(Numb. 11:16:) GATHER ME SEVENTY PERSON (sic)⁹⁸ FROM THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL.⁹⁹ Numb. 3:16; Numb. R. 5:23. [This text is related (to Prov. 22:11): THE ONE WHO LOVES PURITY OF HEART HAS GRACE ON HIS LIPS, HAS A KING AS HIS FRIEND.] Why did he not say to him (in Numb. 11:16): "Seventy people" (with "people" in the plural) instead of SEVENTY PERSON. It is simply that he said to him: SEVENTY PERSON (ish) with the singular ish indicating singular individuals],¹⁰⁰ because they were to be like me and you. (Cf. Exod. 15:3:) THE LORD IS A MAN (ish) OF WAR. (Cf. also Numb. 12:3): NOW THE MAN (ish) MOSES.

footnotes: ⁹⁸ The midrash is ignoring the fact that Hebrew uses singular nouns with large numbers in order to build an interpretation on this singular usage. ⁹⁹ Tanh. ¹⁰⁰ I.e. singular individuals like the one described in Prov. 22:11.