H0505 H0505
Thousand (numeral); in dual 'two thousand'; in plural 'thousands'; also 'clan, tribal subdivision.'
A word that counts both people and communities. In its straightforward numeric sense, אֶלֶף means 'one thousand' and appears in census rolls, battle tallies, and measurements throughout the Hebrew Bible. But a fascinating secondary meaning — 'clan' or 'tribal subdivision' — may reframe some of the Old Testament's notoriously large numbers. When Judges 6:15 has Gideon say 'my אֶלֶף is the weakest in Manasseh,' he means his clan, not a literal thousand. Some scholars argue that many military totals in Numbers and Chronicles originally counted 'clans' rather than 'thousands,' which would dramatically reduce the figures. Arabic ألف and Aramaic אֲלַף share only the numeric sense, making the clan meaning a distinctly Israelite social development.
1. cardinal number thousand — The cardinal numeral 'one thousand' (1,000) used in counting, census totals, measurements, monetary amounts, and temporal expressions (427 occurrences). Abraham receives אֶלֶף pieces of silver in Gen 20:16; the Exodus census counts thousands of fighting men (Exod 12:37). Spanish 'mil,' French 'mille,' and German 'tausend' all render this transparently. Appears in singular, construct, and with prepositions and articles across every grammatical environment. 427×
AR["آلاَفٍ","آلَافٍ","أَلْفاً","أَلْفًا","أَلْفٍ","أَلْفَ","مِئَةِ-أَلْفٍ"]·ben["এক-হাজার","হাজার"]·DE["tausend","thousands"]·EN["a-thousand","thousand","thousands"]·FR["mille","milliers","un-mille"]·heb["אלף","אלפים"]·HI["हज़अर","हज़ार","हजार"]·ID["ribu","seribu"]·IT["migliaia","mille","un-mille"]·jav["ewu","sewu","èwu"]·KO["천","천들"]·PT["mil","milhares"]·RU["тысяч","тысячи","тысячу"]·ES["mil","miles"]·SW["alfuni","elfu","maelfu"]·TR["bin"]·urd["اور-تین","اور-دو","اور-سات","اور-پانچ","اور-چار","اور-چھ","ہزار"]
Gen 20:16, Exod 12:37, Exod 38:26, Exod 38:26, Num 1:21, Num 1:23, Num 1:25, Num 1:27, Num 1:29, Num 1:31, Num 1:33, Num 1:35 (+38 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. dual two thousand — The dual form אַלְפַּיִם meaning specifically 'two thousand' (2,000), used as a distinct numeric quantity (31 occurrences). Numbers 4:36 counts two thousand seven hundred Levites; Numbers 35:5 measures two thousand cubits for pastureland boundaries. French 'deux-mille' and German 'zwei-Tausend' preserve the dual precision, while the Hebrew morphology (dual suffix -ayim) marks this as a grammatically distinct form. 31×
AR["أَلفَينِ","أَلْفانِ","أَلْفَانِ","أَلْفَيْ","أَلْفَيْنِ"]·ben["দুই-হাজার","দুইহাজার"]·DE["tausend","tausende","zwei-Tausend","zwei-tausend","zwei-thousands"]·EN["two-thousand","two-thousands"]·FR["deux-mille","deux-milliers","mille"]·heb["אלף","אלפיים","אלפים"]·HI["दो-हज़ार","दो-हजार"]·ID["dua-ribu"]·IT["due-migliaia","due-mille","mille"]·jav["kalih-ewu","kalih-èwu","kalih-èwunan","kalih-éwu"]·KO["이-천","이천","이천의","이천이","천"]·PT["dois-mil","dois-milhares"]·RU["две-тысячи"]·ES["dos-mil","dos-miles"]·SW["alpaּyim","dhiraa-elfu-mbili","elfu-mbili","farasi-elfu-mbili","na-mbili"]·TR["iki-bin"]·urd["دو ہزار","دو-ہزار"]
