4

In Ezra 2:65-67 it says:

מִ֠לְּבַד עַבְדֵיהֶ֤ם וְאַמְהֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ אֵ֔לֶּה שִׁבְעַ֣ת אֲלָפִ֔ים שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וְשִׁבְעָ֑ה וְלָהֶ֛ם מְשֹׁרְרִ֥ים וּֽמְשֹׁרְר֖וֹת מָאתָֽיִם׃ סוּסֵיהֶ֕ם שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וְשִׁשָּׁ֑ה פִּרְדֵיהֶ֕ם מָאתַ֖יִם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה׃ גְּמַ֨לֵּיהֶ֔ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑ה חֲמֹרִ֕ים שֵׁ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֔ים שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃

The verses describe the possessions of the families who returned to Judea during Shivat Tzion. All of the different types of possessions are written with "יהם" at the end, meaning - "their X", except for the last type, the donkeys, which are merely called "חמרים" and not "חמריהם" - "their donkeys". Why is this so?1


1 As for the singers that came with them, it doesn't sound like they were considered property. And so it sounds like from the commentators (at least those brought on Sefaria).

1
  • 2
    I don't know how helpful this is, but in the corresponding verse in Nechemia (7:68) it says נמלים not גמליהם, and the whole verse before that is absent. (These details are attested to by the messora brought in Minchas Shai.)
    – Mordechai
    Commented Dec 16, 2020 at 21:57

0

You must log in to answer this question.

Browse other questions tagged .