705. arithmeó

Lexical Summary

arithmeó: To count, to number

Original Word: ἀριθμέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: arithmeó
Pronunciation: ar-ith-meh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-ith-meh'-o)
KJV: number
NASB: numbered, count
Word Origin: [from G706 (ἀριθμός - number)]

1. to enumerate or count

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

number, count.

From arithmos; to enumerate or count -- number.

see GREEK arithmos

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from arithmos
Definition
to number
NASB Translation
count (1), numbered (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 705: ἀριθμέω

ἀριθμέω, ἀριθμῷ: 1 aorist ἠρίθμησα; perfect passive ἠρίθμημαι: (ἀριθμός); (from Homer down); to number: Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7; Revelation 7:9. (Compare: καταριθμέω.)

Topical Lexicon

Scope of the Verb in Biblical Revelation

The term appears only three times in the Greek New Testament, yet each instance illumines a unique facet of God’s character and redemptive plan. Whether addressing individual disciples, comforting anxious followers, or unveiling an apocalyptic vision, the verb underscores the divine act of deliberate, personal, and comprehensive numbering.

Divine Omniscience and Individual Worth (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7)

Jesus employs the verb when assuring His disciples of the Father’s meticulous care: “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7 echoes the same truth). In context, the verb moves beyond a mere arithmetic statement. It conveys:
• Omniscience—God’s knowledge penetrates to the smallest detail of human existence.
• Providence—because every hair is numbered, no threat, persecution, or sparrow falls outside the sovereign gaze (Matthew 10:29-31).
• Worth—human value rests not in self-derived merit but in being the object of God’s exhaustive attention. For disciples facing adversity, the verb anchors courage in the certainty that nothing escapes divine calculation.

The Innumerable Redeemed Multitude (Revelation 7:9)

John’s vision shifts the focus from the individual to a collective host “that no one could count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue” (Revelation 7:9). Paradoxically, what humanity cannot count, God has already numbered. The verb in the previous verse (Revelation 7:4) speaks of a specific tally (144,000), while verse 9 declares a multitude beyond human enumeration. Together they illustrate:
• Completeness—every elect person is known to God; none are lost in the crowd.
• Universality—the counted multitude spans ethnic and linguistic barriers, validating the global scope of the gospel.
• Assurance—just as the sealed servants are precisely enumerated, the larger throng stands secure before the throne.

Intertextual Echoes with the Old Testament

The idea of God’s numbering permeates earlier Scripture: the stars (Genesis 15:5), days of human life (Job 14:5), tears (Psalm 56:8), and His people (Hosea 1:10). The New Testament uses of the verb gather these threads, portraying a God consistent in His meticulous care from Abraham to the Apocalypse.

Historical and Cultural Background

First-century census taking symbolized imperial control and taxation. Against this backdrop, Jesus’ statement about numbered hairs subverts earthly power structures: the Roman authorities may count citizens, but only God numbers hairs. In Revelation, the verb contrasts the heavenly cataloging of saints with Rome’s census of subjects, reminding persecuted believers of a higher registry.

Pastoral and Missionary Applications

• Counseling—believers wrestling with anxiety can rest in the God who numbers hairs and days.
• Evangelism—the innumerable multitude motivates global witness, affirming that the gospel will bear fruit among all peoples.
• Perseverance—martyrs and sufferers draw strength from the certainty that their lives are precisely known and valued by God.

Doctrinal and Eschatological Significance

The verb supports doctrines of divine omniscience, providence, election, and perseverance of the saints. Eschatologically, it assures that history moves toward a divinely tallied consummation where every ransomed soul appears before the throne, neither more nor less than God decreed.

Summary

Through a single verb the New Testament weaves a tapestry of personal care, sovereign oversight, and eschatological hope. From the strand of numbered hairs to the uncountable throng, Scripture affirms that the God who numbers also sustains and secures His people for time and eternity.

Forms and Transliterations

αριθμείν αριθμηθείη αριθμηθήναι αριθμηθήσεται αριθμησαι αριθμήσαι ἀριθμῆσαι αριθμήσατε αριθμήσετε αρίθμησον αριθμητά αριθμηταί αριθμητοί αριθμούντος αριθμών ηριθμημεναι ηριθμημέναι ἠριθμημέναι ηριθμηνται ηρίθμηνται ἠρίθμηνται ηρίθμησαν ηρίθμησας ηρίθμησε ηρίθμησεν arithmesai arithmêsai arithmēsai arithmē̂sai erithmemenai erithmeménai ērithmēmenai ērithmēménai erithmentai eríthmentai ērithmēntai ēríthmēntai

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 10:30 V-RPM/P-NFP
GRK: κεφαλῆς πᾶσαι ἠριθμημέναι εἰσίν
NAS: of your head are all numbered.
KJV: are all numbered.
INT: head all numbered are

Luke 12:7 V-RIM/P-3P
GRK: ὑμῶν πᾶσαι ἠρίθμηνται μὴ φοβεῖσθε
NAS: are all numbered. Do not fear;
KJV: are all numbered. Fear not
INT: of you all have been numbered Not fear

Revelation 7:9 V-ANA
GRK: πολύς ὃν ἀριθμῆσαι αὐτὸν οὐδεὶς
NAS: no one could count, from every nation
KJV: no man could number, of all
INT: great which to number it no one

Strong's Greek 705
3 Occurrences

ἀριθμῆσαι — 1 Occ.
ἠριθμημέναι — 1 Occ.
ἠρίθμηνται — 1 Occ.