ἑπτά G2033
Seven; the cardinal numeral, frequently carrying symbolic significance in biblical usage
Hepta is the indeclinable Greek numeral seven, appearing 88 times in the New Testament with both literal and symbolic force. Jesus feeds the four thousand with seven loaves (Matt 15:36), and seven baskets remain (Matt 15:37). The number pervades Revelation — seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls — where it consistently signals divine completeness. Even in the command to forgive seventy-seven times (Matt 18:22), seven carries a sense of unlimited fullness. All major translations render it with straightforward numeral equivalents: 'siete,' 'sept,' 'sieben.'
Senses
1. seven — The cardinal number seven, used across the New Testament for literal counting and as a symbol of divine completeness and totality. It appears in miracle narratives such as the seven loaves (Matt 15:36) and dominates Revelation's literary structure with seven churches, seals, trumpets, and bowls. The consistent cross-linguistic rendering — Spanish 'siete,' French 'sept,' German 'sieben' — confirms a single unified numerical sense across all 88 occurrences. 88×
AR["السَّبعَةِ", "سَبعَةٌ", "سَبعَةَ", "سَبعَةُ", "سَبْعَ", "سَبْعَ-مَرَّاتٍ", "سَبْعَةً", "سَبْعَةَ"]·ben["রেখে-গেল", "সাত", "সাতজন", "সাতজনের", "সাতটি"]·DE["sieben"]·EN["seven"]·FR["sept"]·heb["אַחִים", "שִׁבְעַת", "שִׁבְעָה", "שֶׁבַע", "תִּהְיֶה"]·HI["सअत", "सात", "सातों-की", "सातों-ने"]·ID["ketujuh", "tujuh"]·IT["sette"]·jav["Pitu", "kaping-pitu", "kapitu,", "pitu"]·KO["일곱", "일곱-", "일곱-을", "일곱을", "일곱이", "일곱이다"]·PT["sete", "sete."]·RU["седьмого.", "семеро", "семи", "семь"]·ES["los-siete", "siete"]·SW["atakuwa", "mara-saba", "mikate", "mwishowe", "na", "saba", "vikapu"]·TR["yedi", "yedisi", "yedisinin", "yediyi"]·urd["سات", "ساتوں"]
Matt 12:45, Matt 15:36, Matt 15:37, Matt 16:10, Matt 18:22, Matt 22:25, Matt 22:26, Matt 22:28, Mark 8:6, Mark 8:8, Mark 8:20, Mark 12:20 (+38 more)
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἑπτά, οἱ, αἱ, τά, indeclinable seven, Refs 8th c.BC+; as a mystical number, Refs 4th c.BC+; αἱ ἑ. νῆσοι the seven largest islands, Refs 4th c.BC+; τὰ ἑ. θεάματα the Refs 1st c.BC+; οἱ ἑ. σοφισταί the Refs 5th c.BC+; οἱ ἑ. alone, Refs 3rd c.AD+ __2 οἱ ἑ., board of magistrates at Olbia, Refs 3rd c.BC+; οἱ ἑ. ἄνδρες, = Latin septemviri epulones, Refs 5th c.BC+ sept[macutenull], cf. Sanskrit saptá, Latin septem (fancifully connected with σέβομαι, Refs 1st c.AD+