Ten
Summary
The number ten in Scripture signifies completeness and is foundational to the decimal system, appearing prominently in the Ten Commandments and the tithing system.
☩Significance of Ten
The number ten derives naturally from the ten fingers used for counting and lies at the basis of numerical systems worldwide. In Hebrew, the word for tithe comes from the same root as ten, suggesting that ten is the 'complete' or 'full' number. This number appears throughout Scripture in contexts suggesting completeness: the Ten Commandments summarize God's moral law; ten plagues demonstrated God's complete judgment on Egypt; ten virgins represent the whole company of those awaiting the bridegroom.
☩Idiomatic Usage
Ten is frequently used idiomatically to express a complete but indefinite number. When Jacob said Laban had changed his wages 'ten times,' or Job complained that his friends had reproached him 'ten times,' the meaning is 'many times' or 'repeatedly.' Similarly, 'ten men from all languages of the nations' grasping a Jew's garment represents all nations seeking God. This usage indicates fullness or completeness without specifying an exact count.
Related Verses226 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Ten," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Number," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Number," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Ten," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).