Numbers 31:38

Paleo Hebrew Niqqud

RBT Hebrew Interlinear:

והבקר וְהָבָּקָר

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

ה

Definition

the

Root

Demonstrative primitive

Exhaustive

definite article, the, used for all numbers and genders; originally a pronoun demonstrative, this. interrogative particle in direct and indirect questions; in disjunctive questions: whether--or.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

בקר

bâqâr

Definition

beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used for plowing); collectively, a herd

Root

from H1239 (בקר);

Exhaustive

from בקר; beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used for plowing); collectively, a herd; beeve, bull ([phrase] -ock), [phrase] calf, [phrase] cow, great (cattle), [phrase] heifer, herd, kine, ox.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H1241

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

בֹּקֶר

noun masculine • Root בקר • Consonantal / Medium • Page 272

Prop. breaking forth (of the morning-red), hence the dawn, the morning.

Matched via consonantal key only

בָּקַר

verb • Root בקר • Consonantal / Medium • Page 272

To split, to cut through, to break through; to plough, to cleave the soil; figuratively to break out, to break forth; to divide.

Matched via consonantal key only

בָּקַר

verb • Consonantal / Medium • Page 273

To appear every morning; a denominative verb.

Matched via consonantal key only

בָּקָר

noun masculine / noun feminine • Root בקר • Consonantal / Medium • Page 272

Cattle for the plough, a herd; collectively oxen, heifers, black cattle.

Matched via consonantal key only

בִּקֵּר

verb piel • Root בקר • Consonantal / Medium • Page 272

To divide; to search into, to examine; to judge of, consider; to review, look after, inspect; to weigh.

Matched via consonantal key only

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

בֹּקֶר

noun masculine • Page 112

1. the dawn, the morning. Gen. 1:5 ff. בֹּקֶר בֹּקֶר every morning, Ex. 30:7. 34:2. 2. i.q. מָחָר tomorrow, the morrow, cras. Ex. 16:7. Num. 16:5. לַבֹּקֶר on the morrow, i. e. soon, suddenly, Ps. 49:15. 90:14. 143:8.

בְּקַר

verb • Page 112

to seek, search. Ezra 4:15, 19. 5:17. and Ithpa. אִתְבַּקַר idem. Ezra 5:17.

בָּקַר

verb • Page 112

1. to see, behold, look; Ps. 27:4. 2. to look after, to search for any thing; Gen. 13:36. Lev. 27:33. 3. to think on, to reflect, meditate. Prov. 20:25. 2 K. 16:15. 4. to look after, to take care of any thing; Ezek. 34:11, 12.

בָּקָר

com. gen. • Page 112

collect. oxen, neat cattle, a herd of oxen, without distinction of age or sex. Gen. 12:16. 13:5. 18:7. 20:14. 21:27. Ex. 21:37 [22:1]. milch kine, cows, Gen. 33:13. a son of the herd, a calf, Gen. 18:7, 8.

Conjunction, Particle definite article, Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: βοῶν μόσχουσ βόασ βόεσ δαμάλεισ

LXX Usage Statistics

H1241:

βοῶν 71× (38.1%)

μόσχουσ 19× (9.8%)

βόασ 18× (8.8%)

βόεσ 17× (8.5%)

δαμάλεισ 12× (7.2%)

μόσχων 7× (3.7%)

μόσχοι 5× (2.7%)

βουκόλια 5× (2.5%)

βουκολίων 5× (2.2%)

βουσὶν 4× (1.9%)

ששה שִׁשָּׁה

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

שש

shêsh

Definition

six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ord. sixth

Root

masculine ששה; a primitive number; compare H7797 (שוש)

Exhaustive

masculine ששה; a primitive number; compare שוש; six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ord. sixth; six(-teen, -teenth), sixth.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H8337

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שֵׁשׁ

numeral • Strongs / High • Page 1041

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

שֵׁשׁ

numeral • Root שש • Strongs / High • Page 1488

(Numeral) Six. Includes feminine form (שִׁשָׁה), construct form (שֵׁשֶׁת), and denotes sixty (שִׁשִּׁים).

שֵׁשׁ

numeral • Strongs / High • Page 1489

six (numeral).

