ἐνενήκοντα (enenēkonta)
enenēkonta
ninety
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The word enenēkonta is the Greek numeral for ninety. It appears in four verses across the New Testament, specifically within the Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke. In these contexts, it functions as a straightforward count, marking specific quantities without additional metaphorical weight.
In Matthew 18:12-13 and Luke 15:4, Jesus uses the number to describe the size of a flock in his parable about the lost sheep. The narrative hinges on the fact that one sheep is missing from this group of ninety. This usage highlights the value placed on the individual within the larger community.
Luke 15:7 references this same scenario, noting the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents compared to ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Here, the number serves to emphasize the disproportionate joy and attention given to the recovered lost, illustrating a core theme of divine grace found in these passages.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word enenēkonta simply means ninety, appearing in the New Testament as a precise numeral rather than a symbol. In the parables of the lost sheep found in Matthew and Luke, it helps frame a story about a shepherd who owns one hundred sheep but loses one. This specific count allows Jesus to highlight the difference between the whole group and the single individual that has wandered away.
For your faith life, this number reminds us that God’s attention is not divided by large crowds alone. When you feel small or overlooked among many, these passages assure you that your individual worth is significant. The joy in heaven focuses intensely on the one who returns, showing that every person matters deeply to the Creator.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- ninety4×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐνενήκοντα4×
Key Verses
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Matthew 18:12
“What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?
This verse sets the scene by establishing the total flock size, making the loss of one sheep from the ninety-nine a clear narrative trigger for the shepherd's action.
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Luke 15:4
“Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost, until he found it?
Here the number emphasizes the shepherd's deliberate choice to leave the majority behind, prioritizing the search for the single lost member over convenience.
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Luke 15:7
I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
The text uses the count to contrast divine joy, showing that repentance by one person brings greater celebration than the stability of those who have not strayed.