This topic will examine Bible verses & terms that reflect “thousand” and “thousand years”.
The New Testament (NT) passage that prompted the topic is Re.20:1-5. The apostle John wrote: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom authority to judge was given. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.”
In the extended passage of Re.20:1-7, “thousand years” appears 6 times. Is the thousand years meant literally or approximately or as a rounded number? Or is the 1,000 years figurative or a representation?
Figurative language is…using a word or phrase to picture something other than the literal or natural meaning. We normally interpret literally, actually,…unless the literal sense implies untruth, absurdity, impossibility, contradiction of other verses. In that case…the meaning is figurative, metaphorical, symbolic, allegorical, hyperbole, a simile, parable, idiom, a personification…not interpreted literally.
Words can be representative…to denote, signify, portray, or indicate something (else).
In the Re.20:1-7 passage, the NT Greek term for “thousand” is chílioi, Strongs g5507. Our English word kilo (multiplication by 1,000) is derived from this term chilioi.
In the Greek Old Testament (OT) LXX and Greek NT, chilioi g5507 is the term translated “thousand”. It can be the precise number one thousand/1,000. There are 11 NT occurrences: 2Pe.3:8; Re.11:3, 12:6, 14:20, 20:2-7. Chilioi g5507 can be a precise symbolic, representative, rounded, or literal 1,000.
The term chiliás g5505 is used in plural thousands. There are 23 NT occurrences: Lk.14:31; Ac.4:4; 1Co.10:8; Re.5:11, 7:4-8, 11:13, 14:1, 3, 21:16. In the NT, chilias g5505 is never used for the precise number one thousand/1,000.
A chilí-ar-kos g5506 was a commander/captain of 1,000 men. (A centurion was leader of 100 men.) e.g. in 1Sm.18:13 LXX, Saul appointed David “captain of 1,000 [g5506].” (A military commission under general Abner.) cf. 1Ch.12:14 LXX commanders of 100 (g1540) and of 1,000 (g5507) men.
The term múr-e-oi g3463 means “ten thousand/10,000”. There are 3 NT occurrences: Mt.18:24; 1Co.14:19. 1Co.4:15 “Though you have 10,000 instructors in Christ.”
The term mur-é-as g3461 is plural 10,000s; also it’s rendered an innumerable multitude. There are 9 NT occurrences: Lk.12:1; Ac.19:19, 21:20; He.12:22; Jde.1:14; Re.5:11, 9:16.
However, Hebrew had only one term for “thousand”…éleph h505. It occurs 500 times in the OT. Eleph is used: for the precise number one thousand/1,000, in numbers exceeding one thousand/1,000 (most often, e.g. 22,273 in Nu.3:43), and for plural “thousands”. There’s no distinction in the term itself.
Let’s survey many verses to see how “thousand” was meant in scripture. I’ll mostly reference the LXX for the OT; the Greek LXX language better compares to our Greek NT. First, numbers exceeding 1,000:
Nu.3:43 LXX “All the male firstborn, from a month old and upwards…were 22,273 [g5505 is within].” In this verse, “thousand” is a numeral which is part of a precise larger literal number.
Ezr.2:7 the children of Elám who returned from Babylonian captivity were 1,254 (g5507 is within). v.14 of Bigvái 2,056 (dis-chilioi, g1367) . v.35 of Senaáh 3,630 (tris-chilioi, g5153) v.39 of Harím 1,017 (g5507 within). v.65 there were 7,337 (eptakis-chilioi, g2035) male & female servants. In these verses, “thousand” is a numeral which is part of a precise larger literal number. Not an approximation.
Nu.1:46 All that were numbered were “603,550” (g5505 within). That’s the literal precise number of warriors age 20 and up. In Ex.12:37 & Nu.11:21, “600,000” (g5505 within) men is a close rounding.
Ex.38:26 the half-shekel tax in silver for each of the 603,550 men totaled 100 talents plus 1,775 (g5507 within) shekels. Here, 1,775 shekels is a literal amount. (100 talents @3,000 shekels each = 300,000).
Nu.31:32-40 the numbers in thousands (g5505 within) of animals and persons taken as booty are all roundings: 675,000, 72,000, 61,000, 32,000, 337,500, 36,000, 30,500, 16,000.
Jsh.8:25 LXX “They that fell in that day were 12,000 (dodeka chilias g5505) men and women; all the inhabitants of Aí.” Here, 12,000 is an approximation or a rounding.
The 5,000 in Ac.4:4, 23,000 in 1Co.10:8, 7,000 in Re.11:13…(g5505) are roundings or approximations.
2Ch.13:17 Judah slew of Israel 500,000 chosen men. Here, thousand the numeral is g5505. Ellicott Commentary “A numerical expression…that Jeroboám [Israel’s king] lost more than half his warriors.”
{Sidelight: This topic won’t discuss interpretations of the 144,000 (g5505) persons in Re.7:4-8, 14:1-3. Commentaries view 144,000 as a symbolic number. Pulpit Commentary Re.7:4 “No one has ever said that the number should be taken literally.” Vincent Word Studies Re.7:4: “Not literally, but the number symbolical of completion.” Barnes Notes Re.7:4 “The whole scene is symbolical.” cf. Re.21:16-17.}
In the above examples are numbers exceeding 1,000. Following are many verses which show the precise number 1,000:
Ge.20:16 “Abimélech told Sarah, “I have given your brother 1,000 [g5507] pieces of silver.” This precise number 1,000 is thought to be a literal amount. (cf. 1,100 pieces of silver in Jg.17:2.)
