King James Bible Dictionary

This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Genesis 2:2, 3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. "Jacob's seven years' service to Laban; Pharaoh's seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days' siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number" (see Leviticus 25:4; 1 Samuel 2:5; Psalms 12:6; 79:12; Proverbs 26:16; Isaiah 4:1; Matthew 18:21, 22; Luke 17:4). The feast of Passover (Exodus 12:15, 16), the feast of Weeks (Deuteronomy 16:9), of Tabernacles (13:15), and the Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8), were all ordered by seven. Seven is the number of sacrifice (2 Chronicles 29:21; Job 42:8), of purification and consecration (Leviticus 42:6, 17; 8:11, 33; 14:9, 51), of forgiveness (Matthew 18:21, 22; Luke 17:4), of reward (Deuteronomy 28:7; 1 Samuel 2:5), and of punishment (Leviticus 26:21, 24, 28; Deuteronomy 28:25). It is used for any round number in such passages as Job 5:19; Proverbs 26:16, 25; Isaiah 4:1; Matthew 12:45. It is used also to mean "abundantly" (Genesis 4:15, 24; Leviticus 26:24; Psalms 79:12).

Interesting facts concerning the number.

Days:

Week consists of
Genesis 2:3; Exodus 20:11; Deuteronomy 5:13-14

Noah in the ark before the flood
Genesis 7:4; Genesis 7:10

Noah remains in the ark after sending forth the dove
Genesis 8:10; Genesis 8:12

Mourning for Jacob lasted
Genesis 50:10

Mourning of Job lasted
Job 2:13

The plague of bloody waters in Egypt lasted
Exodus 7:25

The Israelites compassed Jericho
Joshua 6:4

The Passover lasted
Exodus 12:15

Saul directed by Samuel to tarry at Gilgal, awaiting the prophet's command
1 Samuel 10:8; 1 Samuel 13:8

The elders of Jabesh-Gilead ask for a truce of
1 Samuel 11:3

Dedication of the temple lasted double
1 Kings 8:65

Ezekiel sits by the river Chebar in astonishment
Ezekiel 3:15

The feast of tabernacles lasted
Leviticus 23:34; Leviticus 23:42

Consecration of priests and altars lasted
Exodus 29:30; Exodus 29:35; Ezekiel 43:25-26

Defilements lasted
Leviticus 12:2; Leviticus 13:4

Fasts of
1 Samuel 31:13; 2 Samuel 12:16; 2 Samuel 12:18; 2 Samuel 12:22

The firstborn of flocks and sheep shall remain with mother, before being offered
Exodus 22:30

The feast of Ahasuerus continued
Esther 1:5

Paul tarries at Tyre
Acts 21:4

Paul tarries at Puteoli
Acts 28:14

Weeks:

In Daniel's vision concerning the coming of the Messiah
Daniel 9:25

Ten times
Daniel 9:24

The period between the Passover and the Pentecost
Leviticus 23:15

Months, holy convocations in the seventh month
Leviticus 23:24-44; Leviticus 4:29; Ezekiel 45:25

Years:

Years:
Genesis 29:15-30

Of plenty
Genesis 41:1-32; Genesis 41:53

Famine lasted in Egypt
Genesis 41:1-32; Genesis 41:54-56

Famine lasted in Canaan
2 Samuel 24:13; 2 Kings 8:1

Insanity of Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel 4:32

Seven times, the period between the jubilees
Leviticus 25:8

Miscellany of sevens:

Of clean beasts taken into the ark
Genesis 7:2

Abraham gives Abimelech seven lambs
Genesis 21:28

Rams and bullocks to the number of, required in sacrifices
Leviticus 23:18; Numbers 23:1; Numbers 29:32; 1 Chronicles 15:26; Ezekiel 45:23

Blood sprinkling seven times
Leviticus 4:6; Leviticus 14:7

Oil sprinkling seven times
Leviticus 14:16

Seven kine and seven ears of corn in Pharaoh's vision
Genesis 41:2-7

The Israelites compassed Jericho seven times, on the seventh day sounding seven trumpets
Joshua 6:4

