ἑβδομήκοντα

Pronunciation Guide: heb-dom-ay-kon’-tah

Basic Definition

Strong’s G1440: ἑβδομήκοντα (hebdomēkonta) is the cardinal number seventy in Greek. This number appears throughout Scripture representing completeness, divine appointment, and God’s perfect order. In both Hebrew and Greek thought, seventy symbolizes perfect spiritual order carried out with all spiritual power and significance. It often marks God’s sovereign dealings with nations, judgment, and commissioning for ministry.

Etymology and Morphology

• Part of speech: Cardinal numeral
• Origin: From ἕβδομος (hebdomos, “seventh”) with a multiplicative suffix
• Fixed indeclinable form
• Appears in narrative, historical accounts, and symbolic passages in both Old and New Testaments
• Often used in contexts of divine commissioning, judgment, or representation

ἑβδομήκοντα Morphology:

• ἑβδομήκοντα – indeclinable cardinal numeral meaning “seventy”

Origin & History

ἑβδομήκοντα derives from ἕβδομος (hebdomos), meaning “seventh,” which itself comes from ἑπτά (hepta), “seven.” In classical Greek, this number held mathematical significance but lacked the profound symbolic meaning it acquired in Jewish culture. The term gained particular importance when the Hebrew Torah was translated into Greek by (traditionally) seventy-two Jewish scholars, creating what became known as the “Septuagint” (from Latin septuaginta, meaning “seventy”). Diogenes Laertius in his “Lives of Eminent Philosophers” mentions seventy as a significant number in Pythagorean mathematics, while Herodotus in his “Histories” references the seventy-year human lifespan.

In Judaic tradition, seventy became symbolically rich, representing the nations of the world (based on the Table of Nations in Genesis 10), the elders chosen by Moses, and the years of Babylonian exile. The Talmud frequently references seventy as representing completeness, wholeness, and divine order in creation. The Greek translation of these Hebrew concepts preserved and extended this numerical symbolism into New Testament usage.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• The exact cardinal number seventy (70)
• A symbolic number representing completeness or perfection
• A number representing divinely appointed leadership or governance
• A number connected with judgment and restoration
• A representation of all nations/peoples of the world

ἑβδομήκοντα Translation Options:

• Seventy – The straightforward cardinal number translation
• The Seventy – When referring specifically to the commissioned disciples
• Seventy times – In contexts discussing multiplication or repetition
• Sevenfold completeness – When emphasizing the symbolic perfect completion (seven) multiplied by wholeness (ten)
• Group of seventy – When referring to an appointed body of representatives

Biblical Usage

In the New Testament, ἑβδομήκοντα appears most prominently in Luke 10:1, where Yeshua (Jesus) appoints seventy disciples to go ahead of Him into towns and places He would visit. This parallels Moses appointing seventy elders in Numbers 11:16-25, demonstrating divine continuity between Old and New Covenant leadership patterns. The seventy disciples represent an expanded apostolic mission beyond the twelve, potentially symbolizing the Messiah’s message extending to all nations (traditionally numbered as seventy in Jewish thought, based on Genesis 10).

In the Septuagint (LXX), ἑβδομήκοντα appears frequently, most notably in passages about the seventy years of Babylonian exile (Jeremiah 25:11-12) and the seventy weeks prophecy in Daniel 9:24. These usages connect the number to God’s sovereign timing, judgment, and redemptive purposes.

• “After this the Lord appointed seventy [ἑβδομήκοντα] others and sent them on ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to go.” Luke 10:1
• “The seventy [ἑβδομήκοντα] returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!’” Luke 10:17
• “For thus says יהוה (Yahweh): When seventy [ἑβδομήκοντα] years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you My promise and bring you back to this place.” Jeremiah 29:10 (LXX)
• “Seventy [ἑβδομήκοντα] weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity…” Daniel 9:24 (LXX)
• “Then Yeshua said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy [ἑβδομήκοντα] times seven.’” Matthew 18:22 (some manuscripts read “seventy-seven times”)
• “All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy [ἑβδομήκοντα].” Genesis 46:27 (LXX)
• “So Moses went out and told the people the words of יהוה (Yahweh) and gathered seventy [ἑβδομήκοντα] men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent.” Numbers 11:24 (LXX)

Cultural Insights

In ancient Jewish tradition, the number seventy held profound significance as representing the totality of nations descended from Noah after the flood. The Jewish Sanhedrin, the supreme religious and judicial body, consisted of seventy members plus the High Priest, modeling itself after Moses’ seventy elders. This structure influenced early messianic communities’ understanding of leadership patterns, which explains why Yeshua’s appointment of seventy disciples would have been immediately recognized as a significant prophetic act establishing His authority to reorganize Israel’s leadership.

