The “Seven Eyes” of Zech 3:9 and the Meaning of the Dual Form*

Abstract The so-called “dual” form, when it occurs with parts of the body naturally occurring in pairs such as hands and eyes, is not dual in meaning as commonly supposed, but rather plural. This explains why the phrase שִׁבְעָה עֵינָ֑יִם in Zech 3:9 means “seven eyes” and not, as occasionally suggested, “seven pairs of eyes.” This “dual-form plural” is only rarely used where terms for body parts are extended to other objects, making it unlikely that עֵינַ֫יִם means either “facets” or “springs.”