Numbers 31:34

Paleo Hebrew Niqqud

RBT Hebrew Interlinear:

וחמרים וַחֲמֹרִ֕ים

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wə

Definition

and

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

The conjunctive ו is not merely a fixed coordinator with a stable semantic value (“and/but/or/then”). Its core function is linkage, not meaning. It binds units into a single discourse field—phrases, clauses, or whole scenes—while leaving the logical relation to be inferred from aspect, word order, genre, and context.

So the variability in translation (“and / but / or / even / then”) is not polyvalence in the particle; it is underspecification by design. The language expects the reader/hearer to perceive the relation rather than have it encoded.

Crucially, conjunctive ו does not imply temporal sequence. It implies continuity of attention. Think of it as:
- “this belongs with what precedes,”
- “remain within the same frame,”
“do not reset the discourse.”
This is why Hebrew can chain dozens of clauses with ו without subordination or explicit logic markers. The text advances by accumulation, not by branching syntactic trees. Meaning arises from the interaction:
- Aspect (qatal / yiqtol / participle),
- Position (fronted elements, resumptive nouns),
- Genre (law, narrative, oracle),
- Context (who speaks, to whom).
The ו simply keeps the circuit closed so these cues can operate together. Remove tense assumptions, and the system becomes coherent.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

חמור

chămôwr

Definition

a male ass (from its dun red)

Root

or (shortened) חמר; from H2560 (חמר);

Exhaustive

or (shortened) חמר; from חמר; a male ass (from its dun red); (he) ass.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H2543

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

חֲמוֹר or חֲמֹר

noun masculine • Consonantal / Low • Page 497

1. an ass, a beast of burden. 2. a homer, a measure of about 11 bushels. 3. a heap. 4. a proper name (Asellus, Asinius).

Matched after stripping common prefixes

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

חֲמוֹר

noun masculine • Root חמר • Page 234

a he-ass (Gen. 49:14, Ex. 13:13). Named perhaps from its reddish colour.

חֲמוֹר

noun masculine • Root חמר • Page 234

i.q. חֹמֶר no. III. a heap (Judg. 15:16).

Conjunction, Noun common masculine plural absolute

LXX: ὄνον ὄνου ὄνουσ ὄνοι ὑποζυγίου

LXX Usage Statistics

H2543:

ὄνον 16× (16.5%)

ὄνου 12× (13.9%)

ὄνουσ 11× (11.0%)

ὄνοι 9× (9.7%)

ὑποζυγίου 6× (6.2%)

ὄνοσ 6× (6.0%)

ὄνων 6× (5.8%)

ὑποζύγιον 5× (5.7%)

ὑποζύγια 4× (4.0%)

ὄνοισ 3× (3.1%)

אחד אֶחָד

one

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

אחד

ʼechâd

Definition

properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first

Root

a numeral from H258 (אחד);

Exhaustive

a numeral from אחד; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first; a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H259

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

אֶחָד

numeral cardinal • Root אחד • Strongs_Numbers • Page 95

One; unus; first (primus).

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

אֶחָד

m. const. • Page 37

1. one; freq. 2. first. Only in numbering the days of the month. (feminine form is אַחַת).

Adjective cardinal number both singular absolute

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H0259:

No stats available

וששים וְשִׁשּׁים

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wə

Definition

and

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

The conjunctive ו is not merely a fixed coordinator with a stable semantic value (“and/but/or/then”). Its core function is linkage, not meaning. It binds units into a single discourse field—phrases, clauses, or whole scenes—while leaving the logical relation to be inferred from aspect, word order, genre, and context.

So the variability in translation (“and / but / or / even / then”) is not polyvalence in the particle; it is underspecification by design. The language expects the reader/hearer to perceive the relation rather than have it encoded.

Crucially, conjunctive ו does not imply temporal sequence. It implies continuity of attention. Think of it as:
- “this belongs with what precedes,”
- “remain within the same frame,”
“do not reset the discourse.”
This is why Hebrew can chain dozens of clauses with ו without subordination or explicit logic markers. The text advances by accumulation, not by branching syntactic trees. Meaning arises from the interaction:
- Aspect (qatal / yiqtol / participle),
- Position (fronted elements, resumptive nouns),
- Genre (law, narrative, oracle),
- Context (who speaks, to whom).
The ו simply keeps the circuit closed so these cues can operate together. Remove tense assumptions, and the system becomes coherent.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

ששים

shishshîym

Definition

sixty

Root

multiple of H8337 (שש);

Exhaustive

multiple of שש; sixty; sixty, three score.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H8346

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שֵׁשׁ

numeral • Consonantal / Low • Page 1041

Six (Comparative example for interchange with Ayin, corresponding to 'sex' in context)

Matched via prefix/suffix stripped stem

Conjunction, Adjective cardinal number masculine plural absolute

LXX: ἑξήκοντα δύο πέντε ἑπτά

LXX Usage Statistics

H8346:

ἑξήκοντα 48× (52.7%)

δύο 4× (3.9%)

πέντε 4× (3.0%)

ἑπτά 3× (3.0%)

ἑξήκοντα 3× (3.8%)

ἑκατὸν 3× (3.8%)

τριακοσίουσ 2× (2.5%)

τέσσαρεσ 2× (2.5%)

τριακόσιοι 2× (2.5%)

ἑξακόσιοι 2× (2.5%)

אלף אָלֶף׃

a thousand

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

אלף

ʼeleph

Definition

hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand

Root

prop, the same as H504 (אלף);

Exhaustive

prop, the same as אלף; hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand; thousand.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H505

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

אֶלֶף

noun masculine • Strongs_Numbers • Page 143

Oxen, heifers, cattle for the yoke; tame house-animals; the name of the first letter of the alphabet.

אֶלֶף

numeral / noun masculine • Root אלף • Strongs_Numbers • Page 144

As a numeral, a thousand; properly the union of many individuals, a mass; then fixed to a definite number.

אֶלֶף

noun masculine • Root אלף • Strongs_Numbers • Page 144

Properly a union of family members, therefore association of the members of a family or tribe, larger communities into which every race was divided; a smaller division of a tribe or race.

אֶלֶף

noun proper • Root אלף • Strongs_Numbers • Page 144

A city in Benjamin's territory (Josh. 18, 28).

אֶלֶף

unknown • Strongs_Numbers • Page 145

see אַלּוּף

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

אֶלֶף

masc. epicene / dec. vi. b. • Root אלף • Page 54

I. ox, animal of the ox kind. Deut. 7: 13. 28: 4. Ps. 8: 8. Perhaps denoting literally tame cattle.

אֶלֶף

m. prim. dec. vi. b. • Page 54

II. 1. thousand. Dual אַלְפַּיִם. Plur. אֲלָפִים. 2. family, subdivision of a tribe, originally of a thousand, i. q. מִשְׁפָּחָה. Judg. 6: 15. 1 Sam. 10: 19. 23: 23.

Adjective cardinal number both singular absolute

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H0505:

No stats available

RBT Translation:

No verse found

RBT Paraphrase:
No verse found

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And the asses, one and sixty thousand,

LITV Translation:
sixty one thousand of the asses;

Brenton Septuagint Translation:
and asses, sixty-one thousand.