Nehemiah 11:18 — Word Study
WLCכָּל־ הַלְוִיִּם֙ בְּעִ֣יר הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ מָאתַ֖יִם שְׁמֹנִ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָֽה׃ פ
BSAThe LevitesLêvîyîy [descendants of Levi, a tribe of Israel] in the holyqôdesh [set-apart, sacred] cityʻîyr [a place of habitation, with walls and a watchman] totaledkôl [amounted to, numbered, two hundred eighty-four, a specific quantity] 284mêʼâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| הַלְוִיִּם֙ | the Levites | Particle, noun gentilic masculine plural absolute |
| בְּעִ֣יר | in [the] city of | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ | holiness | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| מָאתַ֖יִם | two hundred | Adj |
| שְׁמֹנִ֥ים | eighty | |
| וְאַרְבָּעָֽה׃ פ | and four | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The Levites in the holy city totaled 284. |
| KJV | All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four. |
| ASV | All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four. |
| YLT | All the Levites, in the holy city, [are] two hundred eighty and four. |
| WEB | All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four. |
| BBE | All the Levites in the holy town were two hundred and eighty-four. |
Where they part company is in the choice of verbs used to describe the total count of Levites.
The sentence is straightforward, with a main clause followed by a numeral phrase that specifies the count.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Nehemiah 11:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Organization of the Levites in Jerusalemgenerated
Nehemiah 11:18 provides a count of the Levites living in Jerusalem, highlighting their importance in the religious and communal life of the city. This verse is part of a larger list that details the various groups of people who returned from exile and settled in the holy city, ensuring that the worship and service of God continued. The Levites, as descendants of Levi, played a crucial role in maintaining the temple and its practices.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nehemiah 11:1 | Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine were to dwell in their own towns. |
| 2 | 1 Kings 11:13 | Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” |
| 3 | Daniel 9:24 | Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. |
| 4 | Matthew 24:15 | So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), |
| 5 | Matthew 27:53 | After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הַלְוִיִּם, hal.vi.Yimgenerated
The term לֵוִי (Leviy) refers to the Levites, who are the descendants of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. This tribe was set apart for religious duties, particularly in relation to the temple and worship practices, as indicated in various passages throughout the Hebrew Bible.
The parsing indicates that הַלְוִיִּם is a masculine plural noun, suggesting a group of individuals rather than a singular entity. This highlights the collective nature of the Levites as a vital part of the Israelite community.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb מָאתַ֖יִם governs the entire clause, with a noun phrase as the subject and a prepositional phrase indicating the location. The structure emphasizes the total count of the Levites in the context of their sacred city.
The word order places the subject הַלְוִיִּם first, which highlights their significance in the statement, followed by the location בְּעִ֣יר הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint does not provide a direct translation for this verse, but it typically uses the word לֵוִי to refer to the Levites, indicating a consistent understanding of their identity in the Greek tradition.
The absence of a direct Greek equivalent in the Septuagint suggests a focus on the Hebrew text's specific context and the importance of the Levites in the Jewish community.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 11:18 states that the Levites in the holy city totaled 284. This number reflects the community of Levites who returned from exile and settled in Jerusalem, emphasizing their role in the spiritual life of the city.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The Levites are descendants of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and they were set apart for religious duties, particularly in the temple.
The 'holy city' refers to Jerusalem, which is considered sacred in the Jewish faith and central to their worship.
The count of Levites is significant as it reflects the organization and structure of the community in Jerusalem, ensuring that religious practices were maintained.
This verse is part of a larger enumeration of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, showing the importance of the Levites among those who returned from exile.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What role do the Levites play in the spiritual life of a community?
- How can understanding the organization of the Levites help us appreciate the structure of worship in ancient Israel?
- In what ways can we see the importance of community in our own spiritual practices today?
- How does the concept of a 'holy city' influence our understanding of sacred spaces?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 11:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAll the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four. Who had their residence there, Ne 11:1.
Read John Gill on Nehemiah 11 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAll the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Nehemiah 11 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsNehemiah 11:12 And their brethren that did the work of the house [were] eight hundred twenty and two: and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchiah,Ver. 12-24. In all 1192. The total of priests and Levites 1476, and of Judah and Benjamin 1396. So that there were more priests and Levites than of the lay people; which argues their zeal to be greatest. There were also 172 porters, who were all Levites.
