אָלַף

1. numeral:
\ \ a. used with noun alone; mostly before noun 4 Mos 35,4; Jos 7,3; Neh 3,13; 1 Kron 18,4 +; after noun (late) 1 Kron 12,35 + 6 t. Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah; בָּאַפָּה ׳א 4 Mos 35,5 (4 t. in verse); Ezk 47,3 (strike out Co); the noun always plural when preceding, sometimes when following, 1 Sam 25,2; 1 Kong 3,4; 2 Kong 18,23 = Es 36,8; 2 Kron 30,24; Sl 90,4; Job 42,12; Praed 6,6 elsewhere singular אישׁ Dom 9,49; Dom 15,15; Dom 15,16; Jos 7,3 +; אַמָּה 4 Mos 35,4 + (so SI); דּוֺר 5 Mos 7,9 +, compare 1 Kron 18,4; 1 Kron 19,6; 2 Kong 15,19; Job 42,12; Hoj 4,4; Es 7,23, noun sometimes collective; ׳א plural construct Mik 6,7; Sl 119,72; 1 Mos 24,60 noun not expressed (or not fully) 1 Mos 20,16; 4 Mos 31,5; 4 Mos 31,6 +; distributive אֶלֶף ֗֗֗ אֶלֶף 4 Mos 31,4 multiplicative 5 Mos 1,11 פְּעָמִים ׳א; indefinite for great number (plural) 2 Mos 20,6; 2 Mos 34,7; 5 Mos 5,10; Jer 32,18, (singular) 5 Mos 32,30; Praed 6,6 +.
\ \ b. ׳א + other number usually precedes it 2 Mos 38,25 + often; but following רִבּוֺא Ezr 2,64 + 2 t.; it follows also smaller number 4 Mos 3,50; 1 Kong 5,12 (so SI); the noun following in singular 2 Mos 28,25 + 8 t.; plural 2 Sam 8,4 + 2 t.; noun precedes, in plural (late) Dan 12,12 + 2 t.; noun not expressed 2 Mos 38,28 + often
\ \ c. ׳א X other number always following 2 Mos 12,37 +; usual order is no. X ׳א + additional no. (if any) + noun (if expressed) 4 Mos 31,52; Dom 20,35 compare 2 Mos 12,37; 2 Kong 3,4 (twice in verse) +; less often noun + no. X ׳א 4 Mos 31,33; 1 Kong 8,63 +; (other combinations see 2 Mos 38,26; 4 Mos 26,51; 4 Mos 31,32; Ezk 48,30; 1 Kron 29,7 etc.); ׳א usually singular 4 Mos 11,21 +; except after units, where plural absolute 4 Mos 1,46; Dom 20,34 + (so MI); seldom plural construct 2 Mos 32,28; Dom 4,10; Job 1,3 (twice in verse); (noun mostly singular when following Dom 4,10; 1 Kong 12,21+, yet plural Jos 4,13; 1 Sam 13,5 +; when preceding it is plural 1 Kron 5,21 +, or collective 4 Mos 31,33; 1 Sam 25,2; 1 Kong 8,63; 2 Kron 7,5 +); אֶלֶף אֲלָפִים 1 Kron 21,5; 1 Kron 22,14; 2 Kron 14,8 אַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן Sl 68,18, compare שִׁנְאָן; בְּהַרֲרֵי אָ֑לֶף Sl 50,10, read אֵל compare Sl 36,7, Ol Bi Che; yet see Hup De. —

2. a thousand, a company of 1000 men, as united under one superior, or leader, hence ׳(שָׂרֵי) שַׂר א 2 Mos 18,21; 2 Mos 18,25 compare 4 Mos 31,14 +; compare יִשְׂרָאֵל ׳רָאשֵׁי א 4 Mos 1,16; 4 Mos 10,4; Jos 22,21; Jos 22,30 & see below; compare also 1 Sam 29,2 especially family, etc. Dom 6,15; 1 Sam 10,19 (|| שֵׁבֶט & compare מִשְׁפַּחַת v1 Sam 10,21); compare Mik 5,2 — 4 Mos 10,36 (רִבְבוֺת אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) 4 Mos 31,5; Jos 22,14; 1 Sam 23,23 apparently shew transition to this technical use. **[אָלַף] verb denominative Hiph`il Sl 144,13 מַאֲלִיפוֺת producing thousands (subject צאֹן).