Bible Question: why is the number 40 important in the bible |
Bible Answer: God's day to you, Peggy, and I add my welcome to the SBF, One problem in assigning as significance to a number in the Bible, it must be consistent. I have read that 40 means probation, trial, chastisement or being tried. First, is whenever the number 40 appears, is it about what someone says? Biblicalman pointed out some places where this is not true. There are more. Note Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years, because the spies were out spying for 40 days (Num 14:33-34) … How does the later fit in? Then there is 1 Kings 6:17 and 7:38. In Acts 23:13-21 there were 40 men who plotted to kill Paul. Second, I'd like to point out there were periods of probation, trial, chastisement or being tried, that were not a measure of 40. In Judges, Israel was never under the rule of another country for a 40 period. Israel was in Babylon for 70. Not 40 years (Jer 25:11-22, 29:10; Dan 9:24). I doubt Jesus’ trails were 40 minutes long. Searcher |