ף עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ |
| insert tranliteration |
| and-birds let-them-fly on_[def.art]-earth |
| and let birds fly above the earth |
Example: GEN 1:11 –– verbal participle with collective singular
| עֵ֚שֶׂב מַזְרִ֣יעַ זֶ֔רַע |
| insert transliteration |
| herbs producing seed |
| plants yielding seed |
Participles marked as singular
Generally, all nominal and adjectival
participles in plural form use the common singular. A verbal participle
in plural form indicates that the subject of the participle is plural.
Example: PSA 104:3 –– nominal participle with common singular
| הַֽ֝מְהַלֵּ֗ךְ עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רֽוּחַ |
| insert transliteration [NOMINAL PARTICIPLE] |
| [def.art]-walker on_wings-of_wind |
| you walk on the wings of the wind |
Example: PRO 28:15 –– adjectival participle with common singular
| אֲרִי־נֹ֭הֵם וְדֹ֣ב שׁוֹקֵ֑ק |
| insert transliteration |
| lion_roaring and-bear charging |
| Like a roaring lion or a charging bear |
Example: GEN 1:11 –– verbal participle with collective singular
| עֵ֚שֶׂב מַזְרִ֣יעַ זֶ֔רַע |
| insert transliteration |
| herbs producing seed |
| plants yielding seed |
Example: JER 37:2 –– independent personal pronoun with common singular
| וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֛ע ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָ֖יו וְעַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ |
| welo shama’ hu wa’avadayw we’am ha’arets |
| and-not he-listened he and-his-servants and-people-of the-land |
| but he, his servants, and the people of the land did not listen |
Example: 2SA 19:4 (2SA 19:1 in Hebrew) –– pronominal suffix with common singular
| בְּנִ֤י אַבְשָׁלֹום֙ בְּנִ֣י בְנִ֣י |
| beni ‘avshalowm beni veni |
| My-son Absalom my-son my-son |
| My son Absalom, my son, my son! |