H503. alaph

II. אֶ֫לֶף‎ noun masculine^{Judges 6:15} thousand (אלף‎ MI, SI, Sabean DHM^{ZMG 1875, 615}; Arabic , Aramaic , אלפיא אֲלַף,‎) — א׳(אָ֑ ׳)‎ Genesis 20:16 +; suffix אַלְמִּי‎ Judges 6:15; dual אַלְמַּיִם‎ Numbers 4:36 +; plural אֲלָפִים‎ Exodus 18:21 +; construct אַלְפֵי‎ 32:28 +; אֲלָפֶיךָ‎ Deuteronomy 7:13 2t.; אֲלָפָיו‎ Qr 1 Samuel 18:7 2t. (Kt פֿו‎) — a thousand.

1 numeral:

a. used with noun alone; mostly before noun Numbers 35:4; Joshua 7:3; Nehemiah 3:13; 1 Chronicles 18:4 +; after noun (late) 12:35 6t. Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah; ׳א בָּאַמָּה‎ Numbers 35:5 (4 t. in verse); Ezekiel 47:3 (strike out Co); the noun always plural when preceding, sometimes when following, 1 Samuel 25:2; 1 Kings 3:4; 2 Kings 18:23 = Isaiah 36:8; 2 Chronicles 30:24; Psalm 90:4; Job 42:12; Ecclesiastes 6:6; elsewhere singular אישׁ‎ Judges 9:49; 15:15-16, Joshua 7:3 +; אַמָּה‎ Numbers 35:4 + (so SI); דּוֺר‎ Deuteronomy 7:9 +, compare 1 Chronicles 18:4; 19:6; 2 Kings 15:19; Job 42:12; Song of Solomon 4:4; Isaiah 7:23, noun sometimes collective; ׳א‎ plural construct Micah 6:7; Psalm 119:72; Genesis 24:60; noun not expressed (or not fully) 20:16; Numbers 31:5-6, +; distributive אֶלֶף ֗֗֗ אֶלֶף‎ 31:4; multiplicative Deuteronomy 1:11 ׳א מְּעָמִים‎; indefinite for great number (plural) Exodus 20:6; 34:7; Deuteronomy 5:10; Jeremiah 32:18, (singular) Deuteronomy 32:30; Ecclesiastes 6:6 +.

b. ׳א‎ + other number usually precedes it Exodus 38:25 + often; but following רִבּוֺא‎ Ezra 2:64 2t.; it follows also smaller number Numbers 3:50; 1 Kings 5:12 (so SI); the noun following in singular Exodus 28:25 8t.; plural 2 Samuel 8:4 2t.; noun precedes, in plural (late) Daniel 12:12 2t.; noun not expressed Exodus 38:28 +?

c. ׳א‎ X other number always following Exodus 12:37 +; usual order is no. X ׳א‎ + additional no. (if any) + noun (if expressed) Numbers 31:52; Judges 20:35 compare Exodus 12:37; 2 Kings 3:4 (twice in verse) +; less often noun + no. X ׳א‎ Numbers 31:33; 1 Kings 8:63 +; (other combinations see Exodus 38:26; Numbers 26:51; 31:32; Ezekiel 48:30; 1 Chronicles 29:7 etc.); ׳א‎ usually singular Numbers 11:21 +; except after units, where plural absolute 1:46; Judges 20:34 + (so MI); seldom plural construct Exodus 32:28; Judges 4:10; Job 1:3 (twice in verse); (noun mostly singular when following Judges 4:10; 1 Kings 12:21+, yet plural Joshua 4:13; 1 Samuel 13:5 +; when preceding it is plural 1 Chronicles 5:21 +, or collective Numbers 31:33; 1 Samuel 25:2; 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 7:5 +); אֲלָפִים אֶלֶף‎ 1 Chronicles 21:5; 22:14; 2 Chronicles 14:8; שִׁנְאָן אַלְפֵי‎ Psalm 68:18, compare שִׁנְאָן‎; אָ֑לֶף בְּהַרֲרֵי‎ 50:10, read אֵל‎ compare 36:7, Ol Bi Che; yet see Hup De. —

Note.10, 000= אֲלָפִים עֲשֶׂרֶת‎ etc. Judges 1:4; 3:29; 1 Kings 5:28; 1 Chronicles 29:7 +; less often רְבָבָה רִבּוֺ,‎ etc. q. v.

2 a thousand, a company of 1000 men, as united under one superior, or leader, hence א שַׂר ׳(שָׂרֵי)‎ Exodus 18:21, 25 compare Numbers 31:14 +; compare א ׳רָאשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ 1:16; 10:4; Joshua 22:21, 30 & see below; compare also 1 Samuel 29:2; especially family, etc. Judges 6:15; 1 Samuel 10:19 ("" שֵׁבֶט‎ & compare מִשְׁמַּחַת‎ 10:21); compare Micah 5:2; — Numbers 10:36 (יִשְׂרָאֵל אַלְפֵי רִבְבוֺת‎) 31:5; Joshua 22:14; 1 Samuel 23:23 apparently shew transition to this technical use. **[אָלַף‎]

verb denominative Hiph`il Psalm 144:13 מַאֲלִיפוֺת‎ producing thousands (subject צאֹן‎).