B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

Exodus 8:10 שמות
8:10וַיִּצְבְּר֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם חֳמָרִ֣ם חֳמָרִ֑ם וַתִּבְאַ֖שׁ הָאָֽרֶץ׃

JPS 1917
And they gathered them together in heaps; and the land stank.

Are there other examples of plural words or any words used like this "heaps heaps" to mean a lot of something or is this quote unusual in some way?
On netbible it says for Exodus 8:14, which is the same quote, see GKC 396 5123 e. What does that mean?

GKC = Gesenius' Hebrew Lexicon (G = Gesenius; K = E. Kautzsch; C = A. E. Cowley; the last two being revisers of Gesenius' original); 396 = page; 5123 e = should be §123 e, which is entitled The Representation of Plural Ideas by Means of Collectives, and by the Repetition of Words.

From said Lexicon:
3. Repetition to express an exceptional or at least superfine quality; e.g. 2 K 25:15 which were of gold, gold, of silver, silver, i.e. made of pure gold and pure silver; Dt 2:27 בַּדֶּ֫רֶךְ בַּדֶּ֫רֶךְ only along by the high way; cf. Nu 3:8, 8:16 they are given, given to him, i.e. given exclusively for his service, for his very own. Also with a certain hyperbole in such examples as 2 K 3:16 גֵּבִים גֵּבִים nothing but trenches; Gn 14:10 בֶּֽאֱרֹת בֶּֽאֱרֹת חֵמָר all asphalt-pits.—Repetition serves to intensify the expression to the highest degree in Ju 5:22 by reason of the violent pransings of his string ones, Ex 8:10 (countless heaps), and Jo 4:14 (countless multitudes); cf. also מְעַט מְעַט Ex 23:30 by little and little, very gradually; cf. §133 k.

You may find this useful: http://hebrewbiblescholar.com/gesenius/

Online Editions:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Gesenius% ... ew_Grammar (incomplete)
http://archive.org/details/geseniushebrewgr00geseuoft (PDF version; searchable).

For the above section I've quoted: direct link on wikisource

I believe Ste meant to write "Grammar" rather than "Lexicon" for the Gesenius GKC edition referenced. Gesenius did produce a Hebrew lexicon also, however, which was revised by Brown, Driver, and Briggs (known familiarly by its initials, BDB). While superceded in some ways by Köhler-Baumgartner (now known as HALOT), BDB is still useful. It is still in print form and also available digitally.

And the grammar, though meant for advanced students, is still useful too. I've consulted it a lot over the years.

talmid56 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 10:55 amI believe Ste meant to write "Grammar" rather than "Lexicon" for the Gesenius GKC edition referenced.

talmid is correct - I did indeed mean grammar (twice)!

No problem. 7:20 קהלת (קהלת Qohelet, Ecclesiastes)
(The Westminster Leningrad Codex) כתב: כִּ֣י אָדָ֔ם אֵ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂה־טּ֖וֹב וְלֹ֥א יֶחֱטָֽא׃

Here's a link to an online version of BDB (very useful): http://www.ericlevy.com/revel/bdb/bdb/main.htm.
Logos Bible Software also has a free abridged version of BDB (and no doubt, if you fork over sufficient shekels, a full paid version ).

I should mention that I took the Hebrew text from the WLC as found on the web site Bible Gateway, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?s ... ersion=WLC.

Thank you both, Ste and Dewayne. There is a lot of information in that book. Do you think it is good to get in a print version?

Sure, print is good. I first used it in print and still have a copy. I bought it while a student in preaching school. Fortunately, the school bookstore took pity on us students who didn't have much money and gave us a 40% discount. This was true even of titles like that that weren't required texts. You can find several print editions on Amazon at fairly cheap prices. Some physical used bookstores may have it also. Worth a look. If you think you'll use it a lot, I recommend getting a hardcover edition.

Edit: I meant the above to refer to the grammar. Same applies to the lexicon, also. Although, if you get the lexicon, you should be aware of one difficulty in using it. Unlike later Hebrew lexicons like K-B/HALOT, BDB lists words by root rather than alphabetically. Some words are not easy to find that way. One workaround (and a good one) is the Index to BDB by Bruce Einspahr (paperback). It lists the consonantal form and gives the page in BDB where the entry is found. Here's a link to order on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yebhed4s.