1 Kings 5:3
עֲשָׂרָ֨ה בָקָ֜ר בְּרִאִ֗ים וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים בָּקָ֛ר רְעִ֖י וּמֵ֣אָה צֹ֑אן לְ֠בַד מֵֽאַיָּ֤ל וּצְבִי֙ וְיַחְמ֔וּר וּבַרְבֻּרִ֖ים אֲבוּסִֽים׃
Numerals and Nouns: עֲשָׂרָ֨ה בָקָ֜ר
The phrase עֲשָׂרָ֨ה בָקָ֜ר (“ten fattened oxen”) demonstrates the masculine plural numeral עֲשָׂרָה agreeing in gender with בָקָר (“cattle, oxen”), which though singular in form is treated as a collective or plural in sense. The numeral precedes the noun, which is typical in Hebrew counting expressions. Similarly, וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים בָּקָ֛ר רְעִ֖י (“and twenty grazing oxen”) follows the same syntactic pattern with עֶשְׂרִים (“twenty”).
Adjectives: בְּרִאִ֗ים and רְעִ֖י
בְּרִאִ֗ים is a masculine plural adjective from בָּרוּא, meaning “fat,” “healthy,” or “well-fed.” It modifies בָקָר to describe high-quality livestock. רְעִ֖י, a rare adjective from the root ר־ע־ה (“to pasture”), likely means “grazing” or “pasture-fed.” These adjectives serve to distinguish types of oxen: those fed in stalls and those raised on open pasture.
Collective Noun: מֵאָה צֹ֑אן
צֹ֑אן is a collective noun meaning “small livestock” — usually sheep or goats. The numeral מֵאָה (“a hundred”) again precedes the noun, and the whole phrase וּמֵ֣אָה צֹ֑אן (“and a hundred sheep”) completes the enumeration of daily meat provisions for Solomon’s household. The use of collective nouns with numerals is common in inventory-style verses.
Exclusionary Phrase: לְבַד מֵאַיָּל…
The phrase לְבַד מֵאַיָּל introduces a list of items excluded from the previous count: “besides deer…” לְבַד means “apart from, besides,” while מִן contracts with the next noun. This phrase signals a second category of game animals not included in the formal count.
Species Listing and Syntax: אַיָּל, צְבִי, יַחְמוּר, בַּרְבֻּרִים
The list includes four wild species:
- אַיָּל – “stag” or “deer”
- צְבִי – “gazelle” or “roe”
- יַחְמוּר – “fallow deer” or possibly “wild goat”
- בַּרְבֻּרִים – “geese” or possibly “fattened birds”
These are in apposition and follow one another with וְ conjunctives. The final word אֲבוּסִים is a pual participle of אָבַס (“to fatten”), modifying בַּרְבֻּרִים: “fattened fowl.”
Parsing Table: Key Forms in 1 Kings 5:3
| Hebrew Word | Root | Form | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| בְּרִאִים | ב־ר־א | Adjective (mp) | “Fattened, healthy” — modifying oxen |
| רְעִי | ר־ע־ה | Adjective (mp) | “Grazing” — pasture-fed livestock |
| צֹאן | צ־א־נ | Noun (collective) | “Sheep” or “flock animals” |
| אֲבוּסִים | א־ב־ס | Pual participle (mp) | “Fattened” — describing domesticated fowl |
The Syntax of Abundance
This verse catalogs the royal rations of King Solomon — not merely for quantity but poetic imagery. Through carefully structured numerals, collective nouns, construct chains, and descriptive adjectives, Biblical Hebrew paints a portrait of daily abundance and splendor. The grammar itself becomes a register of royal prosperity, showing that even a food list can offer deep insights into the culture, syntax, and structure of sacred text.
