### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **eíkosi**, represented by `{{G1501}}`, is a number defined as **a score:--twenty**. It appears 12 times across 11 unique verses in the Bible. While its primary function is to specify the quantity of twenty, it is used in contexts ranging from simple measurements to describing the heavenly host.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{G1501}}` is used in several key contexts. Its most frequent use is in the book of Revelation to describe the "four and **twenty** elders" who are seated around the throne of God and continually fall down to worship Him ([[Revelation 4:4]], [[Revelation 4:10]]). The word is also used to quantify large numbers, such as the "three and **twenty** thousand" who fell in one day as a warning [[1 Corinthians 10:8]], and the "hundred and **twenty**" disciples gathered together in the early days of the church [[Acts 1:15]]. In other instances, it is used for measurements of distance and depth, such as the "**twenty** fathoms" sounded by sailors [[Acts 27:28]] or the military strength of a king with "**twenty** thousand" soldiers [[Luke 14:31]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a broader context for how numbers and titles are used alongside `{{G1501}}`:
* `{{G5064}}` **téssares** (a plural number; four:--four): This word is consistently paired with `{{G1501}}` in the book of Revelation to form the specific number of the "**four** and twenty elders" [[Revelation 4:4]].
* `{{G4245}}` **presbýteros** (older; as noun, a senior; specially, an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian "presbyter":-- elder(-est), old): This title identifies the beings who are numbered as twenty-four, such as when the "four and twenty **elders**" fall down before the Lamb [[Revelation 5:8]].
* `{{G1176}}` **déka** (a primary number; ten:--ten): This number is used in a parable to contrast military forces, where a king with **ten** thousand must decide if he can face an enemy with twenty thousand [[Luke 14:31]].
* `{{G5144}}` **triákonta** (the decade of τρεῖς; thirty:--thirty): In the Gospel of John, this number is used alongside `{{G1501}}` to provide an estimated distance of "five and twenty or **thirty** furlongs" [[John 6:19]].
### Theological Significance
The use of `{{G1501}}` carries significance in several scriptural contexts.
* **Celestial Order and Worship:** The number is foundational to the vision of heavenly worship in Revelation, where the "four and **twenty** elders" represent a body that perpetually worships God and casts their crowns before the throne ([[Revelation 4:10]], [[Revelation 19:4]]).
* **Quantifying Foundational Groups:** It is part of the number describing the group of about "an hundred and **twenty**" disciples who gathered after Christ's ascension, representing the core of the early church [[Acts 1:15]].
* **Illustrating Divine Judgment and Human Calculation:** The word is used to express a significant number of casualties in a divine judgment, as seen with the "three and **twenty** thousand" who fell [[1 Corinthians 10:8]]. It is also used in a parable to teach the importance of counting the cost, as when a king calculates his ability to face **twenty** thousand troops [[Luke 14:31]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{G1501}}` is more than just a numerical value. It is a specific quantifier used to define the heavenly council, illustrate the scale of human and divine events, and establish the size of foundational communities. The use of **eíkosi** demonstrates how a number can be integral to the narrative, providing precise detail in contexts from measuring the depth of the sea to describing the eternal worship around the throne of God.
TRV