ἑβδομήκοντα (hebdomēkonta)
hebdomēkonta
seventy
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The word hebdomēkonta is a straightforward numeral meaning seventy. In the New Testament, it appears only five times, primarily in the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Its usage is notably tied to specific groups and events rather than abstract concepts.
Two key passages highlight its significance: Jesus sends out seventy disciples alongside the twelve apostles (Luke 10:1), and later these seventy return with joy (Luke 10:17). In Acts, the number appears in historical records, such as Josephus noting that seventy members of the Sanhedrin were present (Acts 23:23) and Paul mentioning that seventy-two souls went down to Egypt (Acts 7:14).
The term itself is indeclinable, meaning it does not change form for case or number. Its presence in these texts anchors specific historical and narrative moments, marking the size of Jesus’ mission team and the scale of early church gatherings.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The number seventy appears in Scripture as a marker of God’s expanding work beyond the immediate circle of twelve. When Jesus appointed seventy others to go ahead of Him, He showed that His mission was too large for one small group alone. This act invites us to see our own service not as isolated efforts, but as part of a wider movement where many hands help carry the burden.
These believers returned with joy, reporting that even spiritual forces bowed to Jesus’ name. Their success did not come from their own power, but from His authority. This reminds us that when we step out in obedience, we join a team under Christ’s lordship. The number seventy signals that God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things, linking our small acts of faith to His grand redemptive plan.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- seventy5×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἑβδομήκοντα5×
Key Verses
-
Luke 10:1
Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place where he was about to come.
This verse establishes the word by showing Jesus intentionally expanding His mission team beyond the twelve apostles to reach more communities.
-
Luke 10:17
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
Here the seventy report their success, demonstrating that the authority they exercised belonged entirely to Jesus, not themselves.
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Acts 23:23
He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night.”
The number appears in a military context, highlighting the specific size of the escort needed to protect Paul during his transfer.