Thirty

From: The Numerals Of Scripture By: Edward C. Pressland

• 2 min. read • grade level: 10

Thirty is a number which may be regarded, according to its connection, as 5x6 or as 3x10.

Responsible man imperfect in his ways with his fellow men would be suggested by the former, and so a few 30's appear together in the book of Judges. Jair the Gileadite (ch. 10:4) had 30 sons on 30 ass colts, having 30 cities: men acting, but only in a partial authority, not over all Israel. Ibzan also had 30 sons and 30 daughters (ch. 12:9). Abdon (ch. 12:14) had 30 nephews, besides 40 sons (Judg. 14:11¹¹And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. (Judges 14:11)). Thirty companions were brought to Samson, etc. In Ch. 20:39, and also in v. 31, Benjamin slew each time about 30 of Israel.

1 Sam. 9:22²²And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlor, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons. (1 Samuel 9:22) shows about 30 persons bidden to the feast by Samuel.

David had 30 chief men, one of whom brought 30 with him (1 Chron. 11:42⁴²Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, (1 Chronicles 11:42)).

Ebedmelech took 30 men with him to release the prophet from his dungeon (Jer. 38:10¹⁰Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. (Jeremiah 38:10)).

David was 30 years old when he began to reign, in 2 Sam. 5:4⁴David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. (2 Samuel 5:4). Joseph was 30 when he stood before Pharaoh. Both are types of our Lord, who began to be about 30 years of age (Luke 3:23²³And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, (Luke 3:23)) when He entered upon His public ministry. Here probably 3x10 will be clearly seen: Divine perfection in full responsibility before God.

Yet Judas covenanted to betray Him for 30 pieces of silver (Matt. 26:15¹⁵And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:15)) even as Zechariah in his prophecy (Ch. 11:12) says, "they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver." Connect with this the price of a gored servant 30 shekels in Ex. 21:32³²If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. (Exodus 21:32).

The mourning for Aaron was 30 days (Num. 20:29²⁹And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel. (Numbers 20:29)). Also, for Moses (Deut. 34:8⁸And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. (Deuteronomy 34:8)).

Noah's ark was 30 cubits high (Gen. 6:15¹⁵And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. (Genesis 6:15)) and so was the "holy" of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:2²And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. (1 Kings 6:2)).

Ezra brought back 30 chargers of gold, and 30 basins of gold (Ezra 1:9,10⁹And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, ¹⁰Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. (Ezra 1:9‑10)).

Solomon's laver was 30 cubits in circumference (1 Kings 7:23²³And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. (1 Kings 7:23)).

Esther says (Ch. 4:11) she had not been called to go in to the king for 30 days. And in Dan. 6:12¹²Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. (Daniel 6:12), it was for 30 days forbidden to make any petition to God or man.

(These chief uses of the number are noted for the purpose of further consideration and so with others of the numerals, where the precise value is not seen clearly.)

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