hepta · seven

What it means

hepta (ἑπτά) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “seven”.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. The amount that is one more than six.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

Seven, the number. Thayer notes that in Scripture it often marks fullness. Of the same family are ἕβδομος, “seventh”, and ἑπτάκις, “seven times”.

• The seven loaves Matthew 15:34
• “Seventy-seven times” Matthew 18:22
• Seven men of good testimony Acts 6:3
• Seven demons; the seven brothers Mark 16:9Matthew 22:25
• The sevens of Revelation: assemblies, stars, seals Revelation 1:4Revelation 1:20Revelation 5:1

How we translate it

Always “seven” (88 times), also in Matthew 22:26, where the Greek counts “up to the seven”.

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×9
• Mark×9
• Luke×6
• Acts×8
• Hebrews×1
• Revelation×55

• Matthew 12:45

  Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. So it will be also with this evil generation.”

• Matthew 15:34

  And Jesus says to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

• Matthew 15:36

  he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and was giving them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.

• Matthew 15:37

  And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.

• Matthew 16:10

  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?

• Matthew 18:22

  Jesus says to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.

• Matthew 22:25

  Now there were among us seven brothers; and the first married and died, and not having offspring, he left his wife to his brother;

• Matthew 22:26

  likewise also the second and the third, up to the seven.

• Matthew 22:28

  In the resurrection, then, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”

• Mark 8:5

  And he was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”

• Mark 8:6

  And he directs the crowd to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves and giving thanks, he broke them and kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd.

• Mark 8:8

  And they ate and were filled; and they picked up the leftover pieces, seven baskets.

• Mark 8:20

  “And when the seven for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” And they say to him, “Seven.”

• Mark 12:20

  There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and when he died he left no offspring;

• Mark 12:22

  and the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died.

• Mark 12:23

  In the resurrection, when they rise, which of them will she be wife to? For the seven had her as wife.”

• Mark 16:9

  Longer ending: Now having risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.

• Luke 2:36

  And there was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in many days, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,

• Luke 8:2

  and some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,

• Luke 11:26

  Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that person becomes worse than the first.”

• Luke 20:29

  Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless;

• Luke 20:31

  and the third took her; and likewise also the seven left no children and died.

• Luke 20:33

  The woman, then, in the resurrection, of which of them does she become wife? For the seven had her as wife.”

• Acts 6:3

  So, brothers, select from among you seven men of good testimony, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint over this task;

• Acts 13:19

  And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them as an inheritance their land

• Acts 19:14

  Now there were seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish high priest, doing this.

• Acts 20:6

  But we sailed away after the days of Unleavened Bread from Philippi, and came to them at Troas within five days, where we stayed seven days.

• Acts 21:4

  And having found the disciples, we stayed there seven days. They kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

• Acts 21:8

  And on the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.

• Acts 21:27

  And when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,

• Acts 28:14

  where we found brothers and were urged to stay with them seven days; and so we came to Rome.

• Hebrews 11:30

  By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days.

• Revelation 1:4

  John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from the one who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne,

• Revelation 1:11

  saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

• Revelation 1:12

  And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me; and having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,

• Revelation 1:16

  and he had in his right hand seven stars, and from his mouth came out a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun when it shines in its strength.

• Revelation 1:20

  As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw on my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies, and the seven lampstands are the seven assemblies.”

• Revelation 2:1

  To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: This is what the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks in the middle of the seven golden lampstands, says:

• Revelation 3:1

  And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: This is what the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, and you are dead.

• Revelation 4:5

  And from the throne come out lightnings and voices and thunders, and seven lamps of fire are burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God;

And 48 more times.