שֵׁשׁ

noun masculine • Root שוש • Strongs / High • Page 1489

1. white marble, for pillars. 2. fine white linen, Egyptian byssus or cotton, used for priestly garments.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שֵׁשׁ

m. 1. • Root שוש • Page 702

1. white marble. Est. 1: 6. Cant. 5: 15. elsewhere שַׁיִשׁ. 2. byssus, fine white Egyptian cotton, also cloth made of it. Gen. 41: 42. Ex. 26: 1. 27: 9, 18. 28: 39. Prov. 31: 22. The later name is בּוּץ q. v. Under each of them linen is sometimes included.

שֵׁשׁ

f. and שִׁשָּׁה / const. שֵׁשֶׁת / m. • Root שדש • Page 702

six, a contraction of שֶׁדֶשׁ (like לֶדֶת by contraction מִלֶּדֶת, to bring forth.) Plur. שִׁשִׁים com. gen. sixty.

Adjective cardinal number feminine singular absolute

LXX: ἓξ ἑξακόσιοι δέκα ἑξακόσια ''

LXX Usage Statistics

H8337:

ἓξ 45× (21.8%)

ἑξακόσιοι 36× (16.3%)

δέκα 10× (4.2%)

ἑξακόσια 8× (3.9%)

'' 7× (2.9%)

τριάκοντα 7× (2.8%)

ἑκκαίδεκα 7× (3.2%)

πεντήκοντα 7× (2.7%)

εἴκοσι 6× (2.6%)

ἑξήκοντα 6× (2.3%)

ושלשים וּשְׁלֹשׁים

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

שלושים

shᵉlôwshîym

Definition

thirty; or (ordinal) thirtieth

Root

or שלשים; multiple of H7969 (שלוש);

Exhaustive

or שלשים; multiple of שלוש; thirty; or (ordinal) thirtieth; thirty, thirtieth. Compare שליש.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H7970

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שְׁלִשִׁים

unknown • Consonantal / Medium • Page 1441

(Or שְׁלֹשִׁים) Only in Prov. 22, 20 K'ri: sometimes translated three times, threefold, i. e. often.

Matched via consonantal key only

שְׁלֹשִׁים

numeral • Root שלש • Consonantal / Medium • Page 1440

thirty (increase by tens), given by the plural without distinction of gender.

Matched via consonantal key only

שְׁלֹשִׁים

m. plur. • Root שלש • Consonantal / Medium • Page 1441

m. plur. 1. thirty. 2. Same as שְׁלֹשָׁה (2), an association of heroes.

Matched via consonantal key only

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שְׁלִשִׁים

masc. plur. denom. • Root שלש • Page 683

posterity of the third generation, grand-children. Ex. 20: 5. 34: 7. Includes 'great grand-children' Gen. 50: 23.

שְׁלֹשִׁים

com. gen. • Root שלוש • Page 683

thirty. Used as an ordinal, 1 K. 16: 23.

Conjunction, Adjective cardinal number masculine plural absolute

LXX: τριάκοντα ἑκατὸν δύο τριακοστῷ πέντε

LXX Usage Statistics

H7970:

τριάκοντα 133× (51.5%)

ἑκατὸν 26× (9.6%)

δύο 14× (4.8%)

τριακοστῷ 11× (4.0%)

πέντε 10× (3.4%)

πεντεκαιεικοσαετοῦσ 6× (2.2%)

εἴκοσι 4× (1.4%)

τρία 4× (1.3%)

τρεῖσ 4× (1.5%)

ὡσεὶ 3× (1.3%)

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

ומכסם וּמִכְסָם

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

מכס

mekeç

Definition

an assessment (as based upon a census)

Root

probably from an unused root meaning to enumerate;

Exhaustive

probably from an unused root meaning to enumerate; an assessment (as based upon a census); tribute.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H4371

הם

Definition

their, personal posessive - noun suffix: 3rd person masculine plural

Root

Exhaustive

Personal posessive pronoun - suffix for nouns, adjectives and passive participles: 3rd person masculine plural

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H9028

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

מֶכֶס

m. noun • Root כסס • Strongs / High • Page 848

a determinate number, a firm settlement, hence census, tax, tribute. Also a Numidian city name.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

מֶכֶס

noun masculine • Root כסס • Page 374

A tribute, census, vectigal. Num. 31:28, 37—41.

