The term "thirty-eighth" is not directly referenced in the Bible as a significant number or event. However, the concept of specific numbers often holds symbolic or chronological importance within the biblical narrative. In biblical numerology, numbers can carry symbolic meanings, though the number thirty-eight itself is not traditionally highlighted as a number of particular significance like seven, twelve, or forty.

Biblical Context:

1. John 5:5 : The most notable mention of the number thirty-eight in the Bible is found in the Gospel of John. "One man there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years." This passage describes a man who had been suffering from an infirmity for thirty-eight years, lying by the Pool of Bethesda. Jesus, seeing him, heals him, demonstrating His divine authority and compassion. This miracle is significant as it showcases Jesus' power over long-term afflictions and His willingness to restore those who have been marginalized by society due to their ailments.

2. Symbolic Interpretation: While the number thirty-eight itself does not have a widely recognized symbolic meaning in Scripture, the duration of the man's illness can be seen as a representation of prolonged suffering and the hope of deliverance. The healing after thirty-eight years signifies the transformative power of Christ and the fulfillment of hope and faith, even after extended periods of hardship.

3. Historical and Cultural Context: In the Jewish tradition, numbers often carry symbolic weight. While thirty-eight is not specifically highlighted, the context of the healing at Bethesda reflects the Jewish understanding of illness and sin, where physical ailments were sometimes seen as a result of sin or spiritual deficiency. Jesus' healing of the man challenges this notion, emphasizing grace and divine intervention.

4. Theological Implications: The healing of the man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years underscores the theme of redemption and new beginnings. It illustrates the breaking of old patterns and the ushering in of a new era through Christ's ministry. This act of healing is a testament to the belief that no situation is beyond the reach of God's mercy and power.

In summary, while the number thirty-eight itself is not a focal point in biblical numerology or theology, its occurrence in the healing at Bethesda provides a profound narrative of hope, divine intervention, and the breaking of long-standing barriers through the ministry of Jesus Christ.7970. sheloshim -- thirty
... 1), 435* (2), 530* (1), 601,730* (1), 7,337* (2), 730* (1), 736* (2), 832* (1),
thirtieth (1), thirty (88), thirty-eight* (1), thirty-eighth* (2), thirty-fifth ...
/hebrew/7970.htm - 6k

8083. shemoneh -- eight (a cardinal number)
... 928* (1), 98* (2), eight (36), eighteen* (8), eighteenth* (11), eighth (3),
forty-eight* (2), ninety-eight* (1), thirty-eight* (1), thirty-eighth* (2), twenty ...
/hebrew/8083.htm - 6k

The Thirty-Eighth Chapter: the Right Ordering of External Affairs ...
... BOOK THREE. INTERNAL CONSOLATION The Thirty-Eighth Chapter: The Right Ordering of
External Affairs; Recourse to God in Dangers. The Voice of Christ ...
/.../kempis/the imitation of christ/the thirty-eighth chapter the right.htm

The Imitation of Christ
... Freedom of Heart. The Thirty-Eighth Chapter: The Right Ordering of External
Affairs; Recourse to God in Dangers. The Thirty-Ninth ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kempis/the imitation of christ/

Canons of the Church of Alexandria.
... in like manner with a reader. Canon Thirty-eighth. Of the night on which
our Lord Jesus Christ rose. That no one shall sleep on ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/canons of the church of.htm

The Woman who Suffered from an Issue of Blood was no Type of the ...
... healed by the Lord, after he had suffered for eight-and-thirty years: they ought
therefore to affirm that the ??on who occupies the thirty-eighth place suffered ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxiii the woman who suffered.htm

Rufinus' Preface to the Translation of Origen's Commentary on ...
... The whole exposition of the thirty-sixth, thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth Psalms
is ethical in its character, being designed to enforce more correct methods ...
/.../rufinus preface to the translation.htm

The Peroration of Rufinus Appended to his Translation of Origen's ...
... The works upon Jesus Nave [3444] and the book of Judges and the thirty-sixth,
thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth Psalms, I translated simply as I found them ...
/.../the peroration of rufinus appended.htm

The Lowell Lectures on the Ascent of Man
... Title Page. THE LOWELL LECTURES ON THE ASCENT OF MAN BY. HENRY DRUMMOND. THIRTY
EIGHTH THOUSAND. LONDON. HODDER AND STOUGHTON. PATERNOSTER ROW. 1904. ...
/.../drummond/the lowell lectures on the ascent of man/title page.htm

How Miracles of Healing have Been Frequently Wrought in the Place ...
... nation and pagan king of the Mercians, who had slain his predecessor Edwin, at a
place called in the English tongue Maserfelth, in the thirty-eighth year of ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap ix how miracles of.htm

The Deeds of Some Holy Persons who Devoted Themselves to a ...
... Pambos being an illiterate man went to some one for the purpose of being taught
a psalm; and having heard the first verse of the thirty-eighth psalm, I said I ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of scholasticus/chapter xxiii the deeds of some.htm

The Displeasure of Jesus.
... according to the margin of the revised version, 'he was moved with indignation in
the spirit, and troubled himself.' Also in the thirty-eighth verse we read ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/the displeasure of jesus.htm

Thirty-eighth (2 Occurrences)
Thirty-eighth. Thirty-eight, Thirty-eighth. Thirty-fifth .
Multi-Version Concordance Thirty-eighth (2 Occurrences). ...
/t/thirty-eighth.htm - 7k

Eighth (38 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 16:29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son
of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in ...
/e/eighth.htm - 19k

Thirty-fifth (1 Occurrence)
Thirty-fifth. Thirty-eighth, Thirty-fifth. Thirty-first . Multi-Version
Concordance ... (BBE DBY NAS RSV NIV). Thirty-eighth, Thirty-fifth. Thirty-first . ...
/t/thirty-fifth.htm - 6k

Twenty-two (26 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 16:29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son
of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in ...
/t/twenty-two.htm - 14k

Thirty-eight (4 Occurrences)
Thirty-eight. Thirty, Thirty-eight. Thirty-eighth . Multi-Version Concordance ...
(WEB BBE DBY RSV). Thirty, Thirty-eight. Thirty-eighth . Reference Bible.
/t/thirty-eight.htm - 7k

Azaliah (3 Occurrences)
... Azaliah (3 Occurrences). 2 Kings 15:8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azaliah, king
of Judah, Zechariah, son of Jeroboam, was king over Israel for six months. ...
/a/azaliah.htm - 7k

Asa (54 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 16:29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son
of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in ...
/a/asa.htm - 29k

Months (65 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 15:8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zechariah
the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months. ...
/m/months.htm - 28k

Omri (16 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 16:29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son
of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in ...
/o/omri.htm - 20k

Samaria (123 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 16:29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son
of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in ...
/s/samaria.htm - 63k

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