Meaning of Numbers: The Number 31
Part of the meaning of the number 31 in the Bible comes from one of the Hebrew names for God. Gematria is a way of interpreting Scripture by substituting the letters of a Hebrew (or Greek) word by their equivalent numeric values and arriving at a total. One reference to God is El (see Deuteronomy 32:15, 17, Job 3:4, etc. in Hebrew), which is composed of the Hebrew letters Lamed and Aleph. Their numeric values are 30 and 1, respectively, for 31 total.
One of the most commonly occurring names in God's word is Moses. It appears in 31 King James translation books.
One of most frequently mentioned women in Scripture is Rebekah, the wife of the patriarch Isaac. Her name is recorded thirty-one times.
Appearances of Number Thirty-One
In the Old Testament, the Biblical chapters of Genesis 1, 34, 47, Exodus 4, 14, 22, 38, Numbers 5, 28, Judges 3, 5, 16, 18, 1Samuel 30, 2Samuel 12, 1Kings 14, 1Chronicles 24, 25, 2Chronicles 9, Nehemiah 13, Job 30, Psalm 22, 109, Proverbs 11, 21, 31, Isaiah 1, 40, Jeremiah 4, 5, Ezekiel 22, 34, 44 and Daniel 5 contain 31 verses in the King James Bible.
In the New Testament, the chapters Luke 16, John 14, 20, Acts 28, Romans 3, 1Corinthians 1, 12 and Galatians 4 have 31 verses in the KJV.
The books of Proverbs and 1Samuel contain 31 chapters in the KJV.
Josiah (2Kings 22:1), considered one of the best kings of Judah after Israel split into two nations, began his reign at the age of eight and ruled for 31 years (from 640 to 609 B.C.).
The thirty-first patriarch in Jesus' lineage is Obed, the father of Jesse. Jesse would ultimately become the father of King David in 1040 B.C.
Josiah was 31 years old when his son Zedekiah was born (1Chronicles 3:15). Zedekiah would assume the throne over the Kingdom of Judah in 597 at the age of 21 (2Kings 24:18). He is important to Biblical history as he is the last human to rule over either Israel or Judah. His rule ended in 586 when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and burned the temple.
Number 31 and the Promised Land
Moses, before his death, aided the Israelites in conquering two kings east of the Jordan (Joshua 12:1 - 6). They were Amorite King Sihon and Og, king of Bashan. Og was especially noteworthy as he was the last of the Rephaim (giants). Scripture states his bed was 13 1/2 feet long (4.1 meters) by 6 feet (1.8 meters) wide!
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the rest of the giants. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its width, according to the cubit of a man (Deuteronomy 3:11, HBFV).
The children of Israel, under the leadership of Joshua, conquered 31 kings west of the Jordan River. These kings were defeated, and land confiscated, toward the goal of fully possessing the Land of Promise.
And these are the kings of the land which Joshua and the children of Israel struck on this side of Jordan . . . The king of Tirzah, one. All the kings were thirty-one (Joshua 12:7, 24, HBFV).
More Info on Biblical Meaning of 31
31 is the eleventh positive prime. Prime numbers before it are 2, 3, 5, 7, and so on, and those after it are 37, 41, 43, etc.
Surprisingly, there are no months in the Biblical Hebrew calendar that contain 31 days! Five of them always have twenty-nine days, two can have twenty-nine or thirty, and the rest always contain thirty. Compare this to our Gregorian-based calendar that always has seven months with thirty-one days.
Proverbs 31 is famous for being the "virtuous wife" chapter. It reveals the character traits and behaviors of a married woman who not only pleases God, but also blesses her family and is an asset to her neighbors. The chapter, written by a mother for her son Lemuel, is the only one penned by a female in the entire book!
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her value is far above rubies. The heart of her husband trusts safely in her, so that he shall have no lack of gain. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life (Proverbs 31:1- 3, HBFV).
In 31 A.D., the first year after Jesus' death and resurrection, the gospel is being preached in Jerusalem. The apostles, in this year, also begin the long task of compiling his teachings so that a record of what he said and did could be written down (Acts 5 and 6).
The book of Luke contains references to 31 Old Testament books, the second highest in the New Testament.