The Plural Singularity of God in Hebrew Grammar

Nehemia Gordon

One God Conference, Pasadena, CA, May 28, 2011

Meanings of Plural in Biblical Hebrew:

1. Numerical Plural (quantity) - gets plural verb, plural adjective, plural pronoun
2. Intensive Plural (abstract concept) - gets plural verb, plural adjective, plural pronoun
3. Majestic Plural (quality) - gets singular verb, singular adjective, singular pronoun

Nouns

masculine feminine
singular yeled (boy) yaldah (girl)
plural yeladim (boys) yeladot (girls)

Adjectives

masculine feminine
singular gadol gedolah
plural gedolim gedolot

yeled gadol big boy

yeladim gedolim big boys

yaldah gedolah big girl

yeladot gedolot big girls

Verbs (qal conjugation)

AMR “to say” past future future (inverted past)

spoke will speak spoke
I amarti omar va-omar
you (m.s.) amarta tomar va-tomer
you (f.s.) amart tomri va-tomri
he amar yomar va-yomer
she amrah tomar va-tomer
we amarnu nomar va-nomer
you (m.pl.) amartem tomru va-tomru
you (f.pl.) amarten tomarnah va-tomarnah
they (m.) amru yomru va-yomru
they (f.) amru tomarnah va-tomarnah

present tense “is/ are saying”

masculine feminine
singular omer omeret
plural omrim omrot

Verbs (piel conjugation)

DBR “to speak” past future future (inverted past)

spoke will speak spoke
I dibarti edaber va-adaber
you (m.s.) dibarta tedaber va-tedaber
you (f.s.) dibart tedabri va-tedabri
he diber yedaber va-yedaber
she dibrah tedaber va-tedaber
we dibarnu nedaber va-nedaber
you (m.pl.) dibartem tedabru va-tedabru
you (f.pl.) dibarten tedabernah va-tedabernah
they (m.) dibru yedabru va-yedabru
they (f.) dibru tedbarnah va-tedbarnah

present tense “is/ are speaking”

masculine feminine
singular medaber medaberet
plural medabrim medabrot