וַֽיְחִי־לֶ֕מֶךְ שְׁתַּ֧יִם וּשְׁמֹנִ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּמְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיֹּ֖ולֶד בֵּֽן׃ (Genesis 5:28)
And Lemekh lived two and eighty years and one hundred years and he fathered a son
Introduction: When Numbers Tell a Story
In Genesis 5:28, we encounter a striking numerical expression describing the age of Lemekh when he fathered a son. But this is no simple “182 years.” Instead, the Hebrew text presents it as: שְׁתַּ֧יִם וּשְׁמֹנִ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּמְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה—literally “two and eighty years and one hundred years.” This unusual expression invites inquiry into the grammatical structure and logic of coordinated number phrases in Biblical Hebrew.
This article explores how such numerical constructions function grammatically, morphologically, and stylistically, especially when used in genealogical or chronological contexts.
Numerical Grammar in Focus
Grammatical Construction of Coordinated Numbers
The clause presents a rare but not unique way of expressing compound numbers:
- שְׁתַּ֧יִם – “two” (feminine)
- וּשְׁמֹנִ֛ים – “and eighty”
- שָׁנָ֖ה – “year” (singular form, used idiomatically for both singular and plural in time expressions)
- וּמְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה – “and one hundred years”
Rather than stating “one hundred and eighty-two” in a unified numerical phrase (which Hebrew often does, as in שְׁמוֹנֶה וּשְׁמוֹנִים), the verse appears to separate and coordinate the components with וְ (“and”).
Syntax: Additive Structure
The construction uses asyndetic apposition and conjunctive coordination to stack numeric parts:
- שְׁתַּיִם וּשְׁמֹנִים (2 + 80 = 82)
- followed by וּמְאַת שָׁנָה (and 100 more years)
The total is 182 years, expressed as 82 + 100, a stylistic and rhetorical move rather than a deficiency of numerical language. The structure emphasizes the passage of time through repetition and expansion.
Color Table: Breakdown of Number Construction
| Word | Form | Root | Literal Meaning | Grammatical Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁתַּיִם | cardinal numeral (feminine) | שׁתים | two | Part of the compound number (2) |
| וּשְׁמֹנִים | cardinal numeral (plural) | שׁמנה | and eighty | Conjoined numeral (80) |
| שָׁנָה | noun (singular feminine) | שׁנה | year | Time noun qualified by numerals |
| וּמְאַת שָׁנָה | cardinal numeral + noun | מאה | and one hundred years | Additional numeric element |
Morphology: Gender and Agreement
- שְׁתַּיִם – Feminine form of “two”, agrees with שָׁנָה.
- שְׁמֹנִים – Masculine plural form, often used generically in time expressions.
- מְאַת – Construct form of מֵאָה (“hundred”), agrees with the following שָׁנָה.
Despite שָׁנָה being singular in form, it frequently appears after plural or compound numbers due to its idiomatic use in time reckoning.
Semantics and Literary Style
The poetic expansion of Lemekh’s age builds a solemn rhythm. Instead of collapsing the count into a numerical shortcut (e.g., שְׁמוֹנֶה וּשְׁמוֹנִים וּמֵאָה), the verse decelerates time by narrating each numeric layer. This is a subtle narrative slowing device, often used in genealogies to highlight lifespan and transition points.
Masoretic Observation
The clause ends in a סוֹף פָּסוּק, signaling a full stop, but the internal disjunctive accents give weight to each numeric phrase:
- שְׁתַּיִם and וּשְׁמֹנִים are divided by a conjunctive accent, preserving the additive sense.
- וּמְאַת שָׁנָה receives a strong terminal accent (likely atnaḥ or silluq), affirming the entire count before the climactic וַיֹּ֖ולֶד.
When Time is Measured Twice
The construction of Lemekh’s age is more than ancient arithmetic. It is a grammatical monument: the layering of two and eighty and one hundred slows the reader, demands reflection, and lends grandeur to the genealogical record. In Biblical Hebrew, numbers are not mere data—they are discourse tools, pacing narratives and anchoring memory. The strange arithmetic of Genesis 5:28 reveals how time is narrated as much as it is counted.
