RE: Genesis 1:1 - a standing miracle

What is the meaning of the number 37 in the Bible?

I have an interest in Vernon's wonderful Website

( -- as I said previously, this is a wonder, not

a miracle ). I don't recognize the fundamental number

37 as a Biblical number and it doesn't show up in my

personal devotionals either. Some ideas I kicked around

for a lead are:

  1. Average age when a person becomes mature ( ranging

       from 33 to 41 in my estimation )

  2. Five weeks and 2 days, like 5 loaves and 2 fishes

  3. Sequence 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 meaning something, very obscure

  4. The 12th prime number

  5. Psalm 37:4 Which says how to love GOD with

      your heart. -- "Delight yourself in the LORD

          and he will give you the desires of your heart. "

  6. Since there are 22 letters in Hebrew alphabet, pick

         a section of Psalm 119 which is an acrostic on that

         alphabet -- say 37 - 22 = 15, i.e.

         take the 15th section, but that is a stretch.

I finally hit upon something which makes sense to me.

I recognize Mark as the most formulaic of the gospels. I

decided to identify all verse 37s in it, as below. Of course,

these verse numbers were established long after the original

writings, but they might have been organizing items in

people's memories in those days before print.

USAGE OF NUMBER 37 IN GOSPEL OF MARK

WILD EXCITEMENT: Mark 1:37

and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking

   for you!"

HANDLING DANGEROUS PREDICAMENT (SEE FOLLOWING VERSE): Mark 4:37

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so

that it was nearly swamped.

DISCERNMENT OF READINESS: Mark 5:37

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John

 the brother of James.

AVOWEDLY NEEDED NOURISHMENT: Mark 6:37

But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to

him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages[ 6:37 Greek

take two hundred denarii] ! Are we to go and spend that much on

bread and give it to them to eat?"

JOYOUS AMAZEMENT: Mark 7:37

People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything

well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

OWNERSHIP OF ESTABLISHMENT: Mark 8:37

Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

CONTRA-HARRASSMENT OF KIDS: Mark 9:37

"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes

me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one

who sent me."

UTMOST EXPECTANCY / DESIRED ENCOURAGEMENT: Mark 10:37

They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at

your left in your glory."

VALID GUESTIMATE / UNDERSTANDING INCREMENT: Mark 12:37

David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"

The large crowd listened to him with delight.

REPARTEE: WHAT IS MEANT?: Mark 13:37

What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' "

HEARTWRENDING INDICTMENT: Mark 14:37

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.

"Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not

keep watch for one hour?

CHASTISEMENT/PUNISHMENT IN BEHALF OF OTHERS: Mark 15:37

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

There are no verses #37 from chapters 2, 3, 11, and 16, so I

took the last verse in each. In the case of chapter 16, I took

both alternate endings.

GRAND WONDERMENT: MARK 2:28

"So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

CONSOLATION FOR BEREAVEMENT: MARK 3:35

Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

LEAVING WITH PUZZLEMENT: MARK 11:33

So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said,

"Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing

these things."

NATURAL MANAGEMENT OF SCARY STUFF: MARK 16:8

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from

the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were

afraid.

BEING AN 100% ENTICEMENT TO COMMIT: MARK 16:20

Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and

the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the

signs that accompanied it.

 
Received on Fri Jul 23 10:55:47 2004