The term “seven scores” is not a specific phrase that appears directly in the Bible; however, “score” is an archaic term for twenty. Therefore, “seven scores” would equate to 140 (7 x 20). In biblical contexts, numbers often carry symbolic meanings, but the significance of “seven scores” would depend on its use in a specific passage or teaching.
Scripture
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters.
5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh.
7 Thus all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.
8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan.
10 After he fathered Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters.
11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel.
13 Thus all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.
14 And Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared.
16 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.
17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch.
19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.
21 When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he fathered Methuselah.
22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah three hundred years and had other sons and daughters.
23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.
24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech.
26 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh.
27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, and he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son.
29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.”
30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah five hundred ninety-five years and had other sons and daughters.
31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.
Meaning of the Seven Scores in the Bible
In biblical numerology, the number seven is often seen as a symbol of completeness or divine perfection, as seen in the Creation narrative where God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (Genesis 2:2-3). Conversely, the number twenty, represented by the term “score,” is frequently associated with a sense of testing or waiting, evident in the Israelite journey through the wilderness, which lasted forty years—twice twenty (Deuteronomy 8:2). Thus, “seven scores,” or 140, may carry implications of a divinely appointed period of testing or waiting, leading to a profound completeness in spiritual terms.
For example, when we consider the biblical concept of generations, the number “seven” appears frequently, such as in Leviticus 25 with the Jubilee year occurring every forty-ninth year (seven sevens). In Matthew 1:17, the genealogy of Christ is structured around fourteen generations, which is two sevens, indicating both order and fulfillment of God’s plan. Therefore, reflecting on “seven scores” in light of these concepts, we might interpret it as representing a significant period of waiting or testing that culminates in divine fulfillment, aligning with the overarching biblical narratives of waiting for God’s promises to be realized and the eventual perfection seen in Christ and the Kingdom of God.
Extending the significance of “seven scores,” or 140, the number may also be viewed through the lens of covenantal history as it pertains to the Israelites. The number seven is a frequent emblem of God’s covenantal faithfulness—seen in His promises made to Noah and Abraham, solidifying the idea that a complete period of God’s active engagement and fidelity often aligns with this number. In this light, seven scores could symbolize a totality of God’s covenants throughout sacred history, where each span of forty (as in forty years of wandering or twenty years of waiting) culminates in a unifying thread of divine promise and human anticipation.
Moreover, in the context of wisdom literature, the number seven appears prominently in Proverbs, where a wise person is depicted as having insight and understanding. When we consider “seven scores,” it may suggest a deepening of wisdom that emerges from perseverance through periods of challenge and trials, ultimately achieving divine insight and completeness in one’s spiritual journey. Just as the book of Psalms emphasizes rhythms of worship and reflection throughout its poetic verses, so too could “seven scores” indicate the culmination of life experiences that guide believers toward maturity and fulfillment in their faith. Thus, the concept of “seven scores” could encapsulate a transformative journey marked by divine purpose and human response.
The Significance of Completion and Rest
In biblical literature, the concept of “seven” often symbolizes completeness and divine perfection. The number seven is frequently associated with God’s creative work, culminating in a state of rest. This idea reflects the notion that after a period of labor or trial, a divine completion is achieved, leading to a time of rest and fulfillment. The seven scores can thus represent a cycle of work followed by a divine pause, emphasizing the importance of rest in the spiritual journey.
The Symbolism of Covenant and Promise
The number seven also carries connotations of covenant and divine promise throughout the Bible. It signifies the establishment of a relationship between God and His people, often marked by oaths or commitments. In this context, seven scores can be interpreted as a reminder of the promises made by God, highlighting the faithfulness required from both parties in a covenant relationship. This underscores the importance of trust and loyalty in the spiritual life.
The Journey of Spiritual Growth
Additionally, the seven scores can be seen as a metaphor for the stages of spiritual growth and development. Each score may represent a significant milestone or lesson learned along the path of faith. This interpretation encourages believers to view their spiritual journey as a progressive unfolding of understanding and maturity, where each stage builds upon the previous one, ultimately leading to a deeper relationship with God.
How to Embrace Completeness in Christian Faith and Judgment
Embracing completeness in your Christian faith and judgment is a journey that invites you to deepen your relationship with God and to reflect His love in every aspect of your life. Start by immersing yourself in Scripture, allowing the Word to shape your understanding of God’s character and His promises for you. Remember that completeness doesn’t mean perfection; it’s about being whole in Christ, who invites us to bring our doubts, struggles, and questions to Him. Engage in prayer and community, seeking wisdom from fellow believers and being open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. As you grow in faith, practice discernment in your judgments—approach others with grace and compassion, recognizing that we are all on our own paths of growth. Ultimately, embracing completeness means living out your faith authentically, reflecting the love and mercy of Christ in your actions and interactions, and trusting that He is continually working in you to fulfill His purpose.
Bible References to the Seven Scores Meaning:
Genesis 9:28-29: 28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.
Genesis 11:10-26: 10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood.
11 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
12 And Arpachshad lived five hundred and thirty years after he fathered Shelah, and he had other sons and daughters.
13 Arpachshad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber.
14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber.
15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth,
16 And Eber lived thirty-four years and fathered Peleg.
17 So Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.
18 Peleg lived 30 years and fathered Reu.
19 These are the sons of Shem, according to their clans, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations.
20 Reu lived thirty-two years and fathered Serug.
21 When Eber had lived thirty-four years, he fathered Peleg.
22 Serug lived thirty years and fathered Nahor.
23 After he fathered Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah.
25 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah.
26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Genesis 25:7-8: 7 These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, 175 years.
8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
Genesis 47:28: 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.
Exodus 7:7: 7 Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Deuteronomy 34:7: 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.
Joshua 14:6-11: 6 Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me.
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart.
8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God.
9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’
10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.
11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.
2 Samuel 19:32-35: 32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.
33 And the king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.”
34 Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
35 I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?
1 Kings 1:1-4: 1 Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm.
2 So his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm.”
3 So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4 The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not.
1 Chronicles 29:26-28: 26 And David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.
27 And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years.
28 Then he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor. And Solomon his son reigned in his place.
Job 42:16-17: 16 And after this Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations.
17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days.
Psalm 90:10: 10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Isaiah 23:15: 15 At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the lifetime of one king. After the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:
Isaiah 65:20: 20 No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
Daniel 9:24-27: 24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.”
25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks.
26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.
27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.
Luke 2:36-37: 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,
37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
John 8:57: 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
Acts 7:23-30: 23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.”
24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.
25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.
26 And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’
27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
28 ‘Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30 “Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.”
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.