Dictionary of Bible Themes – 1654 numbers, 11-99
Resources chevron-right Dictionary of Bible Themes chevron-right 1000 God chevron-right 1600 Scripture as the word of God chevron-right 1650 numbers, significance of chevron-right 1654 numbers, 11-99
1654 numbers, 11-99

1654 numbers, 11-99

Significant numbers include twelve, often associated with the full number of God’s people, and multiples of ten, especially forty and seventy.

Eleven

Eleven sons of Jacob Ge 32:22; Ge 37:9

Jesus Christ’s eleven disciples Mt 28:16; Mk 16:14; Lk 24:9,33; Ac 1:26; Ac 2:14

Twelve

Twelve tribes of Israel Ge 49:28 See also Ge 35:22-26; Ex 24:4; Ex 28:21; Ex 39:14; Jdg 19:29; Ezr 8:35; Ac 26:7

Representatives of the twelve tribes Dt 1:23; Jos 3:12; Jos 4:2-3

The church symbolised as twelve tribes Jas 1:1; Rev 7:4-8; Rev 21:12

Twelve apostles Mk 3:14 See also Mt 10:1-4; Mt 19:28; Lk 9:1; Lk 22:30; Jn 6:70-71; Ac 6:2; 1Co 15:5 The term “the Twelve” is used here even though only eleven disciples remained at the time referred to.

Fourteen

Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month Nu 28:16 See also Ex 12:6; Lev 23:5; Nu 9:2-5; Jos 5:10; 2Ch 35:1; Ezr 6:19; Eze 45:21

Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month Nu 9:10-11; 2Ch 30:2-3,15

Periods of fourteen years Ge 31:41; 2Co 12:2; Gal 2:1

Genealogy of Jesus Christ in spans of fourteen generations Mt 1:17

Fifteen

Festivals on the fifteenth day Lev 23:6,34,39; Nu 28:17; Nu 29:12; 1Ki 12:32-33; Eze 45:25

Twenty

Twenty as the minimum age in a census Ex 30:14; Ex 38:26; Nu 1:3,18; Nu 14:29; Nu 26:2; 1Ch 27:23

Twenty as the minimum age for Levitical service 1Ch 23:24,27; 2Ch 31:17; Ezr 3:8

Thirty

Thirty as the age for beginning a life’s work Lk 3:23 See also Ge 41:46; 1Sa 13:1; 2Sa 5:4; Eze 1:1 The “thirtieth year” may refer to Ezekiel’s age.

Thirty as the minimum age for Levitical service Nu 4:3,23,30,47; 1Ch 23:3

The Thirty in David’s army 2Sa 23:23 pp 1Ch 11:25; 2Sa 23:24; 1Ch 11:15-42; 1Ch 12:4,18; 1Ch 27:6

Thirty pieces of silver Mt 26:15 See also Zec 11:12-13; Mt 27:3,9

Forty

Forty days Jnh 3:4 Forty days is a standard period, sometimes viewed as a time of preparation or testing before a major event. Forty-day periods at the flood: Ge 7:4,12,17; Ge 8:6 Moses fasted for forty days on Mount Sinai: Ex 24:18; Ex 34:28; Dt 9:9,18
Mt 4:1-2 pp Mk 1:13 pp Lk 4:1-2 Jesus Christ fasted for forty days in the wilderness.
Nu 13:25; 1Sa 17:16; 1Ki 19:8; Ac 1:3

Forty years as a general term for a generation God’s anger against Israel in the wilderness: Nu 14:34; Nu 32:13; Jos 5:6; Ps 95:10; Heb 3:9,17 God’s provision for Israel in the wilderness: Ex 16:35; Dt 2:7; Dt 8:2-4; Dt 29:5; Ne 9:21; Am 2:10; Ac 7:36; Ac 13:18

Other significant forty-year periods Forty-year periods in Moses’life: Ex 7:7; Dt 34:7; Ac 7:23,30,36 Forty-year periods of peace: Jdg 3:11; Jdg 5:31; Jdg 8:28 Forty-year periods of leadership: 1Sa 4:18; 2Sa 5:4; 1Ki 2:11 pp 1Ch 29:27; 1Ki 11:42 pp 2Ch 9:30; 2Ki 12:1 pp 2Ch 24:1; Ac 13:21

Fifty

The fiftieth year as the Year of Jubilee Lev 25:10-11 The word “jubilee” refers to the liberation of slaves, rather than to a fixed period of time. The number 50 represents the year following seven periods of seven years, i.e., 49 years + 1.

Seventy

Seventy people went down to Egypt See also Ge 46:27; Ex 1:5

Seventy years of God’s judgment Jer 25:11-12 See also 2Ch 36:21; Isa 23:15-17; Jer 29:10; Da 9:2; Zec 1:12

Seventy years as the human lifespan Ps 90:10

Groups of seventy Ex 24:1; Nu 11:16,24-25; Jdg 9:2; Lk 10:1 fn,17 fn

Seventy as a large number Mt 18:22 See also Da 9:24

See also

4299wilderness
5249census
7135Israel, people of God
7217exile in Babylon
7227flood, the
7230genealogies
7266tribes of Israel
7390Levites
7406Passover
7482Year of Jubilee
7630Twelve, the
8432fasting, practice

Bible Gateway Recommends

John's Gospel: Word Come Alive - eBook
John's Gospel: Word Come Alive - eBook
Retail: $6.99
Our Price: $5.59
Save: $1.40 (20%)
Flourish: Devotions for a Well-Tended Heart
Flourish: Devotions for a Well-Tended Heart
Retail: $9.99
Our Price: $6.49
Save: $3.50 (35%)
Useful Dictionary of Verbs with Prepositions - eBook
Useful Dictionary of Verbs with Prepositions - eBook
Retail: $5.99
Our Price: $4.79
Save: $1.20 (20%)
Useful Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs - eBook
Useful Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs - eBook
Retail: $5.99
Our Price: $4.79
Save: $1.20 (20%)