Exod 38:29, Num 4:36, Num 4:40, Num 7:85, Num 35:5, Num 35:5, Num 35:5, Num 35:5, Josh 3:4, Josh 7:3, Judg 20:45, 1 Sam 13:2 (+19 more)
3. thousands as large number — The plural אֲלָפִים meaning 'thousands' as a large round number, a multiplied quantity, or an expression of overwhelming abundance (31 occurrences). Exodus 20:6 promises God's covenant loyalty 'to thousands' of generations; Rebecca is blessed to become 'thousands of ten thousands' (Gen 24:60). Spanish 'miles/millares' and French 'milliers' capture both the countable and the hyperbolic registers of this form. 31×
AR["ألُوفٍ","أُلوفٍ","أُلُوفٍ","الأُلُوف","الأُلُوفِ","الْأُلُوفِ","الْـ-أُلُوفِ"]·ben["সহস্রদের","সহস্রের","হাজারগুলির","হাজারদের-এর","হাজারের"]·DE["der-tausende","der-thousands","tausende","thousands"]·EN["the-thousands","thousands"]·FR["le-milliers","mille","milliers"]·heb["אלף","אלפים","ה-אלף","ה-אלפים"]·HI["-के-हज़ारों","-हजारों-के","हज़अरोन-के","हज़ारों","हज़ारों-के","हजारों"]·ID["-seribu","ribuan","seribu","seribu-orang","seribu-seribu"]·IT["il-migliaia","migliaia","mille"]·jav["ing-éwu","sewu","sèwon","sèwu","sèwu-sèwu","sèwunan","èwu","èwunan"]·KO["그-천들의","그-천의","그-천인대들","천-명-의","천의"]·PT["milhares","milhares,","os-milhares"]·RU["тысяч","тысячами"]·ES["los-miles","los-millares","miles"]·SW["elfu","kumzunguka","maelfu","wa-maelfu"]·TR["-binlerin","binlerin"]·urd["ہزاروں","ہزاروں-کے"]
Gen 24:60, Exod 18:21, Exod 18:25, Exod 20:6, Exod 34:7, Num 31:14, Num 31:48, Num 31:52, Num 31:54, Deut 1:15, Deut 5:10, 1 Sam 8:12 (+19 more)
4. clan or tribal subdivision — A social and military unit — a clan, division, or contingent within an Israelite tribe — distinct from the numeral (18 occurrences). In Judges 6:15, Gideon identifies his אֶלֶף as the weakest in Manasseh, clearly meaning his clan, not a number. Numbers 1:16 and 10:4 use the term for tribal subdivisions. This sense has profound exegetical implications: some scholars propose that many Old Testament military tallies counted 'clans' rather than literal 'thousands,' which would resolve long-standing questions about implausibly large army sizes. 18×
AR["(بِـ-أَلْفِهِ)","(بِـ-أُلُوفِهِ)","[بِـ-أَلْفِهِ]","[بِـ-أُلُوفِهِ]","آلافِ","أُلُوفُ","أُلُوفِ","بِآلافِهِ","فِي-أُلُوفِ","لِأُلُوفِ","لِـ-أُلُوفِ","مِنْ-أُلُوفِ","وَ-لِ-أُلُوفِكُمْ"]·ben["[তার-হাজারে]","আর-তোমাদের-সহস্রগুলি-অনুসারে","তার-হাজারগুলিতে","তার-হাজারে","সহস্র","সহস্রের","সহস্রের-জন্য","হাজার","হাজারগুলি-থেকে","হাজারগুলির-প্রতি","হাজারগুলির-মধ্যে-","হাজারদের"]·DE["[by-sein-thousands]","[in-Tausend-his]","mit-sein-thousands","tausend","thousands-von","ueber-thousands-von","und-bei-dein-clans","von-thousands-von"]·EN["(in-thousands-his)","[by-his-thousands]","[in-thousand-his]","among-thousands-of","and-by-your-clans","by-his-thousands","from-thousands-of","