Word Study for G706 (ἀριθμός)

arithmós /ar-ith-mos'/ Ask about this word

Meaninga number (as reckoned up)

KJV usagenumber.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of arithmós — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word arithmós, represented by G706, provides the term for number. It appears 18 times in 15 unique verses. The word is used for literal enumeration, such as counting people, but also extends to convey vast, uncountable quantities and highly symbolic figures, particularly in apocalyptic literature.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G706 is used to quantify groups and track growth. It is used to state the number of men fed in the wilderness, about five thousand John 6:10, and to chronicle the expansion of the early church, where a "great number believed" Acts 11:21 and the churches "increased in number daily" Acts 16:5. The term also defines specific groups, such as Judas being "of the number of the twelve" Luke 22:3. In the book of Revelation, it is used for both immeasurably large quantities, like the number of angels being "ten thousand times ten thousand" Revelation 5:11, and for specific, symbolic figures, such as the infamous number of the beast Revelation 13:18.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the concept of counting and quantity:

G5585 psēphízō (to use pebbles in enumeration, i.e. (generally) to compute:--count): This verb is the action of calculating a number. It is used in the command to count the number of the beast Revelation 13:18.
G4129 plēthýnō (to increase (transitively or intransitively):--abound, multiply): This word describes the action of a number growing. In Jerusalem, the number of the disciples multiplied greatly Acts 6:7.
G1427 dṓdeka (two and ten, i.e. a dozen:--twelve): This specific numeral is used to define a particular group referenced by G706, as when Judas is identified as being of the number of the twelve Luke 22:3.
G3461 myriás (a ten-thousand; by extension, a "myriad" or indefinite number:--ten thousand): This term for a large, specific quantity is used to describe the vast number of angels around the throne, which was "ten thousand times ten thousand" Revelation 5:11.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of G706 is seen in its application to divine plans and spiritual realities.

Church Growth: The word is frequently used in Acts to document the success of the gospel, showing how the number of disciples and churches "multiplied" and "increased" (Acts 6:7, Acts 16:5).
Divine Election and Judgment: In Romans, the number of Israel is compared to the sand of the sea, yet only a remnant is saved, highlighting God's sovereign choice Romans 9:27. In Revelation, the precise number of the sealed shows God's specific knowledge of His people Revelation 7:4.
Apocalyptic Symbolism: G706 is central to eschatological understanding, most notably in identifying the "number of the beast" and the "number of his name" (Revelation 13:17-18, Revelation 15:2). It also conveys the immense scale of heavenly and demonic armies (Revelation 5:11, Revelation 9:16).

Summary

In summary, G706 is a versatile term that moves beyond simple arithmetic. It is a fundamental tool for chronicling the growth of the early church, for defining specific groups like the twelve disciples, and for conveying the sheer scale of God's heavenly host. Its most profound use is in the symbolic language of Revelation, where it is key to understanding concepts of divine election, judgment, and the identity of the beast.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists one rendering for this word. It is counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the number is how many of them use it. Select it to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a noun across 17 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it. These are this word’s own inflections, not words built from it — for those, see Related Words.

ἀριθμὸς
ἀριθμὸν
ἀριθμοῦ
ἀριθμῷ

Related Words

1 entry in Strong’s name this word as its origin. These are its derivatives — a different relationship from the inflected forms above, which are this same word bent by grammar.

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 15 verses across 5 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Revelation (7 verses); never once in the other 22.

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

Revelation

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.