alone: pole
bad marks a person or group as exclusive or separate, and in sanctuary instructions names carrying poles.
The term most often marks exclusivity or separation: a person, group, or deity is singled out as the only one or is set by itself. It also introduces what is additional or excluded from a stated total, and its plural forms in sanctuary instructions identify the poles used to carry sacred furnishings.
Senses in use
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Exclusive or by itself · dominant
In 1 Kings 18:22, the singular construct form marks Elijah as the sole prophet remaining for the LORD in contrast with the prophets of Baal. The same construction singles out the king of Israel as the only intended target in 1 Kings 22:31, while 2 Samuel 18:24 describes a runner who is by himself.
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Apart from or in addition to · common
In 1 Kings 10:13, the singular absolute form occurs where the queen receives what she requested besides what the king gave. In Deuteronomy 18:8, it marks an amount set apart from proceeds received through ancestral property; 2 Kings 21:16 likewise places Manasseh's bloodshed in addition to the sin described.
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Carrying poles of sacred furnishings · occasional
In Exodus 25:14, the plural form identifies the poles inserted through the ark's rings for carrying it. In 1 Kings 8:8, the APB renders the clause about the poles extending so that their heads could be seen before the inner sanctuary.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the exclusive use with “alone,” “by himself,” or “only,” and the additive use with “besides,” “apart from,” or “in addition to.” In the sanctuary passages it renders the plural forms as “poles”; these renderings reflect whole clauses rather than a word-by-word alignment.