Lexical Summary tessares: Four Original Word: τέσσαρες Strong's Exhaustive Concordance four. Or neuter tessara (tes'-sar-ah) a plural number; four -- four. HELPS Word-studies 5064 téssares – four, which sometimes also symbolizes universality ("total coverage, inclusion"). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. cardinal number Definition four NASB Translation eighty-four* (1), forty-four* (3), four (29), four men (1), twenty-four* (6). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5064: τέσσαρεςτέσσαρες, τεσσάρων, οἱ, αἱ, τέσσαρα, τά, genitive τεσσάρων, dative τέσσαρσιν ((Lachmann reads τεσσερες 7 times to 33, Tdf. 6 to 35, Tr 6 to 33, WH 6 to 34; Lachmann sometimes has τεσσερα, T Tr WH always; L Tr sometimes have τεσσερας (see WHs Appendix, p. 150)); but no editor adopts epsilon (e) in the genitive or the dative; see τεσσαράκοντα and references), four: Matthew 24:31; Mark 2:3; Luke 2:37; John 11:17; Acts 10:11; Revelation 4:4, etc. STRONGS NT 5064: τεσσερ( [τεσσερ( see τεσσαρ( (cf. Meisterhans, § 21, 4)] STRONGS NT 5064: τετρα(τετρα(, in composition equivalent to τετορα, Aeolic (Doric rather) for τέσσαρα. Topical Lexicon OverviewThe Greek word τέσσαρες (Strong’s 5064) designates the cardinal number “four” and its inflected forms. While numerals can be mere counters, Scripture uses them purposefully. The New Testament employs “four” forty-one times to convey completeness within the created order, universality of divine action, and cooperative agency in redemptive history. Four and Creation’s Compass Four often frames the physical world: four winds, four corners, four directions. John’s Apocalypse repeatedly draws on this imagery. • Revelation 7:1 – “I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth …”. By invoking the number of terrestrial totality, the Spirit shows that God’s sovereignty extends to every point of creation and that eschatological judgments will be global, not local. Four as Comprehensive Witness The Gospels present Christ from four complementary angles, reflecting the biblical pattern of quadriform testimony (compare “every matter may stand by the testimony of two or three witnesses” and now, in fullness, four). Likewise: • The soldiers who divided the Lord’s garments were four (John 19:23), unwittingly bearing witness that His suffering covered all humanity. Key Narrative Occurrences 1. John 11:17 – Lazarus has been dead “four days,” removing any doubt of mere swoon and magnifying Christ’s resurrection power. Heavenly Quadriform: The Four Living Creatures John’s throne-room visions repeatedly pair “four” with the ζῷα (“living creatures,” Revelation 4:6-9; 5:6-14; 6:1-8; 7:11; 14:3; 19:4). These beings mirror Ezekiel’s cherubim and stand for all animate creation in ceaseless worship: Revelation 4:8 – “Each of the four living creatures … never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty…’”. Their fourfold station—front, rear, left, right—surrounds the throne, asserting that praise rises from every quarter of existence. Four in Eschatological Sequences • Four horsemen (Revelation 6:1-8) initiate the seal judgments, touching conquest, war, famine, and death—comprehensive calamity. Ministry Patterns and Practical Lessons 1. Cooperative Service – The paralytic’s bearers (Mark 2:3) demonstrate that shared effort opens otherwise inaccessible doors to grace. Historical and Theological Significance Early Christian writers recognized the symbolic breadth of “four.” Irenaeus argued that just as there are four winds and four corners, so there are four Gospels. The patristic link between creation’s number and the gospel’s universality aligns with New Testament usage, anchoring the Church’s global mission. Harmony within Scripture Across narratives, parables, visions, and epistles, “four” consistently marks completeness within the created sphere. Whether portraying earthly geography, angelic ranks, or cooperative discipleship, the figure reinforces the coherence of divine revelation: one God exercising total authority over the total world, calling the total Church to proclaim a total gospel. Summary Strong’s 5064 serves more than arithmetic; it frames the wholeness of God’s work in creation, redemption, and consummation. From four soldiers at the cross to four living creatures around the throne, the Holy Spirit weaves a foursquare tapestry that testifies to the universal scope and unbroken unity of the Lord’s purposes. Forms and Transliterations τέσσαρα τεσσαρας τεσσάρας τέσσαρας τεσσαρες τέσσαρες τεσσαρεσκαιδέκα τεσσαρεσκαίδεκα τέσσαρσι τεσσαρσιν τέσσαρσιν τεσσαρων τεσσάρων τεσσερα τέσσερα tessara téssara tessaras téssaras tessares téssares tessaron tessarōn tessáron tessárōn tessarsin téssarsinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 24:31 Adj-GMPGRK: ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων ἀνέμων ἀπ' NAS: His elect from the four winds, KJV: elect from the four winds, from INT: from the four winds from [the] Mark 2:3 Adj-GMP Mark 13:27 Adj-GMP Luke 2:37 Adj-GNP John 11:17 Adj-AFP John 19:23 Adj-ANP Acts 10:11 Adj-DFP Acts 11:5 Adj-DFP Acts 12:4 Adj-DNP Acts 21:9 Adj-NFP Acts 21:23 Adj-NMP Acts 27:29 Adj-AFP Revelation 4:4 Adj-NMP Revelation 4:4 Adj-AMP Revelation 4:6 Adj-NNP Revelation 4:8 Adj-NNP Revelation 4:10 Adj-NMP Revelation 5:6 Adj-GNP Revelation 5:8 Adj-NNP Revelation 5:8 Adj-NMP Revelation 5:14 Adj-NNP Revelation 6:1 Adj-GNP Revelation 6:6 Adj-GNP Revelation 7:1 Adj-AMP Revelation 7:1 Adj-AFP Strong's Greek 5064 |
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