The concept of “shivim panim laTorah” (seventy faces of Torah) in rabbinic tradition suggested that Scripture could be interpreted in seventy different ways, all valid within proper parameters. This illustrated the multifaceted depth of God’s Word while maintaining its cohesive truth. When Yeshua sent out seventy disciples, He was symbolically declaring that His message had this same divine authority and multifaceted application to reach every people group on earth with the good news of the Kingdom.

Theological Significance

The use of ἑβδομήκοντα throughout Scripture reveals God’s sovereign control over human history and His perfect timing in judgment and redemption. The seventy years of Babylonian exile demonstrated that יהוה (Yahweh) disciplines His people for a specific purpose and duration, never abandoning them to permanent judgment. This foreshadowed the Messiah’s redemptive work, which would restore not just Israel but all nations to covenant relationship with God.

Yeshua’s appointment of seventy disciples represented a prophetic reconstitution of Israel’s leadership and an expansion of Kingdom authority. While the twelve apostles corresponded to the twelve tribes of Israel, the seventy pointed to the universal scope of the Gospel that would eventually reach all nations. This brilliant symbolic act positioned Yeshua as greater than Moses, with authority to commission representatives who would extend His presence and power throughout the world. The joyful return of the seventy in Luke 10:17 demonstrated the effectiveness of Kingdom ministry when performed under divine commission and authority.

The seventy weeks prophecy in Daniel 9 points to God’s meticulous timing in the unfolding of messianic redemption, showing that God works with sovereign precision in accomplishing His purposes. Nothing in redemptive history happens by chance or outside His perfect plan, giving believers tremendous confidence in His providential care over every detail of their lives.

Personal Application

Understanding the significance of ἑβδομήκοντα should remind us that we serve a God of order and purpose who works with precision in fulfilling His plans. Just as the seventy were specifically chosen, commissioned, and sent by Yeshua with clear instructions, we too have been deliberately selected and appointed for Kingdom service. Our mission is never random or accidental, but part of God’s strategic design to reach all peoples with His redemptive love.

The joyful return of the seventy disciples teaches us about the true source of ministry satisfaction. They rejoiced not primarily in their accomplishments, but in their relationship with the Messiah and the authority of His name. When we serve in the power of His Spirit rather than our own strength, we experience supernatural effectiveness and genuine joy in ministry. True fulfillment comes not from what we achieve for God, but from who we are in Him and the privilege of representing His authority on earth.

Related Words

• ἑπτά (hepta) – seven; the foundational number from which seventy derives, representing divine perfection, completeness, and rest. See G2033
• ἕβδομος (hebdomos) – seventh; the ordinal form related to ἑπτά, often connected with Sabbath rest and divine completion of work. See G1442
• ἑβδομηκοντάκις (hebdomēkontakis) – seventy times; used by Yeshua to teach about limitless forgiveness. See G1441
• δώδεκα (dōdeka) – twelve; another significant biblical number representing governmental perfection and the tribes of Israel, complementary to seventy’s representation of the nations. See G1427
• πεντηκοστή (pentēkostē) – fiftieth; connected with the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost), representing fullness of time and the outpouring of the Spirit, sharing the concept of completion with seventy. See G4005

Did you Know?

• Did you know that the Jewish concept of “seventy nations” derived from Genesis 10 influenced the early church’s understanding of their global mission? When Yeshua commissioned seventy disciples in Luke 10, first-century Jewish listeners would have immediately recognized this as symbolizing the Gospel’s intended reach to all people groups on earth. This universal mission foreshadowed the Great Commission and demonstrated that from the beginning, God’s redemptive plan included all nations, not just Israel.
• Did you know that the tradition of the Septuagint (LXX) translation being created by seventy-two scholars (rounded to seventy) working in Alexandria, Egypt around 250 BCE became so significant that it influenced how Greek-speaking Jews and early Christians viewed Scripture? The miraculous account in the Letter of Aristeas claims that all seventy-two translators, working independently, produced identical translations—suggesting divine inspiration. This gave the Greek Old Testament tremendous authority in the early church and explains why New Testament writers frequently quote from it rather than from the Hebrew text.
• Did you know that in modern Judaism, the number seventy is still considered significant in Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations? The traditional blessing speaks of the child reaching the “fullness of years” (שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, shivim shanah), echoing Psalm 90:10’s description of a full human lifespan. This connects to the ancient concept that seventy represents a complete human life cycle, which adds poignancy to Yeshua’s parable of forgiveness “seventy times seven” in Matthew 18:22—suggesting we should forgive throughout the entirety of life.

Remember This

ἑβδομήκοντα embodies the perfect divine commissioning that extends God’s redemptive purpose to all nations through those who carry His authority and proclaim His Kingdom with joy.