'Three' in the Bible

As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments.

I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I’m aiming at a target.

When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone Ezel, fell with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept with each other, though David wept more.

Then they gave him some pressed figs and two clusters of raisins. After he ate he revived, for he hadn’t eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.

Then David said to him, “Who do you belong to? Where are you from?”“I’m an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite man,” he said. “My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago.

So on that day, Saul died together with his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men.

The next day when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa.

The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like one of the wild gazelles.

The ark of the Lord remained in his house three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his whole family.

Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur where he stayed three years.

Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.

Joab said, “I’m not going to waste time with you!” He then took three spears in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the oak tree,

The king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to me within three days and be here yourself.”

During David’s reign there was a famine for three successive years, so David inquired of the Lord. The Lord answered, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family when he killed the Gibeonites.”

After him, Eleazar son of Dodo son of an Ahohite was among the three warriors with David when they defied the Philistines. The men of Israel retreated in the place they had gathered for battle,

Three of the 30 leading warriors went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was camping in the Valley of Rephaim.

So three of the warriors broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord.

David said, “Lord, I would never do such a thing! Is this not the blood of men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.

Abishai, Joab’s brother and son of Zeruiah, was leader of the Three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three.

Was he not more honored than the Three? He became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.

These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who had a reputation among the three warriors.

He was the most honored of the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

“Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them, and I will do it to you.’”

So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, “Do you want three years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, think it over and decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me.”

But then, at the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. Shimei was informed, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.”

He built the inner courtyard with three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams.

There were three rows of window frames, facing each other in three tiers.

All the doors and doorposts had rectangular frames, the openings facing each other in three tiers.

Around the great courtyard, as well as the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and the portico of the temple, were three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams.

It stood on 12 oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center.

The reservoir was three inches thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or of a lily blossom. It held 11,000 gallons.

Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, and he burned incense with them in the Lord’s presence. So he completed the temple.

for the king had ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

Rehoboam replied, “Go home for three days and then return to me.” So the people left.

and reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the Lord and said, “My Lord God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”

There was a lull of three years without war between Aram and Israel.

However, they urged him to the point of embarrassment, so he said, “Send them.” They sent 50 men, who looked for three days but did not find him.

Then the king of Israel said, “Oh no, the Lord has summoned three kings, only to hand them over to Moab.”

However, Elisha said to King Joram of Israel, “We have nothing in common. Go to the prophets of your father and your mother!”But the king of Israel replied, “No, because it is the Lord who has summoned these three kings to hand them over to Moab.”

He looked up toward the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him,

Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped.

The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to them, but now you will only strike down Aram three times.”

Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in war from Jehoash’s father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times and recovered the cities of Israel.

Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.

The Assyrians captured it at the end of three years. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Israel’s King Hoshea, Samaria was captured.

Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king and reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah.

During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked. Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, and then he turned and rebelled against him.

Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king and reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem.

The commander of the guards also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers.

Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite woman. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so He put him to death.

Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

Neariah’s sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam—three.

Three of Benjamin’s sons: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.

So Saul and his three sons died—his whole house died together.

After him, Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite was one of the three warriors.

Three of the 30 chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while the Philistine army was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

So the Three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord.

David said, “I would never do such a thing in the presence of God! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” For they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.

Abishai, Joab’s brother, was the leader of the Three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three.

He was more honored than the Three and became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.

These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who had a reputation among the three warriors.

He was the most honored of the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them.

The ark of God remained with Obed-edom’s family in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his family and all that he had.

“Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.’”

three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—a plague on the land, the angel of the Lord bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me.”

Ladan’s sons: Jehiel was the first, then Zetham, and Joel—three.

Shimei’s sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three. Those were the heads of the families of Ladan.

Mushi’s sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three.

All these sons of Heman, the king’s seer, were given by the promises of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

It stood on 12 oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center.

The reservoir was three inches thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or a lily blossom. It could hold 11,000 gallons.

He followed the daily requirement for offerings according to the commandment of Moses for Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual appointed festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths.

for the king’s ships kept going to Tarshish with Hiram’s servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

Rehoboam replied, “Return to me in three days.” So the people left.

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

and reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah.There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to gather the plunder. They found among them an abundance of goods on the bodies and valuable items. So they stripped them until nobody could carry any more. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.

In addition, they distributed it to males registered by genealogy three years old and above; to all who would enter the Lord’s temple for their daily duty, for their service in their responsibilities according to their divisions.

Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king and reigned three months in Jerusalem.

Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king and reigned three months and 10 days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.

with three layers of cut stones and one of timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal treasury.

I gathered them at the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I searched among the people and priests, but found no Levites there.

So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days.

Whoever did not come within three days would forfeit all his possessions, according to the decision of the leaders and elders, and would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.

After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,

“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, day or night. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.”

He had seven sons and three daughters.

His sons used to take turns having banquets at their homes. They would send an invitation to their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

That messenger was still speaking when yet another came and reported: “The Chaldeans formed three bands, made a raid on the camels, and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

So these three men quit answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

He was also angry at Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute him and yet had condemned him.

But when he saw that the three men could not answer Job, he became angry.

God certainly does all these thingstwo or three times to a man

He also had seven sons and three daughters.

The leech has two daughters: “Give, Give!”Three things are never satisfied;four never say, “Enough!”:

Three things are beyond me;four I can’t understand: