BBA Chapter 10 — Adjectives and Numbers¶
Files¶
Reference Files¶
(No separate reference files for this chapter — full content is in this README.)
Vocabulary Decks¶
| File | Use |
|---|---|
| ch10-vocab-deck.md | Reference list with glosses |
| ch10-vocab-deck.txt | Anki import (tab-separated) |
| ch10-vocab-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe import |
Exercises¶
| Exercise | Description |
|---|---|
| exercises/ch10-adjective-number-drill/ | Adjective identification and number parsing drill from Daniel and Ezra |
Notebooks¶
| Notebook | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Aramaic Nominal Morphology | Adjective token counts; word class distribution across Daniel/Ezra |
Basics of Biblical Aramaic, Van Pelt Chapter 10: Adjectives and Numbers
1. Introduction¶
Chapter 10 introduces two closely related grammatical categories: adjectives and numbers. Both categories are deeply connected to the noun system already learned (Chapters 4–6), since adjectives and many number forms inflect using the same state and gender endings that nouns use. For the student who knows Biblical Hebrew, neither system will feel foreign in principle — but the Aramaic forms must be learned on their own terms, and several features of the Aramaic number system merit close attention.
Adjectives in Biblical Aramaic inflect for gender (masculine/feminine), number (singular/plural), and state (absolute, determined, construct) — exactly as nouns do. When an adjective modifies a noun, it agrees with that noun in gender, number, and state. This three-way state agreement is the major difference from Hebrew, where adjectives agree in definiteness rather than state per se.
Numbers in Biblical Aramaic follow patterns closely parallel to Hebrew: cardinal numbers 1–2 agree directly with the gender of the noun they count, while cardinal numbers 3–10 follow the characteristic Semitic "chiastic" or "gender-polarity" pattern (a masculine-looking number goes with a feminine noun and vice versa). Ordinal numbers ("first, second…") appear more sporadically in Biblical Aramaic and are built largely on familiar roots.
Where these forms appear. Adjectives are found throughout Daniel and Ezra: royal titles ("great king"), divine epithets ("the Most High God," "the living God"), and descriptive phrases in the visions ("great and mighty"). Numbers appear in the narrative of Daniel 3 (the furnace dimensions, the number of officials, "three men"), Daniel 4 (the seven times of Nebuchadnezzar's punishment), and the construction records of Ezra 6. Mastering this chapter gives direct access to the descriptive language that saturates the Aramaic corpus.
2. Adjective Forms — The Three-State Paradigm¶
Aramaic adjectives inflect through the same three states as nouns: absolute, determined, and construct. The gender and number endings are likewise the same endings learned for nouns. Think of an adjective paradigm as simply the noun paradigm applied to a descriptive word.
2.1 Standard Adjective Paradigm — רַב (great, large)¶
The adjective רַב is the most frequent adjective in Biblical Aramaic and makes an excellent model for the paradigm.
| Absolute | Determined | Construct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ms | רַב | רַבָּא | רַב |
| fs | רַבָּה | רַבְּתָא | רַבַּת |
| mp | רַבְרְבִין | רַבְרְבַיָּא | רַבְרְבֵי |
| fp | רַבְרְבָן | רַבְרְבָתָא | רַבְרְבָת |
Note on the plural: The plural of רַב is built on a reduplicated stem רַבְרְבִין (mp abs) / רַבְרְבַיָּא (mp det). This internal reduplication for the adjective plural is a characteristic Aramaic feature. Compare Daniel 7:3: חֵיוָן רַבְרְבָן ("great beasts").
Hebrew comparison: Hebrew adjectives inflect for gender, number, and definiteness (using the article הַ-). Aramaic adjectives inflect for gender, number, and state (absolute, determined, construct). The endings are the same endings used for nouns: ms determined -ָא, fs absolute -ָה, mp absolute -ִין, etc. There is no separate definite article in Aramaic — the determined state ending does the work.
2.2 Standard Adjective Paradigm — שַׂגִּיא (great, much, many)¶
A second common adjective illustrating the same pattern:
| Absolute | Determined | Construct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ms | שַׂגִּיא | שַׂגִּיאָא | שַׂגִּיא |
| fs | שַׂגִּיאָה | שַׂגִּיאָתָא | שַׂגִּיאַת |
| mp | שַׂגִּיאִין | שַׂגִּיאַיָּא | שַׂגִּיאֵי |
| fp | שַׂגִּיאָן | שַׂגִּיאָתָא | שַׂגִּיאָת |
Note: שַׂגִּיא also functions as an adverb meaning "exceedingly, greatly." Context determines whether a given occurrence is adjectival or adverbial.
