The symbolic number seven

THE SYMBOLISM OF THE NUMBER SEVEN

 Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, Ph.D

In the Ancient Near Eastern literature, numbers have mostly symbolic value. Take, for example , the number seven.

In Hebrew, seven is shivah (cf. Babylonian sebettu).  Its etymology is not clear. It is also not known how this word is related to sheva, which means “oath.” Is Beer-Sheva “The well of seven” or “The well of oath” (Gen. 21:31)?  Based on its usage in the Hebrew Bible, the number seven is said to stand for wholeness, fullness and completion. Examples:

In ancient Sumer, the ziggurat, namely, the stepped-tower of the city of Uruk, had 7 stories. The gates of Uruk had 7 bolts. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the goddess Ishtar summoned the Heavenly Bull who threatened the land with 7 years of famine. The number 7 played a similar role in Ugaritic literature.

In the Hebrew Bible, numbers are symbolic too.. They are not to be taken literally. For example, we are told that God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7 (Ex 20: 11). Noah brought in 7 pairs of clean animals into  the ark (Gen.7: 2). The ark rested on the mountains of Ararat in the 7^th month (Gen. 8:4). Abraham gave Abimelech 7 ewe lambs (Gen. 21: 28). Jacob served  Laban for 7 years to pay for Rachel (Gen.29: 20). He bowed down to his brother Esau 7 times (Gen.33:3). The siege of Jericho by Joshua lasted  7 days (Jos 6: 15). Job had 7 sons (Job 1:2). In the book of Esther, king Ahasuerus held  a banquet that lasted 7 days (1:5). The golden candlestick, the Menorah of the temple in Jerusalem  had 7 branches (Ex.25: 31ff).  Even multiples of 7 were symbolic, such as , 70 people went down to Egypt (Deut. 10: 22),  Solomon had 700 royal wives (IK 11:3), or Lamech, Noah’s father, lived 777 years (Gen. 5:31). Obviously ,that can’t be true!!!

Early Christians were also influenced by this trend. For instance, Jesus is said to have performed 7 miracles on the Holy Sabbath Day. The New Testament has 7 general epistles. The Book of Revelation talks about 7 churches in Asia.

We find the same in the Quran: it claims there are 7 heavens. Humans are created from 7 ingredients. Pilgrims are expected to go around the Ka’abah in Saudi Arabia  7 times.

So, when you read a number in Scriptures, don’t take it literally. Look for its symbolic significance.

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