Why is the word ראש singular by Orev and Ze'ev in Sefer Shoftim

Question

The pasuk in Shoftim 7:25 teaches us

וַֽיִּלְכְּד֡וּ שְׁנֵֽי־שָׂרֵ֨י מִדְיָ֜ן אֶת־עֹרֵ֣ב וְאֶת־זְאֵ֗ב וַיַּהַרְג֨וּ אֶת־עוֹרֵ֤ב בְּצוּר־עוֹרֵב֙ וְאֶת־זְאֵב֙ הָרְג֣וּ בְיֶֽקֶב־זְאֵ֔ב וַֽיִּרְדְּפ֖וּ אֶל־מִדְיָ֑ן וְרֹאשׁ־עֹרֵ֣ב וּזְאֵ֔ב הֵבִ֙יאוּ֙ אֶל־גִּדְע֔וֹן מֵעֵ֖בֶר לַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

They pursued the Midianites and captured Midian’s two generals, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the Rock of Oreb and they killed Zeeb at the Winepress of Zeeb, and they brought the head of Oreb and Zeeb from the other side of the Jordan to Gideon.

If the pasuk is saying that both the head of Orev and the head of Ze'ev were brought to Gidon, then why does the pasuk use the singular form of the word ראש, as opposed to the plural, ראשים?

Answer 1

The Judaica Press translation used by Chabad.org translates ראש as the plural heads. Perhaps it means they brought them together, or perhaps it is the idiomatic usage for ראשי (heads of). Another possibility is that since they captured and killed them at different locations they brought Gideon each head from the place each was killed.

Shmuel 7:25

וַֽיִּלְכְּד֡וּ שְׁנֵֽי־שָׂרֵ֨י מִדְיָ֜ן אֶת־עֹרֵ֣ב וְאֶת־זְאֵ֗ב וַיַּהַרְג֨וּ אֶת־עוֹרֵ֚ב בְּצוּר־עוֹרֵב֙ וְאֶת־זְאֵב֙ הָרְג֣וּ בְיֶֽקֶב־זְאֵ֔ב וַֽיִּרְדְּפ֖וּ אֶל־מִדְיָ֑ן וְרֹאשׁ־עֹרֵ֣ב וּזְאֵ֔ב הֵבִ֙יאוּ֙ אֶל־גִּדְע֔וֹן מֵעֵ֖בֶר לַיַּרְדֵּֽן:

And they captured two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb; and they pursued Midian, and the heads of Oreb and Zeeb they brought to Gideon beyond the Jordan.