Strong’s G4000: Compound of πεντάκις (five times) and χίλιοι (thousand), meaning “five thousand.” Used specifically in gospel accounts of Jesus feeding the multitude. Represents divine provision and miraculous multiplication. Significant number in demonstrating Christ’s power and compassion.

U- Unveiling the Word

Πεντακισχίλιοι represents divine abundance and miraculous provision in the gospels. Used to describe the crowd fed by Jesus with five loaves and two fish, it demonstrates both the scale of Christ’s ministry and His power to meet overwhelming needs. Early church writers saw this as prefiguring the Eucharist and spiritual feeding. Today, it reminds us of Christ’s ability to multiply our insufficient resources for His purposes.

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: πεντακισχίλιοι, pentakischilioi, [pen-ta-kis-KHI-lee-oi]
• Detailed pronunciation: pen-ta-kis-KHEE-lee-oy
• Part of Speech: Adjective (Cardinal Number)

Etymology:

• πεντάκις (five times)
• χίλιοι (thousand)
• Forms compound numeral
• Indicates specific quantity

D – Defining Meanings

• Five thousand
• Five thousand people
• Multitude of five thousand

For compound words:

• πεντάκις indicates five times
• χίλιοι contributes thousand
• Combined meaning: five thousand

Translation Options:

• Five thousand – Direct translation
• Five thousand men – Contextual usage
• Multitude of five thousand – Descriptive

E – Exploring Similar Words

• τετρακισχίλιοι [tetrakischilioi, te-tra-kis-KHI-lee-oi] – four thousand
• δισχίλιοι [dischilioi, dis-KHI-lee-oi] – two thousand
• χίλιοι [chilioi, KHI-lee-oi] – thousand

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

• Plural Cardinal Number
• Three Gender Forms:
• Masculine: πεντακισχίλιοι
• Feminine: πεντακισχίλιαι
• Neuter: πεντακισχίλια
• First/Second Declension pattern
• Cross-references: πέντε (five), χίλιοι (thousand)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes gospel miracle context. Thayer’s notes precision of count. LSJ traces numerical usage. Vine’s highlights significance in feeding accounts. Moulton and Milligan show administrative usage.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“Now those who had eaten were about five thousand [πεντακισχίλιοι] men, besides women and children.” (Matthew 14:21)

Additional References:
Mark 6:44, Luke 9:14, John 6:10

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Πεντακισχίλιοι reminds us that Jesus can multiply our insufficient resources to meet overwhelming needs. This miracle demonstrates both His divine power and compassionate concern for human needs, encouraging us to trust Him with our limitations.

D – Did You Know?

1. Appears in all four gospel accounts
2. Only men were counted in the original number
3. Used in early church discussions of Eucharistic theology

Strong’s G4000: Compound of πεντάκις (five times) and χίλιοι (thousand), meaning “five thousand.” Used specifically in gospel accounts of Jesus feeding the multitude. Represents divine provision and miraculous multiplication. Significant number in demonstrating Christ’s power and compassion.

Part of speech: Adjective (Cardinal Number)

Tags: #Numbers #Miracles #FeedingMultitude #Provision #JesusMinistry #Multiplication #GospelAccounts #DivineProvision #Abundance #BiblicalNumbers​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​