2.3 Summary of Adjective Endings¶
The endings are identical to the noun endings:
| Absolute | Determined | Construct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ms | — (bare stem) | -ָא | — (bare stem) |
| fs | -ָה | -ְתָא | -ַת |
| mp | -ִין | -ַיָּא | -ֵי |
| fp | -ָן | -ָתָא | -ָת |
3. Attributive Adjectives¶
An attributive adjective directly modifies a noun and agrees with it in three categories:
- Gender (masculine or feminine)
- Number (singular or plural)
- State (absolute, determined, or construct)
The adjective follows its noun in Aramaic — the same word order as Hebrew.
3.1 Agreement in State¶
State agreement is the key Aramaic distinctive. If the noun is determined, the adjective must be determined. If the noun is absolute, the adjective is absolute. This mirrors the Hebrew rule that requires the article on both the noun and the adjective, but uses Aramaic's state system instead.
| Noun | Adjective | Gloss | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| מֶלֶךְ | רַב | a great king | absolute |
| מַלְכָּא | רַבָּא | the great king | determined |
| מַלְכֵּי | רַבְרְבֵי | of great kings | construct |
3.2 Examples from Daniel¶
| Aramaic | Gloss | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| אֱלָהָא רַבָּא | the great God | Dan 2:45 |
| חֵיוָן רַבְרְבָן | great beasts | Dan 7:3 |
| קַרְנָא רַבְּתָא | the great horn | Dan 8:8 (cf. Aram. section) |
| שִׁמָּהָא יַקִּירָא | the honored name | Ezra 5:1 |
| גֻּבְרִין חַיִּלִין | mighty men | Dan 3:20 |
Observation: In Daniel 2:45 the phrase אֱלָהָא רַבָּא ("the great God") has both noun and adjective in the determined state with the -ָא ending. This is the standard pattern for noun-adjective phrases in Biblical Aramaic.
4. Predicative Adjectives¶
A predicative adjective makes a statement about a noun rather than directly modifying it. In English: "The king is great" vs. "the great king."
In Biblical Aramaic, predicative adjectives typically stand in the absolute state, regardless of the definiteness of the subject. No copula is needed — the verbless clause (introduced in earlier chapters) handles the predication.
| Aramaic | Gloss |
|---|---|
| מַלְכָּא רַב | The king is great. |
| אֱלָהּ קַדִּישׁ | God is holy. |
| אֱלָהּ חַי | God is living (the living God). |
Hebrew comparison: The same pattern holds in Hebrew: a predicate adjective stands without the article. Biblical Aramaic follows this same rule: predicate = absolute state; attributive = same state as the noun.
5. Substantive Adjectives¶
A substantive adjective is an adjective used as a noun — standing alone without an explicit noun. This is common in both Hebrew and Aramaic.
| Aramaic | Gloss |
|---|---|
| רַבְרְבַיָּא | the great ones, the great men |
| קַדִּישִׁין | holy ones, saints |
| חַיִּין | the living ones |
Note: In Daniel 4:14, the phrase גְּזֵרַת עִירִין פִּתְגָמָא וּמֵאמַר קַדִּישִׁין שְׁאֵלְתָא ("the sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones") — קַדִּישִׁין functions substantively to refer to angelic beings. The student should always ask: does this adjective have an explicit noun, or is it standing alone as a noun equivalent?
6. Key Adjective Vocabulary¶
The following adjectives appear frequently in Biblical Aramaic and should be learned with their ranges of meaning:
| Aramaic | POS | Gloss / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| רַב | adjective | great, large; also used as noun "chief, captain" |
| שַׂגִּיא | adjective | great, much, many; adverb: exceedingly |
| קַדִּישׁ | adjective | holy; plural קַדִּישִׁין "holy ones, saints" |
| חַי | adjective | living, alive; noun: life |
| עִלָּי / עֶלְיוֹן | adjective | upper, highest; עֶלְיוֹן = "the Most High" (divine title) |
| יַצִּיב | adjective | certain, true, reliable, exact |
| יַתִּיר | adjective | extraordinary; adverb: exceedingly, beyond measure |
| שַׁלִּיט | adjective | mighty, powerful, ruler |
| תַּקִּיף | adjective | strong, mighty |
| אָחֳרָן | adjective | other, another (ms abs); fs: אָחֳרִי |
Note on אָחֳרָן: This adjective ("other, another") uses the -ָן ending on the ms absolute, which parallels the mp absolute ending but is here a singular form. It is a common Aramaic form with no direct Hebrew parallel in shape.
