Meaning of Numbers in the Bible
The Number 77

Question?   -   New   -   YOUR AD HERE!
Biblical Meaning of Numbers
1   -   2   -   3   -   4   -   5   -   6   -   7   -   8   -   9
10   -   11   -   12   -   13   -   14   -   15   -   17
20   -   21   -   24   -   30   -   33   -   40   -   111
222   -   333   -   444   -   555   -   777   -   MORE!

Meaning of Numbers: The Number 77

While the number 77 rarely occurs in the Bible, far more common is the appearance of double 7's, some of which have a special meaning.

Noah wanted to determine the status of the water after the great flood. He sent out a raven and later a dove from the ark (Genesis 8:7 - 8). The dove returned without any symbol of life. Seven days later, he resent the dove. This time it returned with an olive leaf, proving that the waters had almost completely subsided although the ground was likely still water logged. He waited yet another seven days (double 7 or 77) and sent the dove yet again. This time, it did not return, which meant that the ground was dry enough for many kinds of animals.

Only the book of Psalms has more than 77 chapters in the King James translation.

Appearances of Number Seventy-Seven

Psalm 77 is one of several in the book of Psalms written by priests serving during the time of King David. Two verses in particular praise God's character and his mighty power to help his people.

Your way, O God, is in holiness; who is so great a God as our God? You are the God Who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the people (verses 13 - 14 of Psalm 77).

Egypt's Pharaoh, at the time of Joseph, receives two sets of dreams (Genesis 41:2 - 3, 5 - 6). Each set contains double sevens (77) symbolizing a seven-year period of plenty followed by seven of famine. Joseph's inspired interpretation of the dreams not only earns him freedom from prison but also the reward of becoming Egypt's second most powerful person (Genesis 41)!

Esau, Jacob and the Number 77!

God, when twin brothers Esau and Jacob were born, declared that Jacob, born second, would become greater than firstborn Esau would (Genesis 25:23). Years later Jacob, taking advantage of his brother's hunger, convinces Esau to sell him his birthright (Genesis 25:29 - 34).

In 1723 B.C., both Jacob and his brother Esau are 77 years old. Jacob, in response to the strong urging of his mother Rebekah (Genesis 27:6 - 10), pretends to be Esau in order to further insure he receives the greatest blessings from their father Isaac (verses 18 - 30). Esau's understandable anger at his brother for his sinful deception forces Jacob to flee to Haran.

Jacob, after fleeing the wrath of his brother, ends up meeting a relative named Laban. Smitten by his younger daughter Rachel, he agrees to work seven years for the right to marry her (Genesis 29:1 - 20).

After laboring for seven years, Jacob is tricked by Laban into marrying his oldest daughter Leah instead of Rachel! Although infuriated at Laban's deception, the two men nevertheless agree that Jacob can also marry Leah but that it will cost him another seven years of work.

It therefore costs Jacob two sets of seven years (or 77) in order to marry his beautiful and beloved Rachel. These two women will ultimately become the two primary mothers of the nation of Israel!

More Info on Biblical Meaning of 77

In the Old Testament, the Biblical chapters of Numbers 7, 1Chronicles 6 and Psalm 119 contain 77 verses in the King James translation.

In the New Testament only Luke 1 has 77 verses in the KJV.

77 is the product of 7 x 11, both of which are prime numbers. It is also equal to the squares of three consecutive integers added together (4 x 4) + (5 x 5) + (6 x 6) or 16 + 25 + 36.

Interestingly, 77 is also the sum of the first eight primes or 2 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 11 + 13 + 17 + 19.

The English word "Christ," if we use a simple system where the letter "a" is equal to 1, "b" is two and so on to "z" being equal to 26, adds to 77. C is equal to 3, h is 8, r is 18, i is 9, s is 19 and t is 20 or 3 + 8 + 18 + 9 + 19 + 20 or 77.

The first taking of a life recorded in the Bible is that of Abel at the hands of his brother Cain (Genesis 4:8). The second, however, was carried out by Lamech, the great-great-great grandson of Cain (Genesis 4). He was, through Cain, the seventh from Adam (not to be confused with another Lamech who was the ninth through Seth, another son of Adam, Genesis 5). Lamech, the first polygamist, used 77 to underscore his innocence about his act being murder.

And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, "Hear my voice . . . for I have killed a man because he wounded me, a young man because he hurt me; For if Cain is avenged seven times, then truly Lamech is avenged seventy-seven (77) times (Genesis 4:23 - 24, HBFV).

Although he may have killed a man in self-defense, Lamech seems rather boastful about his ability to exact revenge rather than regretting what took place.

Recommended Articles
Mythical Animals in Scripture
How Old Were the Biblical Patriarchs?
What Does Thou Shall Not Kill Mean?
Who Did Cain and Abel Marry?
Does Old Testament Approve of Polygamy?
Maps of Ancient Israel's Cities!
Flow of Old Testament History Map
What Was Joseph's Coat of Many Colors?

Biblical Meaning of Numbers
Introduction   -   Book of Numbers
Forgiveness Numbers  -  Abraham's Numbers
Apostle Paul's Seven Churches
Infinity   -   Zero
One Tenth   -   One Third   -   One Half
1    -    2    -    3    -    4    -    5    -    6    -    7
8    -    9    -    10    -    11    -    12    -    13
14    -    15    -    16    -    17    -    18    -    19
20    -    21    -    22    -    23    -    24    -    25
26    -    27    -    28    -    29    -    30    -    31
32    -    33    -    34    -    35    -    36    -    37
38    -    39    -    40    -    41    -    42    -    43
44    -    45    -    46    -    47    -    48    -    49
50    -    51    -    52    -    53    -    54    -    55
56    -    57    -    58    -    59    -    60    -    61
62    -    63    -    64    -    65    -    66    -    67
68    -    69    -    70    -    71    -    72    -    73
74    -    75    -    76    -    77    -    78    -    79
80    -    81    -    82    -    83    -    84    -    85
86    -    87    -    88    -    89    -    90    -    91
92    -    93    -    94    -    95    -    96    -    97
98    -    99    -    100   -   101   -   102   -   103
104   -   105   -   106   -   107   -   108   -   109
110   -   111   -   112   -   113   -   114   -   115
116   -   117   -   118   -   119   -   120   -   121
122   -   123   -   124   -   125   -   126   -   127
129   -   130   -   131   -   132   -   133   -   134
135   -   136   -   137   -   139   -   140   -   143
144   -   145   -   146   -   150   -   152   -   153
155   -   156   -   160   -   168   -   175   -   180
200   -   203   -   210   -   211   -   212   -   215
216   -   220   -   222   -   223   -   225   -   234
250   -   300   -   303   -   311   -   313   -   316
318   -   320   -   321   -   323   -   333   -   345
350   -   365   -   367   -   369   -   390   -   400
404   -   411   -   414   -   420   -   430   -   440
444   -   450   -   456   -   490   -   500   -   516
555   -   600   -   613   -   616   -   666   -   700
711   -   717   -   777   -   800   -   808   -   818
888    -    900    -    911    -    999    -    1000
1001   -   1004   -   1010   -   1111   -   1144
1212   -   1222   -   1234   -   1500   -   2000
2222   -   3000   -   4000   -   5000   -   10000
144000   -  500000   -  The Largest!
Prophecy Numbers   -   Numerology
Creation's Numerics   -   Further Study

Series References
Number in Scripture: Its Supernatural
Design and Spiritual Significance

Quotes related to the
meaning of the number 77 taken from
Holy Bible Faithful Version (HBFV)