Numerals שְׁמוֹת הַמִּסְפָּר shemot hammispar
Numerals are cardinals (“one, two, three”) and ordinals (“first, second, third”). The key is gender: 1 and 2 follow the noun, but 3–10 take the form with ה before masculine nouns (שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים “three sons”) and the form without ה before feminine nouns (שֶׁבַע כִּבְשֹׂת “seven ewe-lambs”). This page shows the numbers actually used in Genesis, beginning with the days of creation.
“names of number”
Colour key blue = added at the front · orange = added at the end · purple = a mark inside (dot · doubled letter · changed vowel) · underline = the word this page is about
1What numerals are
Numerals express number: cardinals count (“one, two, three”) and ordinals give order (“first, second, third”).
The key point in Hebrew numerals is gender. 1 and 2 agree with their noun, but 3 to 10 cross the noun’s gender: a masculine noun takes the form ending in ה, which looks feminine; a feminine noun takes the form without ה.
Counted in the OSHB morphology, 6,346 words in the Old Testament are cardinals and 621 are ordinals.
2The name — שְׁמוֹת הַמִּסְפָּר shemot hammispar
Hebrew grammar calls numerals שְׁמוֹת הַמִּסְפָּר (shemot hammispar, “names of number”): שְׁמוֹת “names,” מִסְפָּר (mispar) “number,” from ס-פ-ר “count” (15:5 וּסְפֹר הַכּוֹכָבִים “count the stars”).
In English: numerals; cardinal and ordinal numbers.
3At a glance — five rules
- 1 “one”Follows its noun and agrees in gender — יוֹם אֶחָד (m, 1:5) · אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו (f, 2:21).
- 2 “two”Agrees in gender, usually as the construct שְׁנֵי (m) · שְׁתֵּי (f) before the noun — שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת (1:16).
- 3–10 crossed genderBefore a masculine noun, the form with ה — שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים (6:10). Before a feminine noun, the short form — שֶׁבַע כִּבְשֹׂת (21:28).
- 11–19Unit + “ten” — masculine עָשָׂר, feminine עֶשְׂרֵה: שִׁבְעָה־עָשָׂר יוֹם (7:11) · שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה (14:4).
- OrdinalsEnd in ִי (i) and follow the noun like adjectives — יוֹם שֵׁנִי (1:8). Beyond “tenth,” cardinals are used.
4Cardinals 1–10 — with masculine and with feminine nouns
The standard absolute forms. Note that for 3–10 the form used with masculine nouns has the ה.
| No. | With masculine nouns | Reading | With feminine nouns | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אֶחָד | eḥad | אַחַת | aḥat |
| 2 | שְׁנַיִם | shnayim | שְׁתַּיִם | shtayim |
| 3 | שְׁלֹשָׁה | shloshah | שָׁלֹשׁ | shalosh |
| 4 | אַרְבָּעָה | arba‘ah | אַרְבַּע | arba‘ |
| 5 | חֲמִשָּׁה | ḥamishshah | חָמֵשׁ | ḥamesh |
| 6 | שִׁשָּׁה | shishshah | שֵׁשׁ | shesh |
| 7 | שִׁבְעָה | shiv‘ah | שֶׁבַע | sheva‘ |
| 8 | שְׁמֹנָה | shmonah | שְׁמֹנֶה | shmoneh |
| 9 | תִּשְׁעָה | tish‘ah | תֵּשַׁע | tesha‘ |
| 10 | עֲשָׂרָה | ‘asarah | עֶשֶׂר | ‘eser |
The feminine-noun form of 8, שְׁמֹנֶה, also ends in ה, but with ֶ (e) before it; the masculine-noun form שְׁמֹנָה has ָ (a).
5Tens, hundreds, thousands, and ordinals
The tens are the units plus ִים, the same for both genders. Among ordinals only “first” has its own shape; the rest end in ִי (feminine ִית).
| No. | Form | Reading | Ordinal | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · first | אֶחָד | eḥad | רִאשׁוֹן | rishon |
| 2 · second | שְׁנַיִם | shnayim | שֵׁנִי | sheni |
| 3 · third | שְׁלֹשָׁה | shloshah | שְׁלִישִׁי | shlishi |
| 4 · fourth | אַרְבָּעָה | arba‘ah | רְבִיעִי | revi‘i |
| 5 · fifth | חֲמִשָּׁה | ḥamishshah | חֲמִישִׁי | ḥamishi |
| 6 · sixth | שִׁשָּׁה | shishshah | שִׁשִּׁי | shishshi |
| 7 · seventh | שִׁבְעָה | shiv‘ah | שְׁבִיעִי | shevi‘i |
| 10 · tenth | עֲשָׂרָה | ‘asarah | עֲשִׂירִי | ‘asiri |
| 20 | עֶשְׂרִים | ‘esrim | ||
| 30 | שְׁלֹשִׁים | shloshim | ||
| 40 | אַרְבָּעִים | arba‘im | ||
| 100 | מֵאָה (pl מֵאוֹת) | me’ah (me’ot) | ||
| 1,000 | אֶלֶף | elef |
20 is the plural of “ten” עֶשֶׂר (“tens”). From 30 on, ִים is added to “three, four ….”
