ἀριθμέω (arithmeō)
arithmeō
to number
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb arithmeō simply means to number or count items. In the New Testament, it appears only three times, appearing in Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7, and Revelation 7:9. The context in the Gospels highlights a specific theological point about divine care rather than mere arithmetic.
In Matthew and Luke, Jesus uses this word to describe how God counts every hair on a person’s head. This usage emphasizes that God’s knowledge is precise and exhaustive. It is not just a general awareness but a detailed accounting of individual details. The word conveys the idea of careful enumeration, suggesting that nothing escapes notice.
Revelation 7:9 uses the term differently, describing the multitude that no one could count. Here, the verb appears in a negative construction to indicate impossibility. While humans might attempt to number such a vast group, the text suggests the task is beyond human capacity. This contrast between God’s ability to count and the human inability to tally the crowd underscores the scale of the redeemed community.
The word derives from arithmos, meaning number or multitude. Its root relates to the concept of discrete units being gathered into a total. Translators typically render it as "number" or "count," keeping the focus on the act of enumeration. The term does not imply valuation or worth but rather the factual recording of quantity.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word arithmeō simply means to number or count. In the Gospels, Jesus uses it to say that God counts every hair on your head. This is not about arithmetic for its own sake. It shows that God knows you with precise care. Nothing about your life escapes His notice.
In Revelation, the word appears in a different way. John sees a great crowd from every nation that no one can count. Here, the inability to number them highlights how vast God’s family is. While we cannot tally the redeemed, God knows each one by name.
This dual use brings comfort. You are never lost in a crowd to God. He sees you individually. At the same time, you belong to a huge community of believers. This truth invites us to rest in His care and celebrate the breadth of His grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to number1×
- numbered1×
- have been numbered.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἠρίθμηνται.1×
- ἠριθμημέναι1×
- ἀριθμῆσαι1×
Key Verses
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Matthew 10:30
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
This verse uses the word to emphasize God's precise knowledge of individual details, showing that nothing about a person escapes His notice.
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Luke 12:7
But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
Here the counting of hairs serves as the basis for Jesus' command not to be afraid, linking divine care directly to human courage.
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Revelation of John 7:9
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
The negative construction indicates that the multitude is too vast for human counting, highlighting the scale of the redeemed community.