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G4004 · Greek · New Testament
πεντήκοντα
pentekonta
Numeral
Fifty

Definition

The Greek numeral pentekonta means fifty. It appears in various contexts in the New Testament — in historical counts, the feeding of the multitude, and most significantly in the calculation of Pentecost timing.

Usage & Theological Significance

The number fifty carries profound theological weight in the Old Testament's liturgical calendar. Pentecost (pentekoste) means 'fiftieth' — the feast celebrated fifty days after Passover. When the Spirit falls in Acts 2, it fulfills the agricultural first-fruits festival at exactly the right time, charged with eschatological significance. The Jubilee (yovel) was also the fiftieth year — the year of release, debt cancellation, and return to inheritance (Leviticus 25). The number fifty thus carries the freight of harvest completion and total liberation. That the Spirit comes at the fiftieth-day feast is not coincidence but divine design: the full Jubilee freedom has come through Christ's atoning death, and the Spirit seals it.

Key Bible Verses

John 8:57 The Jews said to him, 'You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?'
Luke 9:14 About five thousand men were there... Jesus said to his disciples, 'Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.'
Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost (pentekoste) came, they were all together in one place.
Leviticus 25:10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you.
Revelation 7:4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

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