The last few months, I’ve been reading the Better Bibles Blog. The guys that write there often offer thought-provoking material. Iver Larsen has written a couple of interesting articles recently on numbers in the Bible. The first post offered a brief introduction, which I want to make briefer here. Go back to the original article for a fuller explanation. I’ll just give you the numbers and what they frequently symbolize:
1 = unity
3 = divine or supernatural
4 = human
6 = incomplete, imperfect (taking its meaning from 7)
7 = perfection, completeness (sum of human & divine) Here’s a bit of information from the original article:
It is no coincidence that the first sentence in the Bible contains seven words, that the second sentence contains 2 x 7 words and that the first paragraph contains 3 x 7 words.
10 = rulership, authority
12 = God’s people (divine x human)
14 = two cycles of something complete
40 = testing (human x authority)
70 = complete rule. Can also refer to the Gentile nations.
I find this interesting and see many of these numbers used with these meanings in the biblical writings.
“It is no coincidence that the first sentence in the Bible contains seven words, that the second sentence contains 2 x 7 words and that the first paragraph contains 3 x 7 words.”
Tim it is elementary math to say if one sentence contains seven words, and another sentence contains fourteen words
(2×7). then if you add the two together it would = 3×7
elementary my dear Tim elementary.
What bible are they talking about, not mine.
Gen:1:1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
I don’t know about the original document, but I do know it was not called “the bible” Why exclude all the other “numbers” represented by “words” in the bible.
Is this the new Divinci code ?
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%201:1-2&version=WLC
You don’t have to know what the words mean to be able to count them.
Tim, I guess if we all took the time to go through things such as how numbers are used in the bible, we would come up with differing thoughts.
I remember a discussion on this subject years ago, here is one difference in your list and theirs. I am sure the whole list was different.
40 = testing (human x authority) —your list
The # 40 is recognized by the Jews as a sufficient number in most things. their reason is given below.
Forty Stripes save One The Jews were forbidden by the Mosaic law to inflict more than forty stripes on an offender, and for fear of breaking the law they stopped short of the number. If the scourge contained three lashes, thirteen strokes would equal “forty save one.”
Deut :25:3: Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.
2 Cor :11:24: Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
(Paul was saying , I received the full allotment, five times)
I guess we all have to decide what “forty” really means.
I have always been of the opinion it meant 39+1 .
Laymond, you know it wasn’t called “the bible”? even though Jews today call their scriptures “the bible”?
Very interesting
and the only time 40 shows up for you in Scripture is in the punishment passages? What about the Noah narrative? what about Israel’s wilderness wandering? What about Jesus being tempted in the desert?
Tim, I remember Ray Vander Laan’s lesson about the potential numerological significance of Jesus’ two miraculous feedings. The 12 baskets for the 5k, and the 7 baskets for the 4k.
There is a point to be made that especially with Hebrew, we really need the original manuscripts to spot letter or word-based number puzzles. I mean, we can see all the 6s in the Goliath story, but I think it is highly risky to try and draw meaning or authorial intent from letter/word counts without having the author’s actual text.
Nick,
I don’t push the numeric symbolism as far as some and probably not as far as I should. I mainly apply it in obvious places, like the book of Revelation. Still, I found Larsen’s list to be interesting… and his next post downright fascinating!
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Nick, “and the only time 40 shows up for you in Scripture is in the punishment passages?”
Nick when you put words into others mouth, then you are arguing with your self.
What I was pointing out is, maybe the meaning is not constant, maybe, just maybe, it varies, therefore all the hard work of explaining what a number means in biblical writings don’t hold water.
I would easily classify 40 lashes as “testing.”
I always say my favorite number is 4 because not only is it a reference to humanity, it is also a reference I believe to Faith. The commandment regarding the Sabbath is the 4th commandment and I believe the Sabbath is the Old Covenant SHADOW of Faith, the Sabbath Rest of trusting in Jesus. I try to explain that in detail here. If you follow that same vein, Abraham, the father of Faith, is the 4th patriarch (Adam, Abel, Noah, Abe, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph). The 4th Oil Lamp is also the center of the Lamp in the Holy Place, of which there are 7.
I’m really not in to numerology, but both Paul and the Hebrews writer did make it clear that the Tabernacle/Temple and the Old Law were shadows for the reality that is in Christ and the Church. His wisdom really is mind-blowing.
here was the link from above, talking about the Sabbath as Faith…
http://oneinjesus.info/2010/01/18/the-fork-in-the-road-the-progressive-line-part-2/#comment-21728
Andy, I think you’re exactly right in identifying 40 lashes as testing, testing to the uttermost, to the breaking point (like the world, Israel, and Jesus experienced something to the uttermost in their respective 40 experiences)
Maybe the Jews were unwilling to usurp God’s (or the satan’s?) job, so they would never put someone to the full test? Thus the 39 lashes?
I think you might be trying too hard to make Abe the 4th patriarch (and wouldn’t Seth be #2 since he is Noah’s direct ancestor?), but it is an intriguing line of thinking!
You’re probably right Nick about Abe. But the Sabbath stuff is very cool.
I’d still like to email you sometime Nick. My address is at my site. If you don’t want to contact me, that is cool. I was just hoping to send you some books that have meant a lot to me.