Meaning of Numbers
in the Bible

The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 200

Twenty is symbolic of expectancy as we have seen. Here we have it ten-fold (20x10).

The significance of this number is suggested in the 6th chapter of John, where we read:

"Philip answered Him (Jesus), 'Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.'" (John 6:7, NKJV throughout)

How does the number 200 symbolize INSUFFICIENCY?

And so we find this number stamping various things with insufficiency.

How was Archan's two hundred shekels insufficient?

In the Bible it states Achan's 200 shekels were "not sufficient" to save him from the consequences of his sin. This teaches the meaning of the insufficiency of money (Psalm 49:7-9):

"But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi . . . took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.

"Now Joshua said to Achan, 'My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.'

"And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, TWO HUNDRED shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them . . .

"So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it . . . Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment . . . and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, 'Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.' So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones." (Joshua 7:1, 19-22, 24-25)

How did Absalom's good looks help get him KILLED?

The weight of Absalom's (one of King David's sons) hair, at 200 shekels, was not enough to save him, but rather caused his destruction. This shows us the insufficiency of beauty:

"Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he cut the hair of his head - at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him - when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at TWO HUNDRED shekels according to the king’s standard.

"Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth . . . And he (Joab, the son of David's sister and commander of David's army) took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. " (2Samuel 14:25-26, 18:9, 14)

200 shekels and an idol

Micah's graven image was purchased for 200 shekels, the significance of which led to the introduction of idolatry into Israel and the (possible) blotting out of the Tribe of Dan from the blessing of Revelation 7, showing us the insufficiency of mere religion:

"Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah . . . Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother took TWO HUNDRED shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a molded image; and they were in the house of Micah.

"The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest . . .

"Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh." (Judges 17:1, 4-5, 30-31)

Ezra's 200 singers

Ezra's 200 "singing men and women" (Ezra 2:65), were "not sufficient" to produce peace with God, true spiritual worship, or joy in the Lord. Only God's word rightly ministered can lead to this (Nehemiah 8:5-9). This shows the insufficiency of external things in the worship of God, and the impossibility of worshipping God with the senses. True worship, which alone God will accept, must be spiritual (John 4:24).

The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 390

Three hundred ninety represents Israel (Ezekiel 4:5), being 13 x 30; as 65 (5x13) represents the tribe of Ephraim (Isaiah 7:8); as 40 (5x8) represents Judah (Ezekiel 4:6); and 70 (7x10) is the number of Jerusalem.

As a matter of chronology it was 390 years from the division of the Tribes of Israel to the Captivity, and thus the duration of the separate kingdom of Israel was 390 years, as referred to in Ezekiel 4.