Reference: Seven
American
As from the beginning this was the number of days in the week, so it often has in Scripture a sort of emphasis attached to it, and is very generally used as a round or perfect number. Clean beasts were taken into the ark by sevens, Ge 7. The years of plenty and famine in Egypt were marked by sevens, Ge 41. With the Jews, not only was there a seventh day Sabbath, but every seventh year was a Sabbath, and after every seven times seven years came a jubilee. Their great feasts of unleavened bread and of tabernacles were observed for seven days; the number of animals in many of their sacrifices was limited to seven. The golden candlestick had seven branches. Seven priests with seven trumpets went around the walls of Jericho seven days, and seven times on the seventh day. In the Apocalypse we find seven churches mentioned, seven candlesticks, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven vials, seven plagues, and seven angels to pour them out.
Seven is often put for any round or whole number, just as we use "ten" or "a dozen;" so in Mt 12:45; 1Sa 2:5; Job 5:19; Pr 26:16,25; Isa 4:1; Jer 15:9. In like manner, seven times, or seven-fold, means often, abundantly, completely, Ge 4:15,24; Le 26:24; Ps 12:6; 79:12; Mt 18:21. And seventy times seven is a still higher superlative, Mt 18:22.
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And Jehovah said to him, Therefore, whoever slayeth Cain, it shall be revenged sevenfold. And Jehovah set a mark on Cain, lest any finding him should smite him.
If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold; Lemech seventy and seven fold.
then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will smite you, even I, sevenfold for your sins.
He will deliver thee in six troubles, and in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
The words of Jehovah are pure words, silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times.
And render unto our neighbours, sevenfold into their bosom, their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men that answer discreetly.
when his voice is gracious, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, Our own bread will we eat, and with our own garments will we be clothed; only let us be called by thy name; take away our reproach!
She that hath borne seven languisheth, she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it is yet day; she is put to shame and confounded. And the residue of them will I give up to the sword before their enemies, saith Jehovah.
Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits worse than himself, and entering in, they dwell there; and the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. Thus shall it be to this wicked generation also.
Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? until seven times? Jesus says to him, I say not to thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
Easton
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 (Ge 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 Le 25:4; 1Sa 2:5; Ps 12:6; 79:12; Pr 26:16; Isa 4:1; Mt 18:21-22; Lu 17:4). The feast of Passover (Ex 12:15-16), the feast of Weeks (De 16:9), of Tabernacles (De 13:15), and the Jubilee (Le 25:8), were all ordered by seven. Seven is the number of sacrifice (2Ch 29:21; Job 42:8), of purification and consecration (34/type/darby'>Le 27:34,34; 8:11,33; 14:9,51), of forgiveness (Mt 18:21-22; Lu 17:4), of reward (De 28:7; 1Sa 2:5), and of punishment (Le 26:21,24,28; De 28:25). It is used for any round number in such passages as Job 5:19; Pr 26:16,25; Isa 4:1; Mt 12:45. It is used also to mean "abundantly" (Ge 4:15,24; Le 26:24; Ps 79:12).
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And God had finished on the seventh day his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it, because that on it he rested from all his work which God had created in making it.
And Jehovah said to him, Therefore, whoever slayeth Cain, it shall be revenged sevenfold. And Jehovah set a mark on Cain, lest any finding him should smite him.
If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold; Lemech seventy and seven fold.
Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread: on the very first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses; for whoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And on the first day ye shall have a holy convocation, and on the seventh day a holy convocation: no manner of work shall be done on them, save what is eaten by every person that only shall be done by you.
And he sprinkled thereof on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, to hallow them.
And ye shall not go out from the entrance of the tent of meeting seven days, until the day when the days of your consecration are at an end: for seven days shall ye be consecrated.
And it shall come to pass on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair, his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, even all his hair shall he shave, and he shall wash his garments, and shall bathe his flesh in water, and he is clean.
and he shall take the cedar-wood and the hyssop and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times;
but in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest for the land, a sabbath to Jehovah. Thy field shalt thou not sow, and thy vineyard shalt thou not prune.
And thou shalt count seven sabbaths of years, seven times seven years; so that the days of the seven sabbaths of years be unto thee forty-nine years.
And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me, I will bring sevenfold more plagues upon you according to your sins.
then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will smite you, even I, sevenfold for your sins.
then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will smite you, even I, sevenfold for your sins.
then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven-fold for your sins.
These are the commandments which Jehovah commanded Moses for the children of Israel upon mount Sinai.
These are the commandments which Jehovah commanded Moses for the children of Israel upon mount Sinai.
thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, devoting it to destruction, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
Seven weeks shalt thou count: from the beginning of putting the sickle into the corn shalt thou begin to count seven weeks.
Jehovah will give up, smitten before thee, thine enemies that rise up against thee; they shall come out against thee one way, and by seven ways shall they flee before thee.
Jehovah will give thee up smitten before thine enemies; thou shalt go out against them one way, and by seven ways shalt thou flee before them; and thou shalt be driven hither and thither into all the kingdoms of the earth.
And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats for a sin-offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them upon the altar of Jehovah.
He will deliver thee in six troubles, and in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
And now, take for yourselves seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, for ye have not spoken of me rightly, like my servant Job.
The words of Jehovah are pure words, silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times.