of-thousands-of","over-thousands-of","thousands-of","with-his-thousands"]·FR["(in-milliers-his)","[by-son-thousands]","[in-mille-his]","avec-son-milliers","dans-milliers-de","de-milliers-de","de-thousands-de","et-par-ton-clans","milliers-de","par-son-milliers","sur-milliers-de","thousands-de"]·heb["(ב-אלפי-ו)","[באלפו]","אלפי","ב-אלפי","ב-אלפי-ו","וּ-לְ-אַלְפֵיכֶם","ל-אלפי","מ-אלפי"]·HI["(अपने-हज़अरोन)","[हज़अर]","अपने-हज़अरोन","और-अपने-हजारों-के","सब-हज़ारों","हज़ार","हज़ारों","हज़ारों-के","हज़ारों-के-लिए","हज़ारों-में","हज़ारों-से","हजारों-के"]·ID["(dalam-ribuan)","[dalam-seribuannya]","atas-ribuan","bagi-ribuan-ribuan","beribu-ribunya","dalam-ribuan","dan-menurut-ribuan-ribuanmu","dari-ribuan","di-antara-ribuan","ribu","ribuan","ribuan-ribuan"]·IT["(in-migliaia-his)","[by-suo-thousands]","[in-mille-his]","con-suo-migliaia","da-migliaia-di","da-suo-migliaia","di-thousands-di","e-da-tuo-clans","in-migliaia-di","migliaia-di","sopra-migliaia-di","thousands-di"]·jav["ewon","ing-antawis-èwunan","ing-èwunan-nipun","kanggé-sèwuing","lan-miturut-èwuan-panjenengan","mawi-èwu-ipun","saking-èwon","sèwu","èwon-èwon","èwoning","èwu-èwu","èwuning","éwonipun"]·KO["(그의-천들로)","[그의-천으로]","그리고-너희의-천인대들로","그의-천으로","삼천","에-그의-천들로","에-천들","에서-천들","천들(접)","천들-의","천들에게-","천들에서","천들의"]·PT["(nos-seus-milhares)","[em-seus-milhares]","[nos-seus-mil]","de-milhares-de","e-por-milhares-vossos","em-seus-milhares","entre-milhares-de","mil-de-","milhares-de","para-milhares-de","pelos-milhares-dele","sobre-milhares-de"]·RU["(тысячами-своими)","[тысячей-своих]","[тысячу-свою]","для-тысяч","и-по-тысячам-вашим","из-тысяч","над-тысячами","среди-тысяч","тысяч","тысячи","тысячи-свои"]·ES["(Qeré)","de-miles-de","en-miles-suyos","en-sus-miles","entre-millares-de","mil","miles-de","millares-de","sobre-miles-de","son-los-millares-de","y-por-vuestros-miles"]·SW["elfu-za","juu-ya-maelfu-ya","kutoka-maelfu-ya","kwa-elfu-yake","kwa-maelfu-ya","kwa-maelfu-yake","maelfu","maelfu-ya","miongoni-mwa-maelfu-ya","na-koo-zenu","tatu"]·TR["(binlerini)","-binlerinden","-binlerine","-binlerle","-e-binlerinin","[binlerini]","binleri","binlerinde","binlerinin","ve-binler-inize-göre"]·urd["(ہزاروں)","(ہزاروں-سے)","[ہزاروں-سے]","[ہزاروں]","اسرائیل-کے","اور-اپنے-ہزاروں-کے-مطابق","کے-ہزاروں","ہزار","ہزاروں","ہزاروں-اپنے-میں","ہزاروں-سے","ہزاروں-میں","ہزاروں-کے","ہزاروں-کے-لیے"]
Exod 32:28, Num 1:16, Num 10:4, Num 10:36, Num 31:5, Num 31:48, Deut 33:17, Josh 22:14, Josh 22:21, Josh 22:30, 1 Sam 10:19, 1 Sam 18:7 (+6 more)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
II. אֶ֫לֶף n.m. Ju 6:15 thousand (אלף MI, SI, Sab. DHMZMG 1875, 615; Arabic أَلْفٌ, Aramaic ܐܳܠܶܦ, אֲלַף, אלפיא; cf. Ethiopic እልፍ mille, myrias)*.—(אָ֑׳)א׳ Gn 20:16 +; sf. אַלְפִּי †Ju 6:15; du. אַלְפַּיִם Nu 4:36 +; pl. אֲלָפִים Ex 18:21 +; cstr. אַלְפֵי Ex 32:28 +; אֲלָפֶיךָ Dt 7:13 + 2 times; אֲלָפָיו Qr 1 S 18:7 + 2 times (Kt ־פו)—a thousand. 1. numeral: a. used with noun alone; mostly before…