Brief Overview of πεντήκοντα (Strong’s G4004: pentēkonta)
Strong’s G4004: From πέντε (five); meaning “fifty.” Used in NT for organizing crowds, measuring distances, and in parables. Significant in Jewish culture, connected to Pentecost and Jubilee. Appears in contexts of divine order and organization, particularly in feeding miracles.
U- Unveiling the Word
Πεντήκοντα represents both practical organization and spiritual significance. In the gospels, it appears in the feeding miracles describing crowd arrangement and in parables about debt. Early church writers connected it to Pentecost and the outpouring of the Spirit. Today, it reminds us of God’s order in both practical and spiritual matters.
N – Necessary Information
- Greek Word: πεντήκοντα, pentēkonta, [pen-TAY-kon-ta]
- Detailed pronunciation: pen-TAY-kon-tah
- Part of Speech: Adjective (Cardinal Number)
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Etymology:
- From πέντε (five)
- Suffix: -ήκοντα (forms tens)
- Related to Indo-European *penkwe
- Denotes fifty units
D – Defining Meanings
- Fifty
- Group of fifty
- Fiftieth
For compound words: Not applicable as this is a derived number
Translation Options:
- Fifty – Direct translation
- Half-hundred – Alternative form
- Fifty units – Quantity emphasis
E – Exploring Similar Words
- πεντηκοστός [pentēkostos, pen-tay-kos-TOS] – fiftieth
- πεντηκονταετής [pentēkontaetēs, pen-tay-kon-ta-eh-TAYS] – fifty years
- ἑκατόν [hekaton, he-ka-TON] – hundred
R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology
- Indeclinable Numeral
- No gender variation
- Fixed form πεντήκοντα
- Used adjectivally or substantively
- Cross-references: πεντηκοστός (fiftieth)
S – Studying Lexicon Insights
BDAG emphasizes organizational usage. Thayer’s notes Jewish significance. LSJ traces numerical development. Vine’s highlights NT contexts. Moulton and Milligan show administrative usage.
T – Tracing the Scriptures
First appearance:
“So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties [πεντήκοντα].” (Mark 6:40)
Additional References:
Luke 7:41, Luke 9:14, John 8:57, John 21:11
A – Analyzing Classical Usage
Author: Work | Text |
---|---|
Herodotus: Histories | “A ship with fifty [πεντήκοντα] oars.” |
Thucydides: War | “Fifty [πεντήκοντα] soldiers stood guard.” |
Xenophon: Anabasis | “They marched fifty [πεντήκοντα] stadia.” |
N – Noteworthy Summary
Πεντήκοντα teaches us about divine order in both practical and spiritual realms. From organizing crowds to receive bread to representing spiritual completion at Pentecost, this number reminds us that God works through orderly processes to accomplish His purposes.
D – Did You Know?
- Connected to Pentecost festival timing
- Used in military unit organization
- Significant in Jubilee year calculations
Strong’s G4004: From πέντε (five); meaning “fifty.” Used in NT for organizing crowds, measuring distances, and in parables. Significant in Jewish culture, connected to Pentecost and Jubilee. Appears in contexts of divine order and organization, particularly in feeding miracles.
Part of speech: Adjective (Cardinal Number)
Tags: #Numbers #Organization #Pentecost #FeedingMiracle #OrderedGroups #BiblicalNumbers #DivineOrder #JewishCulture #Jubilee #Management
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