'Twelve' in the Bible

For twelve years they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes; I will make him into a great nation.

These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps -- twelve princes according to their clans.

While Israel was living in that land, Reuben had sexual relations with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:

They replied, "Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, and one is no longer alive."

We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father. One is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father at this time in the land of Canaan.'

These are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each of them an appropriate blessing.

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the water.

and Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Early in the morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain and arranged twelve standing stones -- according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

The stones are to be for the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to the number of their names. Each name according to the twelve tribes is to be like the engravings of a seal.

"Take choice spices: twelve and a half pounds of free-flowing myrrh, half that -- about six and a quarter pounds -- of sweet-smelling cinnamon, six and a quarter pounds of sweet-smelling cane,

and twelve and a half pounds of cassia, all weighed according to the sanctuary shekel, and four quarts of olive oil.

The stones were for the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, corresponding to the number of their names. Each name corresponding to one of the twelve tribes was like the engravings of a seal.

"You must take choice wheat flour and bake twelve loaves; there must be two tenths of an ephah of flour in each loaf,

These were the men whom Moses and Aaron numbered along with the twelve leaders of Israel, each of whom was from his own family.

They brought their offering before the Lord, six covered carts and twelve oxen -- one cart for every two of the leaders, and an ox for each one; and they presented them in front of the tabernacle.

This was the dedication for the altar from the leaders of Israel, when it was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver sprinkling bowls, and twelve gold pans.

The twelve gold pans full of incense weighed 10 shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel; all the gold of the pans weighed 120 shekels.

"Speak to the Israelites, and receive from them a staff from each tribe, one from every tribal leader, twelve staffs; you must write each man's name on his staff.

So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff, one for each leader, according to their tribes -- twelve staffs; the staff of Aaron was among their staffs.

"'On the second day you must offer twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish,

So a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for battle in all, were provided out of the thousands of Israel.

They traveled from Marah and came to Elim; in Elim there are twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there.

I thought this was a good idea, so I sent twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.

Now select for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one per tribe.

"Select for yourselves twelve men from the people, one per tribe.

Instruct them, 'Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests stand firmly, and carry them over with you and put them in the place where you camp tonight.'"

Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe.

The Israelites did just as Joshua commanded. They picked up twelve stones, according to the number of the Israelite tribes, from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried them over with them to the camp and put them there.

Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan in the very place where the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood. They remain there to this very day.

Now Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

Twelve thousand men and women died that day, including all the men of Ai.

Kephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba -- a total of twelve cities and their towns.

Their territory included Kattah, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem; in all they had twelve cities and their towns.

Merari's descendants by their clans were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.

When he got home, he took a knife, grabbed his concubine, and carved her up into twelve pieces. Then he sent the pieces throughout Israel.

So they got up and crossed over by number: twelve belonging to Benjamin and to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.

Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me pick out twelve thousand men. Then I will go and pursue David this very night.

Solomon had twelve district governors appointed throughout Israel who acquired supplies for the king and his palace. Each was responsible for one month in the year.

"The Sea" stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward. "The Sea" was placed on top of them, and they all faced outward.

the big bronze basin called "The Sea" with its twelve bulls underneath,

There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.

and he grabbed the robe and tore it into twelve pieces.

In the thirty-first year of Asa's reign over Judah, Omri became king over Israel. He ruled for twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.

Then Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of tribes that descended from Jacob, to whom the Lord had said, "Israel will be your new name."

Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen; he was near the twelfth pair. Elijah passed by him and threw his robe over him.

In the eighteenth year of King Jehoshaphat's reign over Judah, Ahab's son Jehoram became king over Israel in Samaria; he ruled for twelve years.

In the thirty-ninth year of King Azariah's reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel. He reigned for twelve years in Samaria.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hephzibah.

The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord's temple -- including the two pillars, the big bronze basin called "The Sea," the twelve bronze bulls under "The Sea," and the movable stands -- was too heavy to be weighed.

The clans of Merari's descendants were allotted twelve cities within the territory of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

The first lot went to Asaph's son Joseph and his relatives and sons -- twelve in all, the second to Gedaliah and his relatives and sons -- twelve in all,

the third to Zaccur and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the fourth to Izri and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the fifth to Nethaniah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the sixth to Bukkiah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the seventh to Jesharelah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the eighth to Jeshaiah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the ninth to Mattaniah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the tenth to Shimei and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the eleventh to Azarel and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twelfth to Hashabiah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the thirteenth to Shubael and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the fourteenth to Mattithiah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the fifteenth to Jerimoth and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the sixteenth to Hananiah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the seventeenth to Joshbekashah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the eighteenth to Hanani and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the nineteenth to Mallothi and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twentieth to Eliathah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twenty-first to Hothir and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twenty-second to Giddalti and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twenty-third to Mahazioth and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all.

"The Sea" stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward. "The Sea" was placed on top of them, and they all faced outward.

the big bronze basin called "The Sea" with its twelve bulls underneath,

There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

For the dedication of this temple of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers,

The exiles who were returning from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel -- twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs, along with twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord.

From the day that I was appointed governor in the land of Judah, that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes -- twelve years in all -- neither I nor my relatives ate the food allotted to the governor.

At the end of the twelve months that were required for the women, when the turn of each young woman arrived to go to King Ahasuerus -- for in this way they had to fulfill their time of cosmetic treatment: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfume and various ointments used by women --

The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord's temple (including the two pillars, the large bronze basin called "The Sea," the twelve bronze bulls under "The Sea," and the movable stands) was too heavy to be weighed.

This is what the sovereign Lord says: "Here are the borders you will observe as you allot the land to the twelve tribes of Israel. (Joseph will have two portions.)

After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements of the royal palace of Babylon.

But a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.

Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness.

Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (called Peter), and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother;

Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows: "Do not go to Gentile regions and do not enter any Samaritan town.

When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their towns.

They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, twelve baskets full.

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth: In the age when all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately and said to them on the way,

Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

When it was evening, he took his place at the table with the twelve.

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people.

Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions of angels right now?

He appointed twelve (whom he named apostles), so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach