Meaning of Numbers: The Number 37
The possible meaning of the number 37 is derived from both facts within and history behind the Bible.
Sarah, the only woman in Scripture where her age at death is recorded, lived 37 years after she gave birth to Isaac. She died at the ripe old age of 127 (Genesis 17:17, 23:1).
The Apostle Peter's ministry, which began in 30 A.D., lasted until his martyrdom either in 67 to 68 A.D. His ministry of 37 to 38 years is only slightly longer than the number of years the Apostle Paul served God (35).
Appearances of Number Thirty-Seven
In the Old Testament, the Biblical chapters of Exodus 26, Leviticus 19, Deuteronomy 2, 2Samuel 15, 2Kings 9, 18, 19, 23, 2Chronicles 20, Job 34, Jeremiah 2 and Daniel 4 contain 37 verses in the King James translation.
In the New Testament, the chapters Mark 7, 13, Luke 17 and Acts 4 have 37 verses in the King James Bible.
Book 37 of most modern translations is the writing of the Minor Prophet Haggai.
Jehoram was the fifth monarch over the Kingdom of Judah. At the age of 32 in 853 B.C., he began to co-rule the kingdom with his father Jehoshaphat. When his dad died in 848 Jehoram, who was now 37 years old, began his sole rule over Judah (1Kings 22:50). His reign lasted only until 841 B.C. when he died at the young age of 44.
Number 37 and King David
King David attracted many fierce fighters during his lifetime. The greatest of these, a special set of 37 elite warriors, were known as his "mighty men" (1Chronicles 11:11). They were heroic commandos who had distinguished themselves on the battlefield (1Chronicles 11, 2Samuel 23).
Within David's group of 37 elite fighters were three subgroups. The first was composed of three men, Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah, who were the best of the best. They were known as "the three mighties" (1Chronicles 11:12, KJV)!
A second subgroup of David's warriors was composed of two men who were valiant in battle but not quite as noteworthy as the three mighties (2Samuel 23:18 - 23). The third subgroup numbered thirty-two individuals known for their war skills.
One of the interesting facts about David's 37 mighty men is that they were not all Israelites. Uriah, whose beautiful wife Bathsheba would lead to his death when David wanted her (2Samuel 11 - 12), was a Hittite (2Samuel 23:39, 1Chronicles 11:41). Another warrior named Zelek was an Ammonite (2Samuel 23:37, 1Chronicles 11:39) and a third, Ithmah, was a Moabite (1Chronicles 11:46).
More Info on Biblical Meaning of 37
The number 37 is the 12th positive prime. The primes that immediately proceed it are 17, 19, 23, 29 and 31, and those that could after it are 41, 43, 47, 53 and so on.
The thirty-seventh Psalm, written by King David, encourages those who believe in God to trust he will judge evildoers and give us all that we need.
Do not fret yourself because of evildoers, and do not be envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like the grass; and wither as the green herb . . . Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart (verses 1 - 2, 4).
The name "Gideon" is recorded in 37 verses in the King James. God used Gideon to free his people from being dominated by the Midianites (Judges 6). Gideon's famous 300-man army attacks and routes the Midianites and their allies while they are still in their camp (Judges 7). He ultimately serves as a Judge of Israel for forty years (1145 to 1105 B.C.).
Genesis 37 mentions the famous "coat of many colors" the patriarch Jacob gave to Joseph, his second youngest son. The favoritism showed to Joseph, who was 17 at the time, was not lost on his 10 older brothers. Soon after he received the coat his brothers sold him into slavery for twenty pieces of silver. Joseph, by God's grace, would ultimately become powerful in Egypt and save his entire family from starvation.
It was in 37 A.D. that the Apostle Peter preached the gospel in Lydda and Joppa (Acts 9:32 - 41). During his evangelism, he healed a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years. He also raised Dorcas from the dead in his only recorded performance of such a unique miracle!
The year 37 A.D. was also unique in relation to the Hebrew (sacred) calendar. It was one of the rare years when the beginning of the Biblical civil year on the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) occurred in late August. The majority of the time the start of the civil year takes place in early September.