SS.8:11-12 Solomon leased out his vineyard to tenant farmers. Each paid “1,000 [g5507] pieces of silver” in exchange for its fruit. Perhaps it had around 1,000 vines? 1,000 pieces may be the literal fee.
Ezr.1:9-10 the number of holy vessels was “30 gold dishes, 1,000 [g5507] silver dishes, 29 knives, 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls, 1,000 other vessels.” A (near) literal inventory of items?
1Ch.29:21 LXX “David sacrificed to the Lord…1,000 [g5507] calves, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs….” At this momentous occasion, perhaps such large precise numbers are literal. Or approximate?
2Ch.30:24 “Hezekiáh gave the congregation 1,000 [g5507] calves…and the rulers gave 1,000 calves.” For the reinstitution of Passover, perhaps these precise numbers too are literal, or approximate.
1Ki.3:4 LXX “Solomon offered a whole burnt offering of 1,000 victims on the altar in Gibeón.” Such a large number may be literal; else approximate, perhaps indicative of special respect for the site.
Nu.31:4-6 “So 1,000 [g5507] were recruited from each Israelite tribe…12,000 armed for war.” This precise number 1,000 may be near literal. JFB Commentary Nu.31:5 “An equal amount from each tribe, to prevent mutual jealousy or strife.” Gill Exposition Nu.31:5 “A small number to go against so considerable a nation; but this was done to show that the war was of the Lord.” However, in 2Sm.10:6, “Ammonites hired 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers…the king of Maacáh with 1,000 [g5507] men, and 12,000 men of Tob.” Here, the 12,000 and 1,000 (and 20,000) warriors are approximations.
1Sm.13:2 “Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel; 2,000 were with Saul and 1,000 (g5507) with Jonathán.” These precise numbers are roundings or approximate. Same with 2Sm.19:17, 1,000 men of Benjamin.
1Sm.25:2 Nabál owned 3,000 sheep and 1,000 (g5507) goats. A man’s substance was described by the general size of his flocks and herds. The precise 3,000 and 1,000 both are rounded or ballpark numbers.
Jb.42:12 “14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, 1,000 female donkeys.” Approximate doublings of the numbers of Job’s livestock in Jb.1:3.
Jg.9:49 “All in the tower of Shechém died, about 1,000 (g5507) men and women.” Approximately.
In Jg.15:16, Samson killed 1,000 (g5507) men with a donkey’s jawbone. Possibly Samson killed an even 1,000 (not 985 or 1,015). But, more likely, 1,000 indicates ‘about 1,000’, approximately.
De.1:11 “May the Lord increase you 1,000 [g5507.1] times and bless you.” Starting 40 years after the exodus, to increase the population of OT Israel a thousand-fold. The Greek LXX term is an old form of chilioi g5507; a number literal, figurative, or representative. Here, 1,000 represents a large multiple.
De.7:9 “God keeps covenant with those who do His commandments to 1,000 [g5507] generations.” Or, “to the 1,000th generation”. If a generation is 20 years, then 1,000 generations spans 20,000 years. 40-year generations would span 40,000 years! After 20,000–40,000 years, at generation 1,001 God wouldn’t fail to keep His covenant, would He?! Here, 1,000 basically denotes a large number.
1Ch.16:15 “Be always mindful of His covenant which He commanded to 1,000 [g5507] generations.” This reminder was given several generations later (since De.7:9). Again, 1,000 denotes a large number.
De.32:30 “How could one [enemy] chase 1,000 [Israelites] and two rout 10,000?” The LXX terms are g5507 for 1,000 and g3461 for 10,000. The numbers are figurative. One might chase 990…or 1,010+!
Jg.1:4 the men of Judah slew 10,000 (deka chilias g5505) men. Cambridge Bible Jg.1:4 “10,000 – a common round number.” In Jg.3:29, “about 10,000” (hosei deka chilias g5505) men of Moab were slain. In both verses, 10,000 is an approximation or indicative of a large number. cf. Lk.14:31.
Jsh.23:10 “One of you [Israelites] chased 1,000 [g5507]; the Lord fought for you.” A figurative 1,000.
Is.30:17 “1,000 [g5507] shall flee at the threat of one man.” 1,000 is figurative/representative here too.
In the above three verses with 1,000…Moses, Joshua, Isaiah all were using representative or figurative language. Barnes Notes Is.30:17 “The number ‘1,000’ is for a large indefinite number.” Ellicott Commentary Is.30:17 “The hyperbole is natural and common enough.” cf. 1,000 (g5507) in Am.5:3.
Ps.91:7 LXX “1,000 [g5505 copyist error?] shall fall at your side, and 10,000 at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.” This is hyperbole. If 1,001 or 10,001 were to fall, would you then fall too?
2Sm.18:12 “Even if I had 1,000 [g5507] pieces of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son….” Here, 1,000 is hyperbolic.
This survey of verses which reflect “one thousand/1,000” is rather detailed. So far, only a couple verses have been referenced where one thousand/1,000 is clearly literal.
This topic is continued and concluded in “Thousand (Years)’ in the Bible – (2)”.
Bible Topic Exposition 