7. Cardinal Numbers 1–10¶
7.1 Overview¶
Biblical Aramaic cardinal numbers share the characteristic Semitic structure whereby numbers 3–10 exhibit gender polarity (sometimes called the "chiastic" pattern): the grammatically masculine-looking number form accompanies feminine nouns, and the grammatically feminine-looking form accompanies masculine nouns. Numbers 1–2, by contrast, agree directly with the noun's gender.
This is the same system the student already knows from Biblical Hebrew (cf. the "reverse gender" of Hebrew numbers). The Aramaic forms differ in shape but follow the same logic.
7.2 Cardinal Numbers 1–10¶
| Number | Masculine Form | Feminine Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | חַד | חֲדָה | Direct gender agreement; חַד also used as indefinite article |
| 2 | תְּרֵין | תַּרְתֵּין | Direct gender agreement; fs form uses -תֵּין |
| 3 | תְּלָתָה | תְּלָת | Gender polarity begins: -ָה form with ms nouns, bare form with fs nouns |
| 4 | אַרְבְּעָה | אַרְבַּע | Same polarity pattern |
| 5 | חַמְשָׁה | חֲמַשׁ | Same polarity pattern |
| 6 | שִׁתָּה | שִׁת | Same polarity pattern |
| 7 | שִׁבְעָה | שְׁבַע | Same polarity pattern |
| 8 | תְּמַנְיָה | תְּמָנֵה | Same polarity pattern |
| 9 | תִּשְׁעָה | תְּשַׁע | Same polarity pattern |
| 10 | עֲשַׂרָה | עֲשַׂר | Same polarity pattern |
The polarity rule (numbers 3–10): - Counting masculine nouns → use the form with -ָה (the feminine-looking ending) - Counting feminine nouns → use the bare form (without -ָה) This mirrors the Hebrew system exactly.
7.3 Examples from Daniel¶
| Aramaic | Gloss | Reference | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| תְּלָתָה גֻּבְרִין | three men (ms noun) | Dan 3:23 | תְּלָתָה (-ָה form) with masculine גֻּבְרִין |
| שִׁבְעָה עִדָּנִין | seven times (ms noun) | Dan 4:13 | שִׁבְעָה (-ָה form) with masculine עִדָּנִין |
| עֲשַׂרָה קַרְנִין | ten horns (mp noun) | Dan 7:7 | עֲשַׂרָה (-ָה form) with masculine קַרְנִין |
7.4 Larger Numbers¶
A few larger round numbers appear in Biblical Aramaic:
| Number | Form | Gloss | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | שִׁתִּין | sixty | Dan 3:1 (height of statue: sixty cubits) |
| 100 | מְאָה | one hundred | Ezra 6:17 |
| 1,000 | אֲלַף | one thousand | Dan 7:10 |
8. The Number חַד — Special Uses¶
8.1 As a Cardinal Number¶
חַד is the cardinal number "one." It inflects for gender:
| Gender | Form | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
| ms | חַד | one |
| fs | חֲדָה | one (feminine noun) |
8.2 As an Indefinite Article¶
A distinctive feature of Biblical Aramaic is that חַד functions as an indefinite article in many contexts, equivalent to English "a / an." This usage has no exact Hebrew parallel (Hebrew does not have an indefinite article; indefiniteness is simply the absence of the article).
| Aramaic | Gloss |
|---|---|
| חַד סִפְרָא | a book, a certain scroll |
| חֲדָה אֶבֶן | a stone |
| חַד גֻּבְרָא | a man, a certain man |
Daniel 2:31 — וְאַנְתְּ מַלְכָּא חָזֵה הֲוַיְתָ וַאֲלוּ צַלֵם חַד שַׂגִּיא ("And you, O king, were looking, and behold, a great statue"). Here חַד = "a" (indefinite article), not the numeral "one."
Hebrew comparison: Hebrew has no indefinite article; indefiniteness is simply unmarked. Biblical Aramaic uses חַד to supply this semantic function in certain contexts. Context distinguishes "one" (numeral) from "a/an" (article): when a noun is already known or specified, חַד = numeral; when introducing a new, unspecified entity, חַד = indefinite article.
8.3 As an Adjective (Unique)¶
חַד also appears in the sense of "a certain, a particular" — functioning adjectivally and following the noun in the standard attributive position. In this usage it typically appears in the determined state.
