📖 Biblical Definition
Three is the number of God. The Trinity is three Persons, one essence: Father, Son, Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19). The seraphim cry "Holy, holy, holy" three times (Isa 6:3). Christ lay three days in the tomb and rose on the third day (1 Cor 15:4). Peter denied three times and Jesus restored him three times (John 21:15-17). Paul prayed three times for the thorn to depart (2 Cor 12:8). The Aaronic blessing is three-fold (Num 6:24-26). When Scripture uses three, it is often marking divine action or divine identity.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
THREE, n.
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THREE, n. A cardinal number, two and one. In Scripture, three is the number of the divine: the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), the trisagion of the seraphim ("holy, holy, holy"), the three days in the tomb, the three-fold Aaronic blessing, the three-fold pattern of divine action. When Scripture triples something, a theological weight is usually being marked.
📖 Key Scripture
Matthew 28:19 — "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Isaiah 6:3 — "And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!""
1 Corinthians 15:4 — "And that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures."
Numbers 6:24-26 — "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Tripled statements in Scripture often mark divine identity. Modern readers treat them as repetition for emphasis; Scripture often means something deeper.
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"Holy, holy, holy" is not mere Hebrew emphasis. The thrice-repeated praise to a thrice-personed God carries theological weight. Three is the divine number. When the seraphim cry holy three times (and only that attribute gets tripled; never "love, love, love" or "justice, justice, justice"), the doctrine is being sung. Pay attention to biblical threes.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
H7969 — shalosh. G5140 — treis.
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H7969 — shalosh (שָׁלוֹשׁ) — three.
G5140 — treis (τρεῖς) — three.
Usage
"Holy, holy, holy — the only divine attribute tripled in the Bible. The trisagion preaches the Trinity."
"Three days in the tomb. The divine number on the divine event."