The Number 40 in the Bible

• The Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert (Deut 8:2-5).
• Moses spent 40 years as an Egyptian prince, 40 years as a shepherd, and the last 40 years in the exodus.
• The perfect lifespan is 40 X 3 years: "his days shall be a hundred and twenty years" (Gen 6:3). Special personages are exceptions: Noah was 40 X 3 X 5 (the number of grace; God's gifts and blessings) or 600 years old when the rain started.
• 40 days Moses spent on the mountain (Exodus 24:18, 34:28).
• And another 40 days after the Golden Calf brouhaha (Deut 9:18,25).
• 40 days of rain to flood the planet.
• 40 days Noah waited to open a window in the ark.
• 40 days Jonah gave Nineveh to repent (Jonah 3:4).
• 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness (Matt 4:2).
• 40 days the 12 spies searched Canaan; found milk, honey (Num 13:25). This led somehow to . . .
• . . . 40 years of punishment (Num 14:34).
• 40 days Goliath came out to vex the Israelites with challenges to close combat, before a shot by sniper David shut him up.
• 40 days Elijah spent on Horeb mountain (1 Kings 19:8).
• 40 days between resurrection and ascension to heaven (Acts 1:3).
• 40 days was the period of embalming (Gen 50:3).
• 40 days Ezekiel lay on his right side, symbolizing the . . .
• . . . 40 years of Judah's transgression (Ezekiel 4:6).
• 40 days after the crucifixion, Jerusalem was destroyed (http://www.the-way-of-life.org/Biblical_Numbers2.html).
• A woman was unclean for 40 days after the birth of a son (Lev 12). (After a daughter, 70 days. Even then, for either sex, the woman still had to lug a lamb and either a pigeon or a turtledove to the church door to be killed. It's tough being a woman. Tougher being a pigeon.)
• Caleb was 40 years old when sent to spy (Josh 14:7).
• 40 years of peace in Israel (Judges 3:11, etc.).
• 40 years Israelites spent with the Philistines (Judges 13:1).
• 40 years of desolation in Egypt (Ezekiel 29:11).
• 40 years to restore Egypt (Ezekiel 29:13).
• 40 stripes from a whip (Deut 25:3; 2 Cor 11:24). Paul was given 39 to ensure that the limit of 40 was not exceeded. To those who insist that 40 means many... Pfft.
• Saul reigned for 40 years (Acts 13:21).
• David reigned for 40 years (2 Samuel 5:4).
• Solomon reigned for 40 years (1 Kings 11:42).
• Jeho'ash reigned for 40 years (2 Kings 12).
• Ish-bo'sheth was 40 when he began to reign over Israel (2 Sam 2).
• Solomon began to build the temple "in the 480th year" after the exodus (1 Kings 6:1). The factors of 480 include 40 (40 X 12), 4 (things made), 8 (regeneration), 10 (ordinal perfection), and 2 (a witness). The digits 4 + 8 + 0 add up to 12 (govt. perfection).
• A temple 40 X 20 cubits (Ezekiel 41).
• An Israelite population of 40,000 (Judges 5).
• Grieved for 40 years (Psalms 95).
• A gift amounting to 40 camels' burdens (2 Kings 8).
• Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah (Gen 25).
• 40 sockets of silver in a tabernacle design (Exodus 26).
• 40 shekels (Neh 5:15)
• While Israel was governed by judges, each sat for 40 years: "And he had judged Israel forty years" (1 Sam 4).
• Soloman had 12,000 (40 X 300) horsemen (1 Kings 4).
• David slew 40,000 Syrian footmen (1 Chron 19).
• Esau was 40 when he married Judith (Gen 26).
• Asher's army was 40,000 (1 Chron 12).
• JC's conception/birth came 1440 years after the exodus. 1440 = 40 X 36. 1440 = 3 (divine perfection) X 3 (divine perfection) X 5 (God's gifts) X 8 (regeneration) X 4 (creation). 1440 = 9 (the conclusion of a matter) X 10 (ordinal perfection) X 8 (regeneration) X 2 (duality). 1440 = 12 (govt. perfection) X 12 (govt. perfection) X 10 (ordinal perfection). The digits 1 + 4 + 4 + 0 add up to 9 (the number of completion).
• 400 men came with Esau (Gen 32, 33).
• 400,000 footmen that drew sword (Judges 20:2).
• Ephron paid Abraham 400 shekels of silver (Gen 23:14-15).
• Armies of 400,000 and 800,000 men (2 Chron 13:2).
• "There were with him about 400 men" (1 Sam 22:2).
• The king gathered about 400 prophets (1 Kings 22:6, 2 Chron 18).
• "And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years" (Acts 7:6).
• David and 400 men pursued (1 Sam 30:10).
• David smote all but 400 young men (1 Sam 30:17).
• 74,600 = 40 X 1865 (Num 1:27).
• 54,400 = 40 X 1360 (Num 1:29).
• 57,400 = 40 X 1435 (Num 1:31).
• 32,200 = 40 X 805 (Num 1:35).
• 35,400 = 40 X 885 (Num 1:37).
• 53,400 = 40 X 1335 (Num 1:43).
• A host of 54,400 = 40 X 1360 (Num 2).
• A host of 57,400 = 40 X 1435 (Num 2).
• the 400 prophets of Asherah (1 Kings 18:19).
• Solomon sent 1,400 (40 X 35) chariots and 12,000 (40 X 300) horsemen (2 Chron 1:14, 1 Kings 10:26).
• They shall afflict them 400 years (Gen 15:13).
• They found 400 young virgins (Judges 21:12).
• 400 pomegranates on the two wreaths (2 Chron 4:13).
• 400 lambs (Ezra 6:17).
• An army of 44,760 (40 X 1119) (1 Chron 5:18)
• About 400 men joined Theu'das and were slain (Acts 5:36).
• Number of fighting men in Israel: either 800,000 (40 X 20,000) (2 Samuel 24:9) or 1,100,000 (40 X 27,500) (I Chronicles 21:5).
• Number of fighting men found in