Greek word · G1501

εἴκοσι

eikosi

twenty

The number twenty-four. In Revelation numbers usually carry symbolic meaning.

Appears 11 times in 10 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

εἴκοσι (never -ιν in WH, cf. Bl., §5, 3, and note), indecl., οἱ, αἱ, τά,

twenty: Luke 14:31, John 6:19, Acts 1:15 27:28, 1 Corinthians 10:8, Revelation 4:4, 10 5:8 11:16 19:4.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Revelation 4:4

Range of meaning

The number twenty-four. In Revelation numbers usually carry symbolic meaning.

Against the English

The English is exact. The question is what the number would have called to mind.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Chr 24:1–19 divides the priests into 24 'courses' (rotating shifts), and 1 Chr 25 divides the temple singers into 24 groups. Josephus (Antiquities 7.365–366) confirms that the 24 priestly courses still operated in his day. Rev 21:12–14 puts the names of the 12 tribes and the 12 apostles on the New Jerusalem, giving 24 together. Diodorus Siculus (2.31.4) says Babylonian astrology recognized 24 stars that served as 'judges of all'.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 14:31 εἴκοσι twenty

    Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

John · 1

  1. John 6:19 εἴκοσι twenty

    When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified.

    Here: Part of the compound number 'twenty-five'.

Acts · 2

  1. Acts 1:15 εἴκοσι· twenty —

    In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty) and said,

  2. Acts 27:28 εἴκοσι, twenty,

    They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms.

1 Corinthians · 1

  1. 1 Corinthians 10:8 εἴκοσι twenty

    We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

    Here: First part of the number. On how it compares with the figure in Numbers, see the notes.

Revelation · 6

  1. Revelation 4:4 εἴκοσι εἴκοσι [were] twenty, twenty

    Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on these thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white, with golden crowns on their heads.

    Here: The first half of the number 24.

  2. Revelation 4:10 εἴκοσι twenty

    the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

    Here: First half of the number twenty-four.

  3. Revelation 5:8 εἴκοσι twenty

    When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

    Here: The first part of the number twenty-four.

  4. Revelation 11:16 εἴκοσι twenty

    And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,

    Here: The first half of the number twenty-four. In Revelation numbers usually carry symbolic weight (24 = 2 × 12).

  5. Revelation 19:4 εἴκοσι twenty

    And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying: “Amen, Hallelujah!”

    Here: The first part of the fixed number 24, which is used for this group throughout Revelation.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.