Meaning of Numbers: The Number 17
The English word "seventeen" for the number 17 appears 10 times in 10 King James Bible verses. It is found the most in the book of Genesis (twice). Surprisingly, the word is not found at all in the King James version of the New Testament.
The meaning of the number 17 is that of "overcoming the enemy" and "complete victory." God overcame the sins of rebellious humans when he began to flood the earth through rain on the 17th of the second Hebrew month. Noah's ark and its eight passengers rested on the mountains of Ararat on Tishri 17 (the seventh month of the Hebrew sacred calendar).
Jesus Christ gained a complete victory over death and the grave when God resurrected him near sunset on Nisan 17 (Saturday, April 8, 30 A.D.).
In the book of 1Corinthians the thirteenth chapter, the seventeenth mention of the word "love" occurs when the apostle Paul states that it is the greatest gift of all (1Corinthians 13:13). God's unending love (John 3:16) is truly victorious over all things. Those who stay faithful to God to the end of their lives will gain the victory over the grave when they are miraculously brought back to life (see 1Corinthians 15).
Daniel 7's beasts have seven heads and ten horns, for a total number of 17. They represent world-ruling powers from Daniel's time to the Second Coming of Jesus. The devil's end-time system (Revelation 13) will have seven heads and ten horns, which totals 17.
All mankind will very soon obey and worship the devil and the Beast power. They will war against those who have faith in Jesus and keep the commandments, thus achieving a victory (though short-lived) against God's people (Revelation 13:1 - 8).
True Christians, however, will gain the ultimate victory over God's adversaries when he resurrects them back to life (Revelation 15:2; 20:4). One of the major themes of the Day of Atonement (commonly referred to as Yom Kippur), which occurs in the seventh Hebrew month on the tenth day, is the binding of Satan (see Revelation 20). Thus, 10 plus 7 equals the number 17, which testifies to Christ's perfect overcoming of Satan.
Appearances of Number Seventeen
No Bible books have exactly seventeen chapters.
The Old Testament Biblical chapters of Leviticus 1, 3, Joshua 3, 1Samuel 7, 1Chronicles 14, 2Chronicles 1, 3, Ezra 5, Esther 4, 8, Job 23, 42, Psalm 7, 40, 45, 59, 86, 90, Ecclesiastes 8, Song of Solomon 1, 2, Isaiah 21, 34, 54, Jeremiah 12, 28, Ezekiel 4, 5, 25, Hosea 9, Amos 7, Jonah 1, Habakkuk 1, Zechariah 9, 11 and Malachi 2 have 17 verses in the King James Translation.
In the King James New Testament, the chapters Matthew 3, 2Corinthians 2, 2Thessalonians 2, 2Timothy 3, James 4, Revelation 6, 7 and 12 all contain 17 verses.
Rehoboam, son of Solomon and the very first king of Judah after the kingdom split in 930 B.C., reigned for 17 years (930 to 913 B.C.).
And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess (1Kings 14:21, KJV).
The book of James has material from seventeen Old Testament books. The book of 1Corinthians has 17 direct quotations from the Old Testament.
One of the longest names found in the word of God, containing seventeen letters, is Chushanrishathaim (Judges 3:8).
Number 17 and God
In Romans 8:35 the apostle Paul asks a simple question which is "What shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (HBFV). He extends his question a little more by asking if the following seven things could separate us, which are tribulation, persecution, distress, nakedness, famine, the sword or any other danger.
Paul then tells us ten things that cannot get between our God and us. These are life, death, principalities, powers, angels, things present or to come, depth, height or anything created. Thus, we have 7 + 10 = 17, representing a Christian's perfect and eternal standing with God through Christ.
Joseph, Jacob and Seventeen
Jacob, in 1692 B.C., moves his family of twelve sons and one daughter to Mamre (Hebron). At the age of 108 he endures the long journey so that he can reunite with his father Isaac whom he hasn't seen in 31 years! Jacob's second youngest son, Joseph, is 17 years old when the family settles in Hebron.
Joseph, while still 17 years old, receives his famous "coat of many colors" which distinguishes him from his brothers (Genesis 37:2 - 3). His brothers, however, out of jealousy for the special treatment he receives (Genesis 37:4 - 5, 11), hate him. They get their chance to get rid of him when they sell him to Ishmaelite traders for 20 pieces of silver (verses 20 - 28).
Joseph, in Egypt, will ultimately reunite with his brothers and the rest of his family twenty-two years after he was sold into slavery. Jacob will end up living in Egypt for 17 years (Genesis 47:28) until he dies at the ripe old age of 147.
More Info on Biblical Meaning of 17
17 is the seventh prime number. The primes 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13 come before it and those after it are 19, 23 and 29.
The city of Ephesus is mentioned 17 times in the King James New Testament. The capital of the Roman Province of Asia, the city boasted the second largest populated area in the known world at the time of the Apostle Paul.
Ephesus was evangelized by Paul during his second and third missionary journeys, forming the first Christian church in the metropolis. The Apostle John is believed to have retired to the area after writing Revelation, dying in the city around 100 A.D.
Jehoahaz ruled the Kingdom of Israel from 814 to 798 or 17 official years (16 actual, 2Kings 13:1). He was the first of four generations of sovereigns who were descendants of King Jehu. This dynasty was promised by God to Jehu after he carried out the Eternal's will of destroying the house of King Ahab (2Kings 10:30). Jehu's dynasty ended up being the longest (88 years) of any ruler over the Kingdom of Israel.
The Hebrew amon, Strong's Concordance #H526, is found 17 times in 17 Hebrew Old Testament verses. It is found the most in the book of 2Chronicles (6 times). Amon was the name of the 15th ruler of the Kingdom of Judah after it had split from Israel in 930 B.C. After only two years on the throne he was assassinated by his servants (2Kings 21).
The Hebrew word yehoash, Strong's #H3060, is recorded 17 times in 16 Hebrew Old Testament verses. The word, translated as the name Jehoash in the King James, is found only in the book of 2Kings. Jehoash, the 13th King of Israel after the nation split in 930 B.C., reigned for sixteen years and dies in 782 B.C.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash (yehoash) which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? (2Kings 14:15, KJV).
Psalm 83, verses 6 to 11, lists seventeen enemies of Israel. Seven of these God destroyed in the past. The other ten foes will soon try to destroy the Israelites and "cut them off from being a nation." The Psalm, written by Davidic priests, beseeches the Eternal to treat Israel's future enemies like those in the past.
The seven enemies of Israel God destroyed in the past are the Midianites, Sisera, Jabin, Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah and Zalmunna. The future confederation prophesied to be against God's chosen are Edom, Ishmaelites, Moab, Hagarenes, Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistines, Tyre and Assyria. This makes for 17 total foes vanquished by the Eternal!