A graded numerical sequence or numerical proverb, sometimes called an n/n+1 saying or numerical heightening, is a

literary form A literary genre is a category of literature. Genres may be determined by literary technique, tone, content, or length (especially for fiction). They generally move from more abstract, encompassing classes, which are then further sub-divided ...

employed in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...

. It is found especially in

Proverbs A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbial ...

Job Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...

, and

Amos Amos or AMOS may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Amos Records, an independent record label established in Los Angeles, California, in 1968 * Amos (band), an American Christian rock band * ''Amos'' (album), an album by Michael Ray * ''Amos' ...

, and is used to list attributes, compare items, and catalogue sins. 38 biblical examples have been identified, as well as in the

Book of Sirach The Book of Sirach () or Ecclesiasticus (; abbreviated Ecclus.) is a Jewish work, originally in Hebrew, of ethical teachings, from approximately 200 to 175 BC, written by the Judahite scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, on the inspiration of his fat ...

Franz Delitzsch Franz Delitzsch (23 February 1813, in Leipzig – 4 March 1890, in Leipzig) was a German Lutheran theologian and Hebraist. Delitzsch wrote many commentaries on books of the Bible, Jewish antiquities, Biblical psychology, as well as a history of J ...

notes "this peculiarity: ... that the number named in the first parallel line is in the second increased by one".Delitzsch, F. (1892)
Biblical commentary the Old Testament/Volume IV. Poetical Books/Proverbs
accessed 16 June 2023

Examples

Use and meaning

This form is used in

Ugaritic Ugaritic () is an extinct Northwest Semitic language, classified by some as a dialect of the Amorite language and so the only known Amorite dialect preserved in writing. It is known through the Ugaritic texts discovered by French archaeolog ...

literature, but not in

Ancient Egyptian literature Ancient Egyptian literature was written in the Egyptian language from ancient Egypt's pharaonic period until the end of Roman domination. It represents the oldest corpus of Egyptian literature. Along with Sumerian literature, it is consid ...

. The name מדּה was used for numerical proverbs by later

Jewish writers Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Graeme Goldsworthy Graeme Goldsworthy (born 7 September 1934) is an Australian evangelical Anglican theologian specialising in the Old Testament and biblical theology. His most significant work is a trilogy: ''Gospel and Kingdom'', ''Gospel and Wisdom'', and ''The Go ...

suggests that this formula "points to the open-ended nature of the list, thus inviting the perceptive person to supply further items". Wilfred Watson notes that the graded numerical sequence is sometimes used for climactic effect, as in

Proverbs 30 Proverbs 30 is the 30th chapter of the Book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.''Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook''. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012. The book is a compilation of sever ...

:19.

References

{{reflist Hebrew Bible Literary genres Numerology