Read John Trapp on Nehemiah 11 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4-19) The heads in Jerusalem: as compared with 1 Chronicles 9, by no means complete. Judah and Benjamin are represented, with priests and Levites and porters.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Nehemiah 11 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18. the holy city] Cf. note on Nehemiah 11:1.
Read Cambridge on Nehemiah 11 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.
All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four.
The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.
The sum total of the Levites in the holy city was 284.
Tyndale line
All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.
All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.
All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.
All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and eighty four.
All the Leuites in the holy citie were two hundreth foure score and foure.
Strictly literal
all the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and eighty-four.
All the Levites, in the holy city, [are] two hundred eighty and four.
All the Levites, in the holy city, [are] two hundred eighty-four.
All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty and four.
All the Levites in the holy city numbered 284.
From the Latin
All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four.
Simplified
The total number of priests in the holy city was 284.
All the Levites in the holy town were two hundred and eighty-four.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the content of this verse, with six of the seven words matched. The Septuagint's structure may differ, but the essential information regarding the Levites' count remains consistent.
כָּל־ הַלְוִיִּם֙ בְּעִ֣יר הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ מָאתַ֖יִם שְׁמֹנִ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָֽה׃ פ
6 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Nehemiah 11:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
לֵוִי (Leviy) refers to a Levite, a member of the tribe of Levi, which is the third son of Jacob and Leah. This term encompasses the descendants of Levi, who were set apart for religious duties. The word is linked to the Hebrew root for 'joining,' reflecting the tribe's special role in service to God. It first appears in Genesis 29:34.
לֵוִי 291 adj.gent. Levite
base
H3881 לֵוִי Levite
3881 Leviyiy lay-vee-ee'
or Leviy {lay-vee'}; patronymically from 3878; a Levite or
descendant of Levi:--Leviite.
see HEBREW for 03878
לֵוִי (le.viy.yi) — Levi.
Someone from the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.34;
son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);
brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);
half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144);
father of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115)
Another name of le.vi (לֵוִי "Levi" H3878)
§ Levite, of Levi "joined to"
1) the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah
1a) the tribe descended from Levi specially set aside by God for His service
Art | Ngmpa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine plural absoluteHTd/Ngmpa
le'-vits.
See PRIESTS AND LEVITES.
(descendants of Levi). Sometimes the name extends to the whole tribe, the priests included, (Exodus 6:25; Leviticus 25:32; Numbers 35:2; Joshua 21:3,41) etc; sometimes only to those members of the tribe who were not priests, and as distinguished from them. Sometimes again it is added as an epithet of the smaller portion of the tribe, and we read of "the priests the Levites." (Joshua 3:3; Ezekiel 44:15) The history of the tribe and of the functions attached to its several orders is essential to any right apprehension of the history of Israel as a people. It will fall…
All the descendants of Levi may be comprised under this name, Ex 6:16,25 Jos 3:3, (see LEVI;) but chiefly those who were employed in the lower services in the temple, by which they were distinguished from the priests, who were of the race of Levi by Aaron, and were employed in higher offices, Nu 3:6-10 18:2-7. God chose the Levites for the service of his tabernacle and temple, instead of the firstborn of all Israel, to whom such duties naturally belonged, and who were already sacred to God in memory of the great deliverance in Egypt. Ex 13:1-22 Nu 3:12,13,39-51. In the wilderness, the Levites took charge of the tabernacle…
→ (The descendants of Levi)
→ Set apart as ministers of religion Nu 1:47-54; 3:6-16; 16:9; 26:57-62; De 10:8; 1Ch 15:2
→ Substituted in the place of the firstborn children Nu 3:12,41-45; 8:14,16-18; 18:6
→ Religious zeal of Ex 32:26-28; De 33:9,10; Mal 2:4,5
→ Consecration of Nu 8:6-21
→ Sedition among, led by Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, on account of jealousy toward Moses and Aaron Nu 16; with 4:19,20
The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.
עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage
base
עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town
city, town, abode of men
of fortress in a city
appar. fortified place, of any size
base
H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men
. of fortress in a city
. appar. fortified place, of any size
5892 `iyr eer
or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)
{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a
watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or
post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
see HEBREW for 05782
עִיר (ir) — excitement.
1) excitement, anguish
1a) of terror
עִיר (ir) — city.
1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town
עִיר (ir) — City (of On).
Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)
This name means city, town
Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)
עִיר (ir) — Ir-.
#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;
son of: Tehinnah (H8468)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular constructHR/Ncfsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qodesh) refers to the concepts of apartness, sacredness, and holiness. It can denote a sacred place or thing, such as the Most Holy Place or a sanctuary. The term emphasizes the idea of being set apart, whether in relation to God, places, or objects.
קֹ֫דֶשׁ 469 n.m. apartness, sacredness
base
H6944 קֹ֫דֶשׁ apartness, sacredness
6944 qodesh ko'-desh
from 6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract,
sanctity:--consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed
(thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing),
saint, sanctuary.
see HEBREW for 06942
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — holiness.
1) apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness
1a) apartness, sacredness, holiness
1a1) of God
1a2) of places
1a3) of things
1b) set-apartness, separateness
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — Most Holy Place.
This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness
Also named: hagion (ἅγιον "Most Holy Place" G0039H)
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — (Way of) Holiness.
Combined with de.rekh (דֶּ֫רֶךְ "Way" H1870H)
This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — Holy Place.
This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness
Also named: hagion (ἅγιον "Holy Place" G0039)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
ho'-li-nes (qadhosh, "holy," qodhesh, "holiness"; hagios, "holy"):
I. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT MEANING OF THE TERM
1. The Holiness of God
(1) Absoluteness and Majesty
(2) Ethical Holiness
2. Holiness of Place, Time and Object
3. Holiness of Men
(1) Ceremonial
(2) Ethical and Spiritual
II. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: THE CHRISTIAN CONCEPTION
1. Applied to God
2. Applied To Christ
3. Applied To Things
4. Applied To Christians
(1) As Separate from the World
(2) As Bound to the Pursuit of an Ethical Ideal
I. In the Old Testament Meaning of the Term.
There has been much discussion as to the original meaning of the Semitic root Q-D-SH, by which the notion of holiness is expressed in the Old Testament. Some would connect it with an Assyrian word denoting purity, clearness; most modern scholars incline to the view that the primary idea is that of cutting off or separation. Etymology gives no sure verdict on the point…
Holiness
In the highest sense belongs to God (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 15:4), and to Christians as consecrated to God’s service, and in so far as they are conformed in all things to the will of God (Rom. 6:19, 22; Eph. 1:4; Titus 1:8; 1 Pet. 1:15). Personal holiness is a work of gradual development. It is carried on under many hindrances, hence the frequent admonitions to watchfulness, prayer, and perseverance (1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 7:1;
→ General scriptures concerning Ge 17:1; 35:2; Ex 19:6; 22:31; 28:36; 39:30; Le 10:8-10; 11:44,45,47; 19:2; 20:7,26; De 13:17; 14:2; 18:13; 26:19; 28:9; 30:2,10; Jos 7:12,13; Job 5:24; 28:28; 36:21; Ps 4:4; 15:1-5; 24:3-5; 32:2; 37:27; 68:13; 73:1; 85:13; 94:15; 97:10; 119:1-3; Pr 11:23; 12:5; 16:17; 21:8,15,29; 22:1; Ec 7:1; Isa 4:3; 26:2,8,9; 32:17; 35:8…
מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.
מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred
as simple number
as part of larger number
a hundredth part
base
H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number
. as part of larger number
. a hundredth part
3967 me'ah may-aw'
or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a
hundred; also as a multiplicative and a
fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.
מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.
1) hundred
1a) as simple number
1b) as part of larger number
1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)
Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)
Adj — AdjHAcfda
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.
שְׁמֹנִים (shmoniym) means eighty, derived from the root for eight. It serves as both a cardinal number (eighty) and an ordinal number (eightieth), and can also combine with other numbers. The entries confirm its usage in contexts related to counting.
שְׁמֹנִים 38 n.pl.indecl. an eighty
base
H8084 שְׁמֹנִים an eighty
8084 shmoniym shem-o-neem'
or shmowniym {shem-o-neem'}; mult. from 8083; eighty, also
eightieth:--eighty(-ieth), fourscore.
see HEBREW for 08083
שְׁמֹנִים (she.mo.nim) — eighty.
1) eighty, fourscore
1a) eighty (as cardinal number)
1b) eightieth (as ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
HAcmpa — HAcmpa
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
HC/Acbsa — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;