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The number seven in the Bible
49 passages of the Berean Standard Bible, line by line, from Nave’s Topical Bible.
Seven days
- God rested on the seventh day; six days of work, then the SabbathGen 2:3, Exod 20:11, Deut 5:13–14
The verses
Gen 2:3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished.
Exod 20:11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Deut 5:13–14Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do.
- The flood came seven days after Noah entered the arkGen 7:4, Gen 7:10
- Noah waited seven days between sending out the doveGen 8:10, Gen 8:12
- Joseph mourned his father seven daysGen 50:10
The verses
Gen 50:10When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.
- Job's friends sat with him seven days in silenceJob 2:13
The verses
Job 2:13Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense his suffering was.
- Seven days of unleavened bread at PassoverExod 12:15
The verses
Exod 12:15For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.
- Seven days in booths at the Feast of TabernaclesLev 23:34, Lev 23:42
- The ordination of priests took seven daysExod 29:35
The verses
Exod 29:35This is what you are to do for Aaron and his sons based on all that I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them.
- Saul waited seven days for Samuel at Gilgal1 Sam 13:8
The verses
1 Sam 13:8And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.
- Jabesh asked for seven days before surrendering1 Sam 11:3
The verses
1 Sam 11:3“Hold off for seven days,” replied the elders of Jabesh, “and let us send messengers throughout Israel. If there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”
- The men of Jabesh fasted seven days after burying Saul1 Sam 31:13
The verses
1 Sam 31:13Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
- Samson's wedding feast and riddle lasted seven daysJudg 14:12, Judg 14:17
The verses
Judg 14:12“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
Judg 14:17She wept the whole seven days of the feast, and finally on the seventh day, because she had pressed him so much, he told her the answer. And in turn she explained the riddle to her people.
- Xerxes held a seven-day feast in the palace gardenEsth 1:5
The verses
Esth 1:5At the end of this time, in the garden court of the royal palace, the king held a seven-day feast for all the people in the citadel of Susa, from the least to the greatest.
- Paul stayed seven days in TyreActs 21:4
The verses
Acts 21:4We sought out the disciples in Tyre and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
Seven years
- Jacob served seven years for Rachel, then seven moreGen 29:20, Gen 29:27
- Seven years of plenty, then seven of famine in EgyptGen 41:53–54
The verses
Gen 41:53–54When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt.
- A seven-year famine in Elisha's day2 Kgs 8:1–2
The verses
2 Kgs 8:1–2Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed a seven-year famine, and it has already come to the land.” So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines.
- Solomon built the temple in seven years1 Kgs 6:38
The verses
1 Kgs 6:38In his eleventh year and eighth month, the month of Bul, the temple was finished in every detail and according to every specification. So he built the temple in seven years.
- Seven times seven years to the JubileeLev 25:8
The verses
Lev 25:8And you shall count off seven Sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven Sabbaths of years amount to forty-nine years.
Seven times and sevens
- Lamech: Cain avenged sevenfold, Lamech seventy-sevenfoldGen 4:24
The verses
Gen 4:24If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
- Seven pairs of every clean animal into the arkGen 7:2
The verses
Gen 7:2You are to take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate; a pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate;
- Abraham gave Abimelech seven ewe lambsGen 21:28–30
The verses
Gen 21:28–30Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock, and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?” He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand as my witness that I dug this well.”
- Jacob bowed to the ground seven times before EsauGen 33:3
The verses
Gen 33:3But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
- Pharaoh's dream: seven cows and seven heads of grainGen 41:2–7
The verses
Gen 41:2–7when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river. And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up, but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind. And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.
- The priest sprinkled blood and oil seven timesLev 4:6, Lev 14:16
- Balaam asked for seven altars, seven bulls, seven ramsNum 23:1
The verses
Num 23:1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
- Seven priests, seven horns, seven times around JerichoJosh 6:4, Josh 6:15–16
The verses
Josh 6:4Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.
Josh 6:15–16Then on the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. That was the only day they circled the city seven times. After the seventh time around, the priests blew the horns, and Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!
- Samson's seven braidsJudg 16:13, Judg 16:19
The verses
Judg 16:13Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and lied to me all along! Tell me how you can be tied up.” He told her, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the web of a loom and tighten it with a pin, I will become as weak as any other man.”
Judg 16:19And having lulled him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his head. In this way she began to subdue him, and his strength left him.
- Elijah's servant looked toward the sea seven times1 Kgs 18:43–44
The verses
1 Kgs 18:43–44“Go and look toward the sea,” he said to his servant. So the servant went and looked, and he said, “There is nothing there.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” On the seventh time the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” And Elijah replied, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”
- The Shunammite's son sneezed seven times2 Kgs 4:35
The verses
2 Kgs 4:35Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
- Naaman washed in the Jordan seven times2 Kgs 5:10, 2 Kgs 5:14
The verses
2 Kgs 5:10Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.”
2 Kgs 5:14So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored and became like that of a little child, and he was clean.
- Nebuchadnezzar heated the furnace seven times hotterDan 3:19
The verses
Dan 3:19At this, Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual,
- Seven eunuchs and seven princes at the court of XerxesEsth 1:10, Esth 1:14
The verses
Esth 1:10On the seventh day, when the king’s heart was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—
Esth 1:14His closest advisors were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom.
- Forgive not only seven times, but far moreMatt 18:21–22
The verses
Matt 18:21–22Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!
- Seven loaves, and seven basketfuls left overMatt 15:34–37
The verses
Matt 15:34–37“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
- Seven men chosen to serve the Jerusalem believersActs 6:3
The verses
Acts 6:3Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint this responsibility to them
- The seven sons of ScevaActs 19:14
The verses
Acts 19:14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
Sources
From Nave’s Topical Bible (Orville J. Nave, 1896; public domain): subjects chosen, lines shortened and put into modern words, lines of interpretation left out; each verse checked.
Berean Standard Bible · Public domain