Lexical Summary pente: Five Original Word: πέντε Strong's Exhaustive Concordance five. A primary number; "five" -- five. HELPS Word-studies 4002 pénte – five, also used in Scripture with added symbolic meaning ("redemption by grace"). [This is derived from the collocations (associations) that "five" has when used in reference to the Tabernacle, Temple, etc.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. cardinal number Definition five NASB Translation fifty* (1), five (34), seventy-five* (1), three* (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4002: πέντεπέντε, οἱ, αἱ, five: Matthew 14:17, and often. (From Homer down.) Topical Lexicon Overview of Use in the New TestamentThe numeral occurs thirty-eight times across eleven books. Its settings range from miracles (Matthew 14:17; John 6:9), parables (Matthew 25:2; Luke 19:18), family situations (Luke 12:52), travel notes (Acts 20:6), to the cosmic visions of Revelation (Revelation 9:5). Together these occurrences create a tapestry in which “five” regularly marks limitation that God overcomes, measured responsibility, and transitional moments in redemptive history. Five in the Feeding Miracles Matthew 14:17-21; Mark 6:38-44; Luke 9:13-17; John 6:9-13 Five barley loaves are contrasted with “about five thousand men, besides women and children” (Matthew 14:21). The repeated stress on the small number highlights Jesus’ power to multiply scant provision. The detail reappears when He reminds the disciples, “When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” (Mark 8:19). In ministry application, the number underscores that inadequate human resources, surrendered to Christ, become more than sufficient for the needs of the multitude. Five in Parables of Preparedness and Stewardship 1. Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) “Five of them were foolish, and five were wise” (Matthew 25:2). The equal division allows the lesson to rest entirely on spiritual preparedness, not on external advantage. The wise five embody vigilance; the foolish five warn against presumption. 2. Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) The first servant receives five talents and gains five more (Matthew 25:16, 20). His diligence models faithful use of entrusted resources. The identical praise given to the servant who doubled two talents shows that honor is tied to proportional faithfulness, not to size of endowment. 3. Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27) The second servant reports, “Master, your mina has made five minas more” (Luke 19:18). He is rewarded governance over five cities (Luke 19:19). Again “five” frames rewarded responsibility—limited yet significant. Five in Personal and Domestic Contexts Luke 12:52 announces coming division: “From now on there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three.” Discipleship realigns loyalties, and the number pictures the typical small family unit in first-century Palestine, making the warning concrete. John 4:18 records Jesus’ disclosure to the Samaritan woman: “You have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.” The numeral exposes both her broken past and Christ’s omniscience, preparing her to receive living water. Five in Geographic and Architectural Details John 5:2 situates the healing of the invalid at “a pool in Aramaic called Bethesda, which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.” The specific count roots the account in verifiable topography and subtly points to grace: the place of “house of mercy” (Bethesda) is framed by five porticoes where multitudes waited for healing. Five in Apostolic History Acts 4:4 notes that “the number of men grew to about five thousand.” The base numeral “five” lies within the compound but still signals explosive growth from the original twelve. Acts 20:6 comments, “We sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and within five days we joined them at Troas.” Such precise travel data authenticates Luke’s eyewitness record. Acts 24:1 mentions that after “five days” Ananias came down to Caesarea, anchoring Paul’s hearings in real time. Acts 19:19 records converts in Ephesus burning scrolls valued at “fifty thousand drachmas,” the underlying “five” again marking decisive break with former life. Five in Prophetic and Apocalyptic Visions Revelation 9:5,10 twice fix the torment inflicted by demonic locusts at “five months,” a limited judgment that urges repentance. Revelation 17:10 portrays world empires: “Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come.” The numeral structures history as already under sovereign oversight, assuring believers that evil’s tenure is both numbered and terminal. Theological Reflections 1. Limited Human Supply vs. Divine Sufficiency Whether five loaves or five husbands, the number often flags insufficiency—yet the Lord intervenes with abundance or grace. 2. Measured Responsibility Five talents, five minas, and five cities teach accountability proportional to gifting. Ministry evaluation is qualitative faithfulness, not quantitative impressive size. 3. Transitional Moments Five days of travel, five months of plague, five fallen kings—each occurrence marks a hinge point. God writes salvation history on a schedule even in its minutiae. 4. Balance and Division The symmetrical five-and-five virgins, or the divided household of five, show that the gospel cuts through human ties, separating belief from unbelief. Pastoral and Ministry Implications • Leaders should not despise small resources; in the Master’s hands “five loaves” feed nations. Conclusion Across the New Testament the simple numeral “five” functions far beyond arithmetic. It punctuates miracles, parables, personal encounters, historical notes, and cosmic prophecy, consistently reinforcing God’s mastery over scarcity, His call to faithful service, and His precise governance of redemptive history. Forms and Transliterations πεντε πέντε πεντεκαιδέκα πεντεκαίδεκα pente pénteLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 14:17 AdjGRK: εἰ μὴ πέντε ἄρτους καὶ NAS: here only five loaves and two KJV: here but five loaves, and INT: if not five loaves and Matthew 14:19 Adj Matthew 16:9 Adj Matthew 25:2 Adj Matthew 25:2 Adj Matthew 25:15 Adj Matthew 25:16 Adj Matthew 25:16 Adj Matthew 25:20 Adj Matthew 25:20 Adj Matthew 25:20 Adj Matthew 25:20 Adj Mark 6:38 Adj Mark 6:41 Adj Mark 8:19 Adj Luke 1:24 Adj Luke 9:13 Adj Luke 9:16 Adj Luke 12:6 Adj Luke 12:52 Adj Luke 14:19 Adj Luke 16:28 Adj Luke 19:18 Adj Luke 19:19 Adj John 4:18 Adj |
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