6“One” · “two” — real examples from Genesis 1–2
“One” follows the noun; the construct of “two” precedes it. Both follow the noun’s gender.
eḥad — one
יוֹם אֶחָד “day one.” “One” (אֶחָד) follows its noun like an adjective and agrees in gender — יוֹם (day) is masculine, so masculine אֶחָד. From the second day on, ordinals are used (שֵׁנִי “second”); only the first day has the cardinal “one.” That is as far as the grammar itself goes.
YLVAnd God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, day one.
aḥat — one (f)
וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו “and he took one of his ribs.” צֵלָע (rib) is feminine, so the feminine “one,” אַחַת. “One of …” is אַחַת + מִן (from).
YLVAnd YHWH God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed up flesh (basar) in its place.
eḥad — one
וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד “and they shall become one flesh.” בָּשָׂר (flesh) is masculine, so אֶחָד. As in 1:5 it follows the noun.
YLVTherefore a man (ish) shall leave his father and his mother and cleave to his woman (ishah), and they shall become one flesh (basar).
shney — the two (of)
אֶת־שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת הַגְּדֹלִים “the two great lights.” The construct שְׁנֵי of “two” (שְׁנַיִם) stands before the noun: “the two of ….” The ending ַיִם → ֵי is the same change a dual noun undergoes in the construct.
YLVAnd God made the two great lights — the great light for the rule of the day, and the small light for the rule of the night — and the stars.
73–10, crossed gender — real examples from the Bible
Look at the noun’s gender and the numeral’s final ה together: masculine noun → with ה; feminine noun → without.
le’arba‘ah — (into) four
וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים “and it became four heads.” רָאשִׁים (heads) is masculine, yet the numeral is אַרְבָּעָה, with the feminine-looking ָה. From 3 to 10 the numeral’s form crosses the noun’s gender (see “Crossed gender”). The לְ is the לְ of “become.”
YLVAnd a river was going out from Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four heads.
shloshah — three
שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים “three sons.” בָּנִים (sons) is masculine, so שְׁלֹשָׁה with final ה. The numeral precedes the noun — from 2 on, numerals usually do.
YLVAnd Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
shloshah — three
וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים “and behold, three men.” שְׁלֹשָׁה with ה before the masculine אֲנָשִׁים, as in 6:10.
YLVAnd he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men (ish) were standing over against him; and he saw, and ran to meet them from the opening of the tent, and bowed himself to the earth,
sheva‘ — seven
אֶת־שֶׁבַע כִּבְשֹׂת הַצֹּאן “the seven ewe-lambs of the flock.” כִּבְשֹׂת (ewe-lambs) is feminine, so the numeral is the short form without ה, שֶׁבַע. Compare שִׁבְעָה with masculine nouns (7:2).
YLVAnd Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves.
shesh — six (hundred)
בִּשְׁנַת שֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה “in the six hundredth year.” מֵאוֹת is the plural of the feminine מֵאָה (hundred), so “six” is the short שֵׁשׁ. “Six hundreds” = 600. See also בְּשִׁבְעָה־עָשָׂר יוֹם “on the seventeenth day” in the same verse.
YLVIn the year of six hundred years of Noah's life (chai), in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on this day all the fountains of the great deep were broken open, and the windows of the heavens were opened.
8Crossed gender — why a masculine noun takes the numeral with ה
On Hebrew nouns a final ָה usually marks the feminine (שָׁנָה year · אֲדָמָה ground). The numerals 3–10 run the other way: the form used with masculine nouns has ָה: שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים “three sons” (6:10) · אַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים “four heads” (2:10). With feminine nouns the form has no ָה: שֶׁבַע כִּבְשֹׂת “seven ewe-lambs” (21:28).
Grammars explain the origin differently, and it is not settled. So “3–10 cross the noun’s gender” is learned as a rule. When reading, do not decide the gender from the numeral’s ה; look at the noun.
1 and 2 do not cross — אֶחָד (m) · אַחַת (f), שְׁנַיִם (m) · שְׁתַּיִם (f) simply follow the noun.
9Teens, large numbers, “by …s” — real examples
beshiv‘ah — seven (-teen)
בְּשִׁבְעָה־עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ “on the seventeenth day of the month.” 11 to 19 are “seven + ten”: the unit, then עָשָׂר (ten). יוֹם (day) is masculine, so שִׁבְעָה (with ה) and עָשָׂר.