And render unto our neighbours, sevenfold into their bosom, their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
And render unto our neighbours, sevenfold into their bosom, their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men that answer discreetly.
A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men that answer discreetly.
when his voice is gracious, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, Our own bread will we eat, and with our own garments will we be clothed; only let us be called by thy name; take away our reproach!
And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, Our own bread will we eat, and with our own garments will we be clothed; only let us be called by thy name; take away our reproach!
Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits worse than himself, and entering in, they dwell there; and the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. Thus shall it be to this wicked generation also.
Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? until seven times?
Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? until seven times? Jesus says to him, I say not to thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
Jesus says to him, I say not to thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
And if he should sin against thee seven times in the day, and seven times should return to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him.
And if he should sin against thee seven times in the day, and seven times should return to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him.
Fausets
(See NUMBER.) The Semitic has the word in common with the Indo-European languages; Hebrew sheba answering to Latin septem, Greek hepta.
Hastings
Morish
See NUMBERS AS SYMBOLS.
Smith
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 7th 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 7th year as the sabbatical year; and the year: succeeding 7X7 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.
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.
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.
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and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now thou hast acted foolishly.
And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
Watsons
SEVEN. The number seven is consecrated, in the holy books and in the religion of the Jews, by a great number of events and mysterious circumstances. God created the world in the space of seven days, and consecrated the seventh day to repose. The rest of the seventh day, according to St. Paul, Heb 4:4, intimates eternal rest. And not only the seventh day is honoured among the Jews, by the repose of the Sabbath, but every seventh year is also consecrated to the rest of the earth, by the name of a sabbatical year; as also the seven times seventh year, or forty- ninth year is the year of jubilee. In the prophetic style a week often stands for seven years, Da 9:24-26. Jacob served his father-in-law Laban seven years for each of his daughters. Pharaoh's mysterious dream represented to his imagination seven fat oxen, and seven lean ones; seven full ears of corn, and as many that were empty and shrivelled. These stood for seven years of plenty, and seven of scarcity. The number of seven days is observed in the octaves of the great solemnities of the passover, of tabernacles, and of the dedication of the tabernacle and the temple; the seven branches of the golden candlestick, the number of seven sacrifices appointed on several occasions, Nu 27:11; 29:17-21, &c. Seven trumpets, seven priests that sounded them, seven days to surround the walls of Jericho, 6/4/type/darby'>Jos 6:4,6,8. In the Revelation, are the seven churches, seven, candlesticks, seven spirits, seven stars, seven lamps, seven seals, seven angels, seven phials, seven plagues, &c. In certain passages, the number seven is put for a great number. Isa 4:1, says that seven women should lay hold on one man, to ask him to marry them. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, says, 1Sa 2:5, that she who was barren should have seven children. Jer 15:9, makes use of the same expression. God threatens his people to smite them seven times for their transgressions, Le 26:24, that is to say, several times. The Psalmist, speaking of very pure silver, says it is "purified seven times," Ps 12:6. And elsewhere, "Render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom," Ps 79:12; punish them severely, and as often as they deserve it. The slayer of Cain was to be punished seven times; but of Lamech seventy times seven times, Ge 4:15,24. The slothful man thinks himself wiser than seven men, that set forth proverbs, Pr 26:16; he thinks himself of more worth than many wise men. St. Peter asks our Saviour, Mt 18:21-22, How many times should he forgive his brother? till seven times? And Christ answers him, I say not only seven times, but seventy times seven; meaning, as often as he may offend, however frequent it may be.
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And Jehovah said to him, Therefore, whoever slayeth Cain, it shall be revenged sevenfold. And Jehovah set a mark on Cain, lest any finding him should smite him.
If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold; Lemech seventy and seven fold.
then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will smite you, even I, sevenfold for your sins.
And if his father have no brethren, ye shall give his inheritance to his kinsman that is nearest to him in his family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of right, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
And on the second day, ye shall present twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen yearling lambs without blemish; and their oblation and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; read more. and one buck of the goats for a sin-offering, besides the continual burnt-offering and its oblation, and their drink-offerings. And on the third day, eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen yearling lambs without blemish; and their oblation and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;
And seven priests shall carry before the ark seven blast-trumpets; and on the seventh day ye shall go round the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, Carry the ark of the covenant, and seven priests shall carry seven blast-trumpets before the ark of Jehovah.
And it came to pass when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests carrying the seven blast-trumpets before Jehovah passed on and blew with the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went after them.
They that were full have hired themselves out for bread; and the hungry are so no more: Even the barren beareth seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
The words of Jehovah are pure words, silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times.
And render unto our neighbours, sevenfold into their bosom, their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men that answer discreetly.
And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, Our own bread will we eat, and with our own garments will we be clothed; only let us be called by thy name; take away our reproach!
She that hath borne seven languisheth, she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it is yet day; she is put to shame and confounded. And the residue of them will I give up to the sword before their enemies, saith Jehovah.
Seventy weeks are apportioned out upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to close the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make expiation for iniquity, and to bring in the righteousness of the ages, and to seal the vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies. Know therefore and understand: From the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah, the Prince, are seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. The street and the moat shall be built again, even in troublous times. read more. And after the sixty-two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, and shall have nothing; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with an overflow, and unto the end, war, the desolations determined.
Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? until seven times? Jesus says to him, I say not to thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
For he has said somewhere of the seventh day thus, And God rested on the seventh day from all his works: