Category:Seven

Sev"en, a. Etym: [oe. seven, seoven, seofen, as. seofon, seofan, Seofen; akin to d. zeven, os., Goth., & ohg. sibun, g. sieben, icel. Sjau, sjö, sw. sju, dan. syv, lith. septyni, russ. seme, w. saith, Gael. seachd, ir. seacht, l. septem, gr. saptan. sq. root305. Cf. Hebdomad, heptagon, september.]

Defn: one more than six; six and one added; as, seven days make one Week. Seven sciences. See the note under science, n., 4. -- seven stars (astron.), the pleiades. -- seven wonders of the world. See under wonders. -- seven-year apple (bot.), a rubiaceous shrub (genipa clusiifolia) Growing in the west indies; also, its edible fruit. -- seven-year vine (bot.), a tropical climbing plant (ipomoea Tuberosa) related to the morning-glory.

Seven Sev"en, n.

1. The number greater by one than six; seven units or objects. Of every beast, and bird, and insect small, game sevens and pairs. Milton.

2. A symbol representing seven units, as 7, or vii.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Seven - This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Genesis 2:2, Genesis 2:3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. "Jacob's seven years' service to Laban; Pharaoh's seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; who sounded them; the seven days' siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number" (see Leviticus 25:4; 1 Samuel 2:5; Psalms 12:6; Psalms 79:12; Proverbs 26:16; Isaiah 4:1; Matthew 18:21, Matthew 18:22; Luke 17:4). The feast of Passover (Exodus 12:15, Exodus 12:16), the feast of Weeks (Deuteronomy 16:9), of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 13:15), and the Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8), were all ordered by seven. Seven is the number of sacrifice (2 Chronicles 29:21; Job 42:8), of purification and consecration (Leviticus 4:6, Leviticus 4:17; Leviticus 8:11, Leviticus 8:33; Leviticus 14:9, Leviticus 14:51), of forgiveness (Matthew 18:21, Matthew 18:22; Luke 17:4), of reward (Deuteronomy 28:7; 1 Samuel 2:5), and of punishment (Leviticus 26:21, Leviticus 26:24, Leviticus 26:28; Deuteronomy 28:25). It is used for any round number in such passages as Job 5:19; Proverbs 26:16, Proverbs 26:25; Isaiah 4:1; Matthew 12:45. It is used also to mean "abundantly" (Genesis 4:15, Genesis 4:24; Leviticus 26:24; Psalms 79:12).