YLVIn the year of six hundred years of Noah's life (chai), in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on this day all the fountains of the great deep were broken open, and the windows of the heavens were opened.
shteym — two (twelve)
שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה “twelve years.” שָׁנָה (year) is feminine, so “two” is the feminine שְׁתֵּים and “ten” the feminine עֶשְׂרֵה. Compare the masculine עָשָׂר in 7:11. The verse also has וּשְׁלֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵה “and thirteen.”
YLVTwelve years they served (avad) Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
arba‘im — forty
אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לָיְלָה “forty days and forty nights.” The tens (20, 30 …) are the unit with the plural ending ִים (אַרְבַּע four → אַרְבָּעִים forty), the same for both genders. Note the singular יוֹם: after large numbers common nouns are often singular.
YLVFor in yet seven days I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out all that exists, which I have made, from upon the face of the ground (adamah)."
me’ah — a hundred
מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים “a hundred years and twenty years and seven years” (127). The number is broken into “100 + 20 + 7,” each with its noun: singular שָׁנָה after 100 and 20, plural שָׁנִים after 7. שָׁנִים is feminine, so “seven” is the short שֶׁבַע.
YLVAnd the life (chai) of Sarah was a hundred years and twenty years and seven years; these were the years of the life (chai) of Sarah.
shiv‘ah — by sevens
תִּקַּח־לְךָ שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה “take for yourself seven seven.” A repeated numeral means “by …s” (distributive). שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם “two by two” (7:9) is the same pattern.
YLVOf every clean beast you shall take for yourself seven seven, a man (ish) and his woman (ishah); and of the beast that is not clean, two, a man (ish) and his woman (ishah).
10Ordinals “second, third …” — real examples from Genesis 1–2
The days of creation run “day one · a second day · a third · a fourth · a fifth · the sixth · the seventh” (1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; 2:2).
sheni — second
יוֹם שֵׁנִי “a second day.” Ordinals end in ִי (i) and follow the noun like adjectives. שְׁנַיִם (two) → שֵׁנִי (second).
YLVAnd God called the firmament Heavens. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
shlishi — third
יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי “a third day.” The root ש-ל-ש of שָׁלֹשׁ (three) with the ordinal ִי. Fourth רְבִיעִי (1:19) and fifth חֲמִישִׁי (1:23) have the same shape.
YLVAnd there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
hashshishi — the sixth
יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי “the sixth day.” Days two to five have no article (יוֹם שֵׁנִי …), but on the sixth day the ordinal takes the article הַ; the seventh is הַשְּׁבִיעִי too (2:2). With or without the article, the ordinal follows the noun.
YLVAnd God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
hashshevi‘i — the seventh
בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי “on the seventh day.” The root ש-ב-ע of שֶׁבַע (seven) with the ordinal ִי. The noun בַּיּוֹם also has the article (בְּ + הַ), so the two agree. It occurs twice in this verse and once more in 2:3.
YLVAnd God finished on the seventh day his work which he had made, and he shabbatted on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
be’eḥad — on the first (of the month)
בָּעֲשִׂירִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ “in the tenth (month), on the first of the month.” The first day of a month is given with the cardinal אֶחָד (one), not the ordinal. The verse also has the ordinal הָעֲשִׂירִי (tenth).
YLVAnd the waters were going and decreasing ad(עד) the tenth month; in the tenth, on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.
11Reading large numbers — added in parts
Hebrew breaks a large number into its parts joined by וְ (and), sometimes largest first, sometimes smallest first: מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים “a hundred years and twenty years and seven years” = 127 (23:1) · תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה “nine hundred years and thirty years” = 930 (5:5).
Number of the noun: after 2–10 the noun is plural (שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים). After numbers above 10, common nouns such as “year, day, man” are often singular (אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם “forty days,” 7:4 · שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה “twelve years,” 14:4).
The construct of “hundred” מְאַת: בֶּן־מְאַת שָׁנָה “a son of a hundred years” = a hundred years old (11:10). Age is expressed as “son of … years.”
12Easy to confuse
Do not judge gender by the numeral’s ה. The ה of שְׁלֹשָׁה means “with a masculine noun,” not “feminine” (3–10).
שְׁנַיִם (two), שָׁנִים (years), שֵׁנִי (second). The consonants are similar: שְׁנַיִם (shnayim, two, 7:9) · שָׁנִים (shanim, years, 23:1) · שֵׁנִי (sheni, second, 1:8). Vowels and context decide.
שֶׁבַע (seven), שָׂבַע (be full) and נִשְׁבַּע (swear). Same or similar consonants, different words. A numeral is followed by its noun.
אֶחָד used for “first.” In יוֹם אֶחָד (1:5), שֵׁם הָאֶחָד “the name of the one (= the first river)” (2:11) and בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ “on the first of the month” (8:5) the cardinal “one” stands where “first” might be expected. The ordinal רִאשׁוֹן (first) also exists.
13Where this appears in Genesis 1–2
All 19 places, found from the OSHB morphology. Tap one to go to that word’s notes.