ἑπτακισχίλιοι

seven thousand

Definition

The Greek adjective ἑπτακισχίλιοι (eptakischilioi) means 'seven thousand'. It is a compound numeral used to denote a specific, large quantity. In its sole New Testament occurrence, it refers to a precise number of faithful individuals. The word functions as a definite count, not an approximation, emphasizing the exactness of the figure as revealed by God.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Romans 11:4. Here, the Apostle Paul quotes the Lord's response to the prophet Elijah from 1 Kings 19:18, stating, 'I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' The usage is direct, serving as a scriptural citation within Paul's argument about God's faithful remnant in Israel. It functions as a precise, historical number within a theological discourse on divine election and grace.

Etymology

ἑπτακισχίλιοι is a compound adjective formed from two Greek elements: ἑπτά (hepta, G2033), meaning 'seven', and χίλιοι (chilioi, G5507), meaning 'thousand'. The suffix -κις (-kis) attached to 'seven' indicates multiplication, literally translating to 'seven times a thousand'. This is a standard Greek construction for forming cardinal numbers in the thousands.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it anchors the doctrine of God's faithful remnant. In Romans 11:4-5, Paul uses this precise number to illustrate that God's grace operates not on the basis of human merit or majority, but according to His sovereign choice. The exact figure of 'seven thousand' underscores that God knows and preserves His people specifically and completely, a concept central to the biblical themes of election and covenant faithfulness. Understanding this Greek term highlights the intentionality behind Paul's scriptural quotation.

In the original context of 1 Kings, the number 'seven thousand' represented the complete and perfect remnant God had preserved in Israel during widespread apostasy. In Greco-Roman culture, large, round numbers like 'seven thousand' could sometimes be used rhetorically to mean 'a very large number,' but Paul's usage here, as a direct quotation from the Hebrew Scriptures, insists on its literal, historical sense as part of his argument from biblical history.

χίλιοι (chilioi, G5507) — The base word meaning 'a thousand'; ἑπτά (hepta, G2033) — The base word meaning 'seven'.

Word Details

Scripture References