GANTS HILL URC
  • Home
  • About
  • Minister's Blog
  • Find Us
  • Prayer
  • Photos

60: The Importance of Numbers in the Bible

7/31/2019

6 Comments

 
Sixty years: a diamond anniversary. Unlike the previous nine numbers, the number sixty appears multiple times in the Bible. It also appears numerous times in everyday life: sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour. It is the atomic number of neodymium, which can be found in some magnets, loudspeakers and electric cars. 
 
There are sixty marbles used in a game of Chinese chequers. In darts, sixty is the highest score that can be scored with a single dart. 
 
In old literature, sixty was sometimes called “three score” because it was three times twenty (a score). The Babylonians had a number system with a base of sixty, which is known as sexagesimal. In some cultures, sixty is considered to be the age in which someone becomes a senior citizen. In Buddhism, Buddha had sixty disciples.
 
The number sixty appears approximately thirty-two times in the Bible. Occasionally, a particular instance is repeated in different books. Take, for example, Deuteronomy 3:4, which says: 
  • “At that time we took all his cities. There was not one of the sixty cities that we did not take from them—the whole region of Argob, Og’s kingdom in Bashan.”
And compare it with 1 Kings 4:13: 
  • “Ben-Geber—in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars).”
Plus, Joshua 13:30: 
  • “The territory extending from Mahanaim and including all of Bashan, the entire realm of Og king of Bashan—all the settlements of Jair in Bashan, sixty towns.”
But don’t forget 1 Chronicles 2:23: 
  • “(But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth Jair, as well as Kenath with its surrounding settlements--sixty towns.) All these were descendants of Makir the father of Gilead.”
 
Here’s another example:
  • 2 Kings 25:19 (NIV): Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city.
  • Jeremiah 52:25 (NIV): Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city.
 
The measurements of Solomon’s temple are mentioned in both 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles:
  • 1 Kings 6:2 (NIV): The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.
  • 2 Chronicles 3:3 (NIV): The foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide (using the cubit of the old standard).
 
In the book of Ezra, temple measurements are also given:
  • Ezra 6:3 (NIV): In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide
 
Other measurements of sixty cubits include:
  • Ezekiel 40:14 (NIV) He measured along the faces of the projecting walls all around the inside of the gateway--sixty cubits.The measurement was up to the portico facing the courtyard.
  • Daniel 3:1 (NIV): King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
 
A handful of people have been quoted as being sixty years old at the times of certain events:
  • Genesis 25:26 (NIV): After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
  • 1 Chronicles 2:21 (NIV): Later, Hezron, when he was sixty years old, married the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead. He made love to her, and she bore him Segub.
The age of sixty is also mentioned in:
  • Leviticus 27:7 (NIV): for a person sixty years old or more, set the value of a male at fifteen shekelsand of a female at ten shekels.
  • Leviticus 27:3 (NIV): set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel
  • 1 Timothy 5:9 (NIV): No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband
 
Let’s take a look at some more examples of the number sixty in the Old Testament:
  • Numbers 7:88 (NIV): The total number of animals for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering came to twenty-four oxen, sixty rams, sixty male goats and sixty male lambs a year old. These were the offerings for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.
  • 1 Kings 4:22 (NIV): Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors of the finest flour and sixty cors of meal
  • 2 Chronicles 11:21 (NIV): Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
  • Ezra 8:13 (NIV): of the descendants of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men
  • Song of Songs 3:7 (NIV) Look! It is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixtywarriors, the noblest of Israel
  • Song of Songs 6:8 (NIV): Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number
 
I have mentioned a couple of New Testament verses above already but I have a few more to share with you. Both Matthew and Mark write about the parable of the sower, therefore, the same information is repeated, including two mentions of the number sixty.
  • Matthew 13:8 (NIV): Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
  • Matthew 13:23 (NIV): But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
  • Mark 4:8 (NIV): Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.
  • Mark 4:20 (NIV): Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.
 
So, does the number sixty mean anything in scripture? The French psychoanalyst René Allendy believed it represented the global karma of the world. The German philosopher Jakob Böhme called this number “the earth”. There is, however, no obvious answer based on the examples above.
 
I leave you with the knowledge that the word “Sabbath” is used sixty times in the New Testament.  
6 Comments
Nominki
5/28/2021 08:06:59 pm

Wow I have learn a lot of meaning of number 60 in Bible. I was going to be an Mc of 60th birthday so I wanted to share to the people importance of number in Kingdom of God. May God help me to go or dig deep information for knowledge

Reply
Angelia
8/22/2021 09:45:34 am

Amen! I just turned 60 and was looking for meaning as well.

Reply
Robert Williams link
4/29/2022 10:46:04 pm

The Hebrew letter Samech has a value of 60. It carrie’s the meaning of “a circle, equality, to lean upon, support.” The sign of the Gemini Twins is represented by this letter, which in turn relates to the Jews and Gentiles being united together. The first “twins” mentioned in the Bible are Jacob and Esau. Two manner of people who were to be separated. Isaac was 60 years older when the twins were born.

Reply
Victor Manuel
6/16/2021 06:46:08 pm

That is so interesting how number 60 is encoded in many passages and major events in the Bible. Did not think 60 was a major number in significance to Biblical numbers.

Reply
Rajan
1/17/2022 11:59:10 pm

So much to learn from the Word of God. Thank you for this article

Reply
mrs r adewunmi
3/22/2022 12:08:21 am

Thanks for information, l really enjoyed that Sabbath is recorded 60 time in the
new testament.
My earnest hope is to remain in the Sabbath rest , that is taking christ as my life living in him for the rest of my day .Lord l look to you so l will be use by you l give myself afresh to you use me for your purpose amen.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    ©Copyright
    We are happy for you to use any material found here, however, please acknowledge the source: www.gantshillurc.co.uk

    Author

    Rev'd Martin Wheadon
    I have been ordained as a minister since 2001, working on my own and within a team. I was the minister at Gants Hill URC until 30th September 2021. I also have 34 years of banking behind me, during which I enjoyed developing teams and working to deadlines. Pastoral care, preaching, being alongside people and journeying with members of congregations on their spiritual journeys are my delights. 

    Archives

    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019

    Categories

    All
    Book Reviews
    Christian Women
    Colours In The Bible
    Hymns
    Minister's Letter
    Mountains In The Bible
    Numbers-in-the-bible
    Prayers
    Preachers
    Sermons
    The Bible
    Towns And Cities
    Twelve Disciples

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
  • Minister's Blog
  • Find Us
  • Prayer
  • Photos