אָלַף

H503. alaph
II. אֶ֫לֶף noun masculineJdg 6:15 thousand (אלף MI, SI, Sabean DHMZMG 1875, 615; Arabic , Aramaic , אלפיא אֲלַף,) — א׳(אָ֑ ׳) Gen 20:16 +; suffix אַלְמִּי Jdg 6:15; dual אַלְמַּיִם Num 4:36 +; plural אֲלָפִים Exo 18:21 +; construct אַלְפֵי Exo 32:28 +; אֲלָפֶיךָ Deu 7:13 Deu 7:2t.; אֲלָפָיו Qr 1Sa 18:7 1Sa 18:2t. (Kt פֿו) — a thousand.
1 numeral:
a. used with noun alone; mostly before noun Num 35:4; Jos 7:3; Neh 3:13; 1Ch 18:4 +; after noun (late) 1Ch 12:35 1Ch 12:6t. Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah; ׳א בָּאַמָּה Num 35:5 (4 t. in verse); Eze 47:3 (strike out Co); the noun always plural when preceding, sometimes when following, 1Sa 25:2; 1Ki 3:4; 2Ki 18:23 = Isa 36:8; 2Ch 30:24; Psa 90:4; Job 42:12; Ecc 6:6; elsewhere singular אישׁ Jdg 9:49; Jdg 15:15-16, Jos 7:3 +; אַמָּה Num 35:4 + (so SI); דּוֺר Deu 7:9 +, compare 1Ch 18:4; 1Ch 19:6; 2Ki 15:19; Job 42:12; Son 4:4; Isa 7:23, noun sometimes collective; ׳א plural construct Mic 6:7; Psa 119:72; Gen 24:60; noun not expressed (or not fully) Gen 20:16; Num 31:5-6, +; distributive אֶלֶף ֗֗֗ אֶלֶף Num 31:4; multiplicative Deu 1:11 ׳א מְּעָמִים; indefinite for great number (plural) Exo 20:6; Exo 34:7; Deu 5:10; Jer 32:18, (singular) Deu 32:30; Ecc 6:6 +.
b. ׳א + other number usually precedes it Exo 38:25 + often; but following רִבּוֺא Ezr 2:64 Ezr 2:2t.; it follows also smaller number Num 3:50; 1Ki 5:12 (so SI); the noun following in singular Exo 28:25 Exo 28:8t.; plural 2Sa 8:4 2Sa 8:2t.; noun precedes, in plural (late) Dan 12:12 Dan 12:2t.; noun not expressed Exo 38:28 +?
c. ׳א X other number always following Exo 12:37 +; usual order is no. X ׳א + additional no. (if any) + noun (if expressed) Num 31:52; Jdg 20:35 compare Exo 12:37; 2Ki 3:4 (twice in verse) +; less often noun + no. X ׳א Num 31:33; 1Ki 8:63 +; (other combinations see Exo 38:26; Num 26:51; Num 31:32; Eze 48:30; 1Ch 29:7 etc.); ׳א usually singular Num 11:21 +; except after units, where plural absolute Num 1:46; Jdg 20:34 + (so MI); seldom plural construct Exo 32:28; Jdg 4:10; Job 1:3 (twice in verse); (noun mostly singular when following Jdg 4:10; 1Ki 12:21+, yet plural Jos 4:13; 1Sa 13:5 +; when preceding it is plural 1Ch 5:21 +, or collective Num 31:33; 1Sa 25:2; 1Ki 8:63; 2Ch 7:5 +); אֲלָפִים אֶלֶף 1Ch 21:5; 1Ch 22:14; 2Ch 14:8; שִׁנְאָן אַלְפֵי Psa 68:18, compare שִׁנְאָן; אָ֑לֶף בְּהַרֲרֵי Psa 50:10, read אֵל compare Psa 36:7, Ol Bi Che; yet see Hup De. —
Note.10, 000= אֲלָפִים עֲשֶׂרֶת etc. Jdg 1:4; Jdg 3:29; 1 Kings 5:28; 1Ch 29:7 +; less often רְבָבָה רִבּוֺ, etc. q. v.
2 a thousand, a company of 1000 men, as united under one superior, or leader, hence א שַׂר ׳(שָׂרֵי) Exo 18:21, Exo 18:25 compare Num 31:14 +; compare א ׳רָאשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל Num 1:16; Num 10:4; Jos 22:21, Jos 22:30 & see below; compare also 1Sa 29:2; especially family, etc. Jdg 6:15; 1Sa 10:19 (|| שֵׁבֶט & compare מִשְׁמַּחַת 1Sa 10:21); compare Mic 5:2; — Num 10:36 (יִשְׂרָאֵל אַלְפֵי רִבְבוֺת) Num 31:5; Jos 22:14; 1Sa 23:23 apparently shew transition to this technical use. **[אָלַף]
verb denominative Hiph`il Psa 144:13 מַאֲלִיפוֺת producing thousands (subject צאֹן).