9. Ordinal Numbers¶
Ordinal numbers ("first, second, third…") appear less frequently in Biblical Aramaic than cardinals. Most are built on the same roots as the cardinals, with the adjectival suffix -ַי- or -ִי-.
| Ordinal | Form | Gloss | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | קַדְמָי / קַדְמָאָה | first | From root קדם "front, before"; common |
| 2nd | תִּנְיָן / תַּנְיָנָא | second | From root תנה "two/repeat" |
| 3rd | תְּלִיתַי / תְּלִיתָאָה | third | From root תלת "three" |
| 4th | רְבִיעַי / רְבִיעָאָה | fourth | From root רבע "four" |
| 5th | חֲמִישַׁי / חֲמִישָׁאָה | fifth | From root חמש "five" |
| 6th | שְׁתִיתַי | sixth | From root שת "six"; rare |
| 7th | שְׁבִיעַי / שְׁבִיעָאָה | seventh | From root שבע "seven" |
Formation pattern: The determined form of ordinals typically adds -ָאָה to the stem (e.g., תַּנְיָנָא "the second"), while the absolute uses the shorter -ַי / -ִי form. Ordinals function as adjectives and follow the three-state agreement rules.
Daniel 7:7 — בָּתַר דְּנָה חָזֵה הֲוֵית בְּחֶזְוֵי לֵילְיָא וַאֲרוּ חֵיוָה רְבִיעָיָה ("After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast"). The ordinal רְבִיעָיָה (fs) agrees with חֵיוָה (fs).
Daniel 2:40 — וּמַלְכוּ רְבִיעָיָה תֶּהֱוֵה תַקִּיפָה ("And the fourth kingdom will be strong"). Again רְבִיעָיָה (fs) agrees with מַלְכוּ (fs).
10. Numbers in Construct Chains and with Nouns¶
10.1 Word Order¶
In Biblical Aramaic, cardinal numbers typically precede the noun they count, though they may also follow it. The counted noun normally appears in the plural absolute state.
| Aramaic | Gloss | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| תְּלָתָה גֻּבְרִין | three men | Dan 3:23 |
| שִׁתִּין אַמִּין | sixty cubits | Dan 3:1 |
| שִׁבְעָה עִדָּנִין | seven times | Dan 4:13 |
10.2 Numbers in Construct¶
When a number takes a following noun in a tighter syntactic relationship, a construct chain may form. This is more common with larger numbers and in the compound number expressions of Ezra 6.
| Aramaic | Gloss | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| מְאָה וְעֶשְׂרִין | one hundred and twenty | Dan 6:2 |
| אֲלַף אַלְפִין | a thousand thousands | Dan 7:10 |
| רִבּוֹ רִבְוָן | ten thousand times ten thousand | Dan 7:10 |
10.3 Compound Numbers in Ezra¶
Ezra 6:17 contains precise counts of temple dedication offerings, providing excellent examples of number usage with nouns:
וְהַקְרִיבוּ לַחֲנֻכַּת בֵּית-אֱלָהָא דְּנָה תּוֹרִין מְאָה דִּכְרִין מָאתַיִן אִמְּרִין אַרְבַּע מְאָה "And they offered at the dedication of this house of God: one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs…"
Note how the number precedes each noun and how different number forms appear (מְאָה "one hundred," מָאתַיִן "two hundred," אַרְבַּע מְאָה "four hundred").
11. Examples from Daniel and Ezra¶
Attributive Adjective¶
Daniel 2:45
אֱלָהָא רַבָּא הוֹדַע לְמַלְכָּא מָה דִּי לֶהֱוֵא אַחֲרֵי דְנָה "The great God has made known to the king what will happen after this."
אֱלָהָא (ms det) + רַבָּא (ms det adj) — full state agreement in the determined form.
Daniel 7:3
וְאַרְבַּע חֵיוָן רַבְרְבָן סָלְקָן מִן-יַמָּא "And four great beasts were coming up from the sea."
חֵיוָן (fp abs) + רַבְרְבָן (fp abs adj) — plural absolute agreement; note the reduplicated adjective stem.
Predicative Adjective¶
Daniel 6:27
הוּא אֱלָהָא חַיָּא וְקַיָּם לְעָלְמִין "He is the living God, enduring forever."
The adjective חַיָּא here functions attributively with אֱלָהָא in the determined state, but note that "living God" is a fixed epithet ("the living and enduring God").
Substantive Adjective¶
Daniel 4:14
בִּגְזֵרַת עִירִין פִּתְגָמָא וּמֵאמַר קַדִּישִׁין שְׁאֵלְתָא "The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones."
