New American Standard Bible 1995

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Acts

Note Journal Prayer

4

:

4

“

But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Greek: Transliteration:
But many much, many Adj-NMP H4183 πολλοὶ polloi
of those the Art-GMP H3588 τῶν tōn
who had heard to hear, listen V-APA-GMP H191 ἀκουσάντων akousantōn
the message a word (as embodying an idea), a statement, a speech N-AMS H3056 λόγον logon
believed; to believe, entrust V-AIA-3P H4100 ἐπίστευσαν episteusan
and the number a number N-NMS H706 ἀριθμὸς arithmos
of the men a man N-GMP H435 ἀνδρῶν andrōn
came to come into being, to happen, to become V-AIP-3S H1096 ἐγενήθη egenēthē
to be about as, like as, even as, when, since, as long as Adv H5613 ὡς ōs
five five Adj-NFP H4002 πέντε pente
Analysis:

Five: Incompletion or lacking

For a person to understand the meaning of the number “five”, one must first realize that the meaning of the number ten is completion or wholeness. Since five is half of ten, the idea is that the number five represents incompletion or that which is lacking. A Scripture that expresses this idea is found in the book of John. At a place called Beit Chesed (Bethesda), there was a pool whose waters healed the sick. The reader is told that around the pool there were five porches. It is stated that on these five porches laid individuals who were not whole. Some were paralyzed and the rest of them had a variety of health problems. It is not a chance happening that these people who were lacking their health were on five porches. Another well-known passage that contains the number five is found in I Samuel 17. In the account of David and Goliath, David picks up five stones (see I Samuel 17:40). Why is the reader told the specific number and not simply that David had gathered a few stones? The answer is to assist the reader in understanding that the stone, which David hurled at Goliath, was not the source of victory. Rather, this was only the means that God used to accomplish His victory. In other words, the stone and even David, who hurled this stone at Goliath, were insufficient to bring about this victory.

One of the first places where the idea of "lacking" or "incompleteness" is seen regarding the number five is in the book of Genesis. In chapter 18, two angels are sent to Sodom to destroy the city. God tells Abraham that if 50 righteous people are found in the city, then the city will be free of this punishment (We will learn that the number 50 is related to freedom when this number is studied). This is revealed to Abraham and he responds saying, perhaps the city will lack 50 righteous people by five. It is significant that Abraham uses the number five when referring to the city lacking enough righteous people. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016
thousand. one thousand N-NFP H5505 χιλιάδες chiliades

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
King James Bible But Howbeit many of those who had them which heard the message word believed; and the number of the men came to be was about five thousand.
Berean Bible But many of those who had having heard the message believed; word believed, and the number of the men came to be became about five thousand.
Hebrew Greek English But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.