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# sum

«sum» in Mova's judaism dictionary: **the answer you get when you add numbers together: the sum…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun, verb (sum, sums, summed, summing)

### meaning for a pupil

1) The sum is the answer you get when you add numbers together: the sum of 3 and 4 is 7. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#m1)

2) A sum (UK) is a maths problem: do your sums. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#m2)

3) A sum of money is an amount of money. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#m3)

4) To sum up is to say the main points briefly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: The total count of a group, found by counting people, as in the census in the wilderness. In the Psalms and Chronicles it also means the full number or amount, even too great to count. Interpretation: The census "taking of the sum" is why the book of Numbers is called Bamidbar, "in the wilderness." Levi is counted separately because the Levites served the sanctuary. David's counting of the people is read as a mistake that brought a plague, and the Psalmist's "how great is the sum" shows God's thoughts are beyond counting. In the primary lessons: Maths: the result of addition; a strong clue for addition; «the sum of two numbers is 20» — find the missing number by subtracting. Everyday: a large sum of money, lump sum. Writing: to sum up, in sum.

### examples

- 'Take the sum of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses, by their families; (Torah NUM.4.22, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x1)
- 'Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' houses, (Torah NUM.4.2, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x2)
- 'Howbeit the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, neither shalt thou take the sum of them among the children of Israel; (Torah NUM.1.49, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x3)
- How great is the sum of them! (Writings PSA.139.17, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x4)
- And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto David. (Writings 1CH.21.5, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x5)
- And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people: 'Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know the sum of them.' (Writings 1CH.21.2, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x6)
- What is the sum of 7 and 8? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x7)
- The sum of two numbers is 20. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x8)
- She saved a sum of 50 dollars. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x9)
- Find the sum of all the apples. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x10)
- We did ten sums in class today. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x11)
- The sum of the angles in a triangle is 180 degrees. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x12)
- To sum up, the plan worked well. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x13)
- Add the column to find the sum. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x14)
- "Ah," said Nigel, "can you do sums?" [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/#x15)

### note

Countable noun; verb doubles the m: summed. A strong clue for addition. Trap: if the sum and one number are given, find the other by subtracting. Trap: «sum» sounds like «some». In the UK «sums» can mean any maths exercises, not only adding.

### In the corpora

- ['Howbeit the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, neither shalt thou take the sum of them among the children of Israel;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/NUM.48/)
- ['Take the sum of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses, by their families;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/NUM.162/)
- [How great is the sum of them!](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PSA.2542/)
- [And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto David.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/1CH.755/)
- [Computers are fast at sums and storing facts but weak at common sense, such as knowing when a joke hurts someone.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/ai/3-sounding-right-and-being-right/15/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «sum» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sum/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.