קַדִּישִׁין (mp abs) stands substantively — "the holy ones" (referring to angelic beings), with no explicit noun.
Cardinal Numbers¶
Daniel 3:1
עֲבַד נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר מַלְכָּא צְלֵם דִּי דְהַב רוּמֵהּ אַמִּין שִׁתִּין פְּתָיֵהּ אַמִּין שִׁת "King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, its height sixty cubits, its width six cubits."
שִׁתִּין (60) and שִׁת (6, fs form with fs אַמִּין) both in one verse — note the gender polarity on שִׁת: אַמִּין "cubits" is feminine, so the bare form שִׁת (without -ָה) is used.
Daniel 7:10
אֶלֶף אַלְפִין יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּהּ וְרִבּוֹ רִבְוָן קָדָמוֹהִי יְקוּמוּן "A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him."
The enormous round numbers underscore the magnitude of the divine throne vision. Note the construct plural אַלְפִין with אֶלֶף.
Ordinal Number¶
Daniel 7:7
בָּתַר דְּנָה חָזֵה הֲוֵית בְּחֶזְוֵי לֵילְיָא וַאֲרוּ חֵיוָה רְבִיעָיָה "After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast."
רְבִיעָיָה (fs abs) agrees with חֵיוָה (fs). The fourth beast is the most terrible of the four — the ordinal marks the climax of the vision.
Daniel 4:13
עַד שִׁבְעָה עִדָּנִין יַחְלְפוּן עֲלוֹהִי "Until seven times pass over him."
The recurring phrase שִׁבְעָה עִדָּנִין in Daniel 4 (vv. 13, 20, 22, 29) marks the periods of Nebuchadnezzar's madness — seven complete cycles, a number of divine completion.
12. Summary Tables¶
12.1 Adjective Endings¶
| Absolute | Determined | Construct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ms | — | -ָא | — |
| fs | -ָה | -ְתָא | -ַת |
| mp | -ִין | -ַיָּא | -ֵי |
| fp | -ָן | -ָתָא | -ָת |
12.2 Adjective Agreement Rules¶
| Use | State of Adjective | Word Order |
|---|---|---|
| Attributive | Same state as noun | Follows noun |
| Predicative | Absolute | Precedes or follows (no copula) |
| Substantive | Any state (stands alone) | Independent noun position |
12.3 Cardinal Numbers 1–10¶
| Number | With ms nouns | With fs nouns |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | חַד | חֲדָה |
| 2 | תְּרֵין | תַּרְתֵּין |
| 3 | תְּלָתָה (polarity) | תְּלָת |
| 4 | אַרְבְּעָה (polarity) | אַרְבַּע |
| 5 | חַמְשָׁה (polarity) | חֲמַשׁ |
| 6 | שִׁתָּה (polarity) | שִׁת |
| 7 | שִׁבְעָה (polarity) | שְׁבַע |
| 8 | תְּמַנְיָה (polarity) | תְּמָנֵה |
| 9 | תִּשְׁעָה (polarity) | תְּשַׁע |
| 10 | עֲשַׂרָה (polarity) | עֲשַׂר |
Memory aid: Numbers 3–10 follow the polarity rule: the form ending in -ָה goes with masculine nouns (counterintuitive — feminine-looking form + masculine noun). The bare form (no -ָה) goes with feminine nouns. This is identical to Biblical Hebrew.
12.4 Ordinal Numbers¶
| Ordinal | Form | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | קַדְמָי / קַדְמָאָה | Dan 7:4 |
| 2nd | תִּנְיָן / תַּנְיָנָא | Dan 7:5 |
| 3rd | תְּלִיתַי / תְּלִיתָאָה | Dan 7:6 |
| 4th | רְבִיעַי / רְבִיעָאָה | Dan 7:7; 2:40 |
| 5th | חֲמִישַׁי | — |
| 6th | שְׁתִיתַי | — |
| 7th | שְׁבִיעַי / שְׁבִיעָאָה | — |
13. Practice¶
The exercise for this chapter presents adjectives and numbers drawn from Daniel and Ezra. For each item:
- Adjective items: Identify (a) gender, (b) number, (c) state, and (d) use (attributive, predicative, or substantive). Provide a translation of the phrase.
- Number items: Identify (a) the number value, (b) the gender form used, and (c) the noun it counts. Explain why the given number form is correct (direct agreement for 1–2; polarity for 3–10).
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Adjective and Number Drill | Adjective identification and number parsing drill from Daniel and Ezra |