Conjunction, Noun common both singular construct, Suffix pronominal third person masculine plural

LXX: τέλοσ

LXX Usage Statistics

H4371:

τέλοσ 6× (100.0%)

ליהוה לַיהוָה

to He is

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ל

lə

Definition

to, for

Root

A primitive particle; a prefix

Exhaustive

(lamed) — to / toward / for

Core value: orientation, directionality, belonging
ל is often mistranslated as purpose (“in order to”), but that smuggles in future-time. In reality, ל marks:
- movement toward,
- dedication unto,
- reference with respect to.
Aonically, ל is vectorial, not teleological.
not “for the sake of a future outcome”
but “oriented toward a locus or pole.”
This is why possession (“belongs to”) and motion (“toward”) use the same preposition: both indicate relational alignment, not time.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

יהוה

Yᵉhôvâh

Definition

Jehovah, Jewish national name of God

Root

from H1961 (היה); (the) self-Existent or Eternal;

Exhaustive

from היה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יה, יהוה.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H3068

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

יְהֹוָה

noun masculine • Root יהה • Strongs / High • Page 590

A pre-Mosaic old Semitic name of the supreme God, which was specially revealed for the older אֵל at the establishment of the Mosaic religion, as an abstract of all divine greatness and holiness.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

יְהֹוָה

proper name • Page 275

The proper name of the deity among the ancient Hebrews. Interpreted as 'the eternal, unchangeable, true' or 'he who is as he shall be.' The text discusses various ancient pronunciations (IAΩ, IABE, IETΩ) and its derivation from the future of הָיָה.

Preposition, Noun proper name

LXX: κύριοσ κυρίου κυρίῳ κύριον κύριε

LXX Usage Statistics

H3068:

κύριοσ 2605× (41.8%)

κυρίου 1742× (27.8%)

κυρίῳ 598× (8.8%)

κύριον 473× (7.1%)

κύριε 336× (5.4%)

--- 129× (2.1%)

'' 95× (1.3%)

θεὸσ 76× (1.0%)

θεοῦ 69× (0.9%)

θεῷ 28× (0.4%)

שנים שְׁנַיִם

doubled ones

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

שנים

shᵉnayim

Definition

two; also (as ordinal) twofold

Root

dual of H8145 (שני); feminine שתים;

Exhaustive

dual of שני; feminine שתים; two; also (as ordinal) twofold; both, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H8147

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שְׁנַיִם

numeral • Root שנה • Strongs / High • Page 1459

Two. (Masculine dual numeral, absolute state; construct state is שְׁנֵי). Used as a numeral, substitute, or adjective, referring to a pair or the double.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שְׁנַיִם

masc. dual • Root שנה • Page 691

two. Includes contracted forms שְׁנֵי and שְׁתֵּי used for the number twelve. References: Gen. 7: 9, 15; Gen. 2: 25.

Adjective cardinal number both dual absolute

LXX: δύο δώδεκα '' δέκα ἀμφότεροι

LXX Usage Statistics

H8147:

δύο 437× (51.1%)

δώδεκα 72× (8.9%)

'' 47× (5.2%)

δέκα 35× (4.4%)

ἀμφότεροι 26× (3.3%)

ἀμφότερα 21× (2.7%)

εἴκοσι 19× (2.3%)

δυσὶν 16× (1.6%)

ἀμφοτέρων 15× (1.9%)

--- 13× (1.7%)

ושבעים וְשִׁבְעִים׃

and seventy

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

שבעים

shibʻîym

Definition

seventy

Root

multiple of H7651 (שבע);

Exhaustive

multiple of שבע; seventy; seventy, threescore and ten ([phrase] -teen).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H7657

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שִׁבְעִים

numeral • Strongs / High • Page 1375

Seventy (used as a round number, or to express manifoldness).

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שִׁבְעִים

plur. • Root שבע • Page 652

seventy, often used as a round number. Gen. 50:3, Gen. 4:24.

Conjunction, Adjective cardinal number masculine plural absolute

LXX: ἑβδομήκοντα δύο πέντε ἑκατὸν τέσσαρεσ

LXX Usage Statistics

H7657:

ἑβδομήκοντα 84× (68.0%)

δύο 7× (4.8%)

πέντε 6× (3.6%)

ἑκατὸν 5× (4.3%)

τέσσαρεσ 4× (3.2%)

τρεῖσ 3× (2.1%)

ἐννακόσιοι 2× (1.7%)

τριακόσιοι 2× (1.7%)

ἑπτά 2× (1.3%)

RBT Translation:

No verse found

RBT Paraphrase:
No verse found

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And the oxen, six and thirty thousand; and their tribute to Jehovah, two and seventy.

LITV Translation:
and the oxen, thirty six thousand; and their tribute to Jehovah, seventy two;

Brenton Septuagint Translation:
And the oxen, six and thirty thousand, and the tribute to the Lord, seventy-two.