Elisha's servant looked seven times for appearance of rain
1 Kings 18:43

Naaman required to wash in Jordan seven times
2 Kings 5:10

Seven steps in the temple seen in Ezekiel's vision
Ezekiel 40:22; Ezekiel 40:26

The heat of Nebuchadnezzar's furnace intensified sevenfold
Daniel 3:19

The light of the sun intensified sevenfold
Isaiah 30:26

The threatened sevenfold punishment of Israel
Leviticus 26:18-21

Silver purified seven times
Psalms 12:6

Worshiping seven times a day
Psalms 119:164

Seven chamberlains at the court of Ahasuerus
Esther 1:10

Seven princes at the court of Ahasuerus
Esther 1:14

Seven counsellors at the court of Artaxerxes
Ezra 7:14

Seven maidens given to Esther
Esther 2:9

Symbolic of many sons
Ruth 4:15; 1 Samuel 2:5; Jeremiah 15:9

Symbolic of liberality
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

Seven magi
Proverbs 26:16

Seven women shall seek polygamous marriage
Isaiah 4:1

Seven shepherds to be sent forth against Assyria
Micah 5:5-6

Seven lamps and pipes
Zech 4:2

Seven deacons in the apostolic church
Acts 6:3

Seven churches in Asia
Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:20

Seven seals
Revelation 5:1

Seven thunders
Revelation 10:3

Seven heads and seven crowns
Revelation 12:3; Revelation 13:1; Revelation 17:9

Seven kings
Revelation 17:10

Seven stars
Revelation 1:16; Revelation 1:20; Revelation 3:1; Amos 5:8

Seven spirits
Revelation 1:4; Revelation 3:1; Revelation 4:5; Revelation 5:6

Seven eyes of the Lord
Zech 3:9; Zech 4:10; Revelation 5:6

Seven golden candlesticks
Revelation 1:12

Seven angels with seven trumpets
Revelation 8:2

Seven plagues
Revelation 15:1

Seven horns and seven eyes
Revelation 5:6

Seven angels with seven plagues
Revelation 15:6

Seven golden vials
Revelation 15:7

Scarlet-colored beast having seven heads
Revelation 17:3; Revelation 17:7

The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7 weeks as the interval between the Passover and the Pentecost; the 7th year as the sabbatical year; and the year: succeeding 7X7 years as the Jubilee year. Seven days were appointed as the length of the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles; 7 days for the ceremonies of the consecration of priests, and so on; 7 victims to be offered on any special occasion, as in Balaam's sacrifice. (Numbers 23:1) and especially at the ratification of a treaty, the notion of seven being embodied in the very term signifying to swear, literally meaning to do seven times. (Genesis 31:28) Seven is used for any round number, or for completeness, as we say a dozen, or as a speaker says he will say two or three words.

SEVEN, adjective sev'n [L. septem.] Four and three; one more than six or less than eight. Seven days constitute a week. We read in Scripture of seven years of plenty, and seven years of famine, seven trumpets, seven seals, seven vials, etc.

Also called Syene, a city in Egypt.
Ezekiel 29:10; Ezekiel 30:6

SEV'ENFOLD, adjective [seven and fold.] Repeated seven times; doubled seven times; increased to seven times the size or amount; as the sevenfold shield of Ajax; sevenfold rage.

SEV'ENFOLD, adverb Seven times as much or often.

Whoever slayeth Cain, vengence shall be taken on him sevenfold. Genesis 4:15.

SEV'ENNIGHT, noun [seven and night.] A week; the period of seven days and nights; or the time from one day of the week to the next day of the same denomination preceding or following. Our ancestors numbered the diurnal rebolutions of the earth by nights, as they reckoned the annual revolutions by winters. Sevennight is now contracted into sennight, which see.

SEV'ENSCORE, noun [seven and score, twenty notches or marks.] Seven times twenty, that is, a hundred and forty.

The old countess of Desmond, who lived sevenscore years, dentized twice or thrice. Bacon.

SEV'ENTEEN, adjective [seven-ten.] Seven and ten.

SEV'ENTEENTH, adjective [from seventeen.] The ordinal of seventeen; the seventh after the tenth.

On the seventeenth day of the second month- all the fountains of the great deep were broken up. Genesis 7:11.

SEV'ENTH, adjective

1. The ordinal of seven; the first after the sixth.

On the seventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work which he had made. Genesis 2:2.

2. Containing or being one part in seven; as the seventh part.

SEV'ENTH, noun

1. The seventh part; one part in seven.

2. In music, a dissonat interval or heptachord. An interval consisting of four tones and two major semitones, is called a seventh minor. An interval composed of five tones and a major semitone, is called a seventh major.

SEV'ENTHLY, adverb In the seventh place.

SEV'ENTIETH, adjective [from seventy.] The ordinal of seventy; as a man in the seventieth year of his age. The seventieth year begins immediately after the close of the sixth-ninth.

The senate of the Israelites composed of seventy elders
Exodus 24:1; Exodus 24:9; Numbers 11:16; Numbers 11:24-25

Seventy disciples sent forth by Jesus
Luke 10:1-17

The Jews in captivity in Babylon seventy years

General references
Jeremiah 25:11-12; Jeremiah 29:10; Daniel 9:2; Zech 1:12; Zech 7:5
Israel

Seventy weeks in the vision of Daniel
Daniel 9:24

SEV'ENTY, adjective [Gr. ten.] Seven times ten.

That he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:2.

SEV'ENTY, noun The Septuagint or seventy translators of the Old Testament into the Greek language.

A prophetic period mentioned in Daniel 9:24, and usually interpreted on the "year-day" theory, i.e., reckoning each day for a year. This period will thus represent 490 years. This is regarded as the period which would elapse till the time of the coming of the Messiah, dating "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem" i.e., from the close of the Captivity.