The Meaning of the Numbers Ten and Twelve in Scripture

  The Purpose of Biblical Numbers Numbers in the Bible are often symbolic, adding a deeper layer of understanding to the passages that use them. God's use of numbers in Scripture helps categorize and identify specific themes. The nice thing about numbers is that using them as literary cues provides a consistent, concrete, dependable way to keep God's original intent for His message intact. Changing language, word associations, and cultural shifts can sometimes get in the way of capturing the underlying thoughts the Scriptures are trying to communicate. The number ten in the Bible refers to themes centered on God's commands and humans' responsibility to obey and honor them. It also links with the concept of testing in terms of obedience to God's expressed will and ways. When the number ten appears in Scripture, we will most often find the words command, test, or both very near in the story. These ideas will culminate in marital metaphors that help us understand a sig...

  Introduction and Review The number ten in the Bible refers to themes centered on God's commands and humans' responsibility to obey and honor them. It also links with the concept of testing in terms of obedience to God's expressed will and ways. When the number ten appears in Scripture, we will most often find the words command, test, or both very near in the story.  The first part of this series explored how the number ten categorizes themes of obedience to God's commands in the lives of Abraham and Noah.  This second installment will study how the concepts of marriage express the covenantal aspect represented by the number ten.  Rebekah passes the test, fulfilling the signs that Eliezer asked for. Alexander Cabarel 1883 Eliezer's Test in Marital Agreement Terms Abraham sent his servant, Eliezer, back to his home country to find a wife for his son, Isaac. Abraham made Eliezer swear that he would not take a wife from the Canaanites but would return to Abraham's...

Introduction and Review The number ten in the Bible refers to themes centered on God's commands and humans' responsibility to obey and honor them. It also links with the concept of testing in terms of obedience to God's expressed will and ways. When the number ten appears in Scripture, we will most often find the words command, test, or both very near in the story.  The second part of this series studied how the concepts of marriage express the covenantal aspect represented by the number ten.  This third installment will examine Joseph, Pharaoh, the ten scouts who spied out the promised land, and the priestly tithe. Joseph reveals himself to his brothers after exposing their unrighteousness. James Tissot Brooklyn Museum Joseph Tested His Ten Brothers Joseph's life from seventeen on was a big test of faith, and he passed with flying colors. After becoming a ruler in Egypt, his ten brothers, who had thrown him into a pit and sold him to traders, were forced to come to Jos...

Introduction and Review The number ten in the Bible refers to themes centered on God's commands and humans' responsibility to obey and honor them. It also links with the concept of testing in terms of obedience to God's expressed will and ways. When the number ten appears in Scripture, we will most often find the words command, test, or both very near in the story.  The third part of this series studied Joseph, Pharaoh, the ten scouts who spied out the promised land, and the priestly tithe. This fourth installment will examine how the number ten and its themes of responsibility and testing are used in narratives about Gideon, King David, King Asa, King Hezekiah, Job, and Proverbs.  Gideon tests God with fleeces.  Gideon's Tests In the book of Judges, God's people again got into a pickle of disobedience, and God allowed their enemies to oppress them. As was the pattern in Judges, the people cried out to the Lord in their distress, and he sent them a deliverer. In thi...