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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Then the Lord replied to him, "In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." And He placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him.
If Cain is to be avenged seven times over, then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times!
then I will act with hostility toward you; I also will strike you seven times for your sins.
He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven.
The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.
Pay back sevenfold to our neighbors the reproach they have hurled at You, Lord.
In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven men who can answer sensibly.
When he speaks graciously, don't believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
On that day seven women will seize one man, saying, "We will eat our own bread and provide our own clothing. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace."
The mother of seven grew faint; she breathed her [last] breath. Her sun set while it was still day; she was ashamed and humiliated. The rest of them I will give over to the sword in the presence of their enemies." [This is] the Lord's declaration.
Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man's last condition is worse than the first. That's how it will also be with this evil generation."
Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" "I tell you, not as many as seven," Jesus said to him, "but 70 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/hcsb'>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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By the seventh day, God completed His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation.
Then the Lord replied to him, "In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." And He placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him.
If Cain is to be avenged seven times over, then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times!
You must eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day you must remove yeast from your houses. Whoever eats what is leavened from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off from Israel. You are to hold a sacred assembly on the first day and another sacred assembly on the seventh day. No work may be done on those [days] except for preparing what people need to eat-you may do only that.
He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them.
You must not go outside the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the time your days of ordination are completed, because it will take seven days to ordain you.
He is to shave off all his hair [again] on the seventh day: his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He is to wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; he is clean.
He will take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
But there will be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land in the seventh year, a Sabbath to the Lord: you are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard.
"You are to count seven sabbatic years, seven times seven years, so that the time period of the seven sabbatic years amounts to 49.
"If you act with hostility toward Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will multiply your plagues seven times for your sins.
then I will act with hostility toward you; I also will strike you seven times for your sins.
then I will act with hostility toward you; I also will strike you seven times for your sins.
I will act with furious hostility toward you; I will also discipline you seven times for your sins.
These are the commands the Lord gave Moses for the Israelites on Mount Sinai.
These are the commands the Lord gave Moses for the Israelites on Mount Sinai.
you must strike down the inhabitants of that city with the sword. Completely destroy everyone in it as well as its livestock with the sword.
"You are to count seven weeks, counting the weeks from the time the sickle is first [put] to the standing grain.
"The Lord will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will march out against you from one direction but flee from you in seven directions.
The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them from one direction but flee from them in seven directions. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he told the descendants of Aaron, the priests, to offer them on the altar of the Lord.
He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven.
Now take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you. I will surely accept his [prayer] and not deal with you as your folly deserves. For you have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has."
The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.
Pay back sevenfold to our neighbors the reproach they have hurled at You, Lord.
Pay back sevenfold to our neighbors the reproach they have hurled at You, Lord.
In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven men who can answer sensibly.
In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven men who can answer sensibly.
When he speaks graciously, don't believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
On that day seven women will seize one man, saying, "We will eat our own bread and provide our own clothing. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace."
On that day seven women will seize one man, saying, "We will eat our own bread and provide our own clothing. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace."
Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man's last condition is worse than the first. That's how it will also be with this evil generation."
Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"
Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" "I tell you, not as many as seven," Jesus said to him, "but 70 times seven.
"I tell you, not as many as seven," Jesus said to him, "but 70 times seven.
And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."
And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must 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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but you didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You have acted foolishly.
Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."
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/hcsb'>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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Then the Lord replied to him, "In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." And He placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him.
If Cain is to be avenged seven times over, then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times!
then I will act with hostility toward you; I also will strike you seven times for your sins.
If his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative of his clan, and he will take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites as the Lord commanded Moses."
"On the second day [present] 12 young bulls, two rams, and 14 male lambs a year old-[all] unblemished- with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number. read more. Also [offer] one male goat as a sin offering. These are in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings. "On the third day [present] 11 bulls, two rams, 14 male lambs a year old-[all] unblemished- with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number.
Have seven priests carry seven ram's-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the trumpets.
So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven trumpets in front of the ark of the Lord."
After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven trumpets before the Lord moved forward and blew the trumpets; the ark of the Lord's covenant followed them.
Those who are full hire themselves out for food, but those who are starving [hunger] no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but the woman with many sons pines away.
The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.
Pay back sevenfold to our neighbors the reproach they have hurled at You, Lord.
In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven men who can answer sensibly.
On that day seven women will seize one man, saying, "We will eat our own bread and provide our own clothing. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace."
The mother of seven grew faint; she breathed her [last] breath. Her sun set while it was still day; she was ashamed and humiliated. The rest of them I will give over to the sword in the presence of their enemies." [This is] the Lord's declaration.
Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city- to bring the rebellion to an end, to put a stop to sin, to wipe away injustice, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place. Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince will be seven weeks and 62 weeks. It will be rebuilt with a plaza and a moat, but in difficult times. read more. After those 62 weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the coming prince will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come with a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations are decreed.
Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" "I tell you, not as many as seven," Jesus said to him, "but 70 times seven.
for somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And on the seventh day God rested from all His works.