Dictionaries :: Seven

Seven:

This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Gen 2:2,3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. "Jacob's seven years' service to Laban; Pharaoh's seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days' siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number" (see Lev 25:4; 1Sa 2:5; Psa 12:6; 79:12; Pro 26:16; Isa 4:1; Mat 18:21,22; Luk 17:4). The feast of Passover (Exd 12:15,16), the feast of Weeks (Deu 16:9), of Tabernacles (13:15), and the Jubilee (Lev 25:8), were all ordered by seven. Seven is the number of sacrifice (2Ch 29:21; Job 42:8), of purification and consecration (Lev 4:6,17; 8:11,33; 14:9,51), of forgiveness (Mat 18:21,22; Luk 17:4), of reward (Deu 28:7; 1Sa 2:5), and of punishment (Lev 26:21,24,28; Deu 28:25). It is used for any round number in such passages as Job 5:19; Pro 26:16, 25; Isa 4:1; Mat 12:45. It is used also to mean "abundantly" (Gen 4:15,24; Lev 26:24; Psa 79:12).

Seven:

sev'-'-n (shebha‘; hepta).

See NUMBER

Seven: Instances Of:

Interesting facts concerning this number

Seven: Days:

Week consists of,

Gen 2:3; Exd 20:11; Deu 5:13, 14.

Noah in the ark before the great flood,

Gen 7:4, 10;

remains in the ark after sending forth the dove,

Gen 8:10, 12.

Mourning for Jacob lasted,

Gen 50:10;

sympathy for Job by Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar,

Job 2:13.

The plague of bloody waters in Egypt lasted,

Exd 7:25.

The Israelites encircled Jericho,

Jos 6:4.

The Passover lasted,

Exd 12:15.

Saul directed by Samuel to stay at Gilgal awaiting the prophet's command,

1Sa 10:8; 13:8.

The elders of Jabesh-gilead ask for a truce of,

1Sa 11:3.

Dedication of the temple lasted double,

1Ki 8:65.

Ezekiel sits by the Chebar River in astonishment,

Eze 3:15.

The Feast of Tabernacles lasted,

Lev 23:34, 42.

The consecration of priests and altars lasted,

Exd 29:30, 35; Eze 43:25, 26.

Defilements lasted,

Lev 12:2; 13:4.

Fasts of,

1Sa 31:13; 2Sa 12:16, 18, 22.

The firstborn of flocks and sheep must remain with their mothers, before being offered,

Exd 22:30.

The feast of Ahasuerus continued,

Est 1:5.

Paul waits at Tyre,

Act 21:4;

at Puteoli,

Act 28:14.

Seven: Weeks:

In Daniel's vision concerning the coming of the Messiah,

Dan 9:25.

Ten times,

Dan 9:24.

The period between the Passover Feast and the Feast of Pentecost,

Lev 23:15.

Seven: Months:

Holy convocations in the seventh month,

Lev 23:24-44; Num 29; Eze 45:25.

Seven: Years:

Jacob serves for each of his wives,

Gen 29:15-30.

Of abundance,

Gen 41:1-32, 53.

A famine lasted in Egypt,

Gen 41:1-32, 54-56;

in Canaan,

2Sa 24:13; 2Ki 8:1.

The insanity of Nebuchadnezzar,

Dan 4:32.

Seven times, the period between the jubilees,

Lev 25:8.

Seven: Miscellany of Sevens:

Of the ceremonially clean creatures taken into Noah's ark,

Gen 7:2.

Abraham gives Abimelech seven lambs,

Gen 21:28.

Rams and bullocks to the number of, required in sarifices,

Lev 23:18; Num 23:1; 29:32; 1Ch 15:26; Eze 45:23.

The sprinkling of blood seven times,

Lev 4:6; 14:7;

oil,

Lev 14:16.

Seven cows and seven ears of grain in Pharaoh's vision,

Gen 41:2-7.

The Israelites surrounded Jericho seven times, and on the seventh day sounding seven trumpets,

Jos 6:4.

Elisha's servant looked seven times for the appearance of rain,

1Ki 18:43.

Naaman was required to wash in the Jordan River seven times,

2Ki 5:10.

The seven steps in the temple seen in Ezekiel's vision,

Eze 40:22, 26.

The heat of Nebuchadnezzars furnace was intensified sevenfold,

Dan 3:19.

The light of the sun was intensified sevenfold,

Isa 30:26.

The threatened punishment of Israel was sevenfold,

Lev 26:18-21.

Silver was purified seven times,

Psa 12:6.

Worshiping seven times a day,

Psa 119:164.

Seven chamberlains at the court of Ahasuerus,

Est 1:10;

seven princes,

Est 1:14.

Seven counsellors at the court of Artaxerxes,

Ezr 7:14.

Seven maidens given to Esther,

Est 2:9.

Symbolical of many sons,

Rth 4:15; 1Sa 2:5; Jer 15:9;

of liberality,

Ecc 11:1, 2.

Seven magi (wise men),

Pro 26:16.

Seven women will seek a polyandrous marriage,

Isa 4:1.

Seven shepherds to be sent forth against Assyria,

Mic 5:5, 6.

Seven lamps and pipes,

Zec 4:2.

Seven deacons (greek: diakonoi) in the apostilic church,

Act 6:3.

Seven churches in Asia,

Rev 1:4, 20.

Seven seals,

Rev 5:1.

Seven thunders,

Rev 10:3.

Seven heads and seven crowns,

Rev 12:3; 13:1; 17:9.

Seven kings,

Rev 17:10.

Seven stars,

Rev 1:16, 20; 3:1; Amo 5:8.

Seven spirits,

Rev 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6.

Seven eyes of the Lord,

Zec 3:9; 4:10; Rev 5:6.

Seven golden candlesticks,

Rev 1:12.

Seven angels with seven trumpets,

Rev 8:2.

Seven plagues,

Rev 15:1.

Seven horns and seven eyes,

Rev 5:6.

Seven angels with seven plagues,

Rev 15:6.

Seven golden vials,

Rev 15:7.

The scarlet-colored beast having seven heads,

Rev 17:3, 7.

Seven:

whence Eng. words beginning with hept--, corresponds to the Heb. sheba' (which is akin to saba', signifying "to be full, abundant"), sometimes used as an expression of fullness, e.g., Rth 4:15: it generally expresses completeness, and is used most frequently in the Apocalypse; it is not found in the Gospel of John, nor between the Acts and the Apocalypse, except in Hbr 11:30 (in Rom 11:4 the numeral is heptakischilioi, "seven thousand"); in Mat 22:26 it is translated "seventh" (marg., "seven").

Note: In 2Pe 2:5, RV, "Noah with seven others" is a translation into idiomatic English of the Greek idiom "Noah the eighth person" (so AV, translating literally).
See EIGHTH.

Seven:

The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7^th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7 weeks as the interval between the Passover and the Pentecost; the 7^th year as the sabbatical year; and the year: succeeding 7 x 7 years as the Jubilee year. Seven days were appointed as the length of the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles; 7 days for the ceremonies of the consecration of priests, and so on; 7 victims to be offered on any special occasion, as in Balaam's sacrifice (Numbers 23:1) and especially at the ratification of a treaty, the notion of seven being embodied in the very term signifying to swear, literally meaning to do seven times (Genesis 31:28). Seven is used for any round number, or for completeness, as we say a dozen, or as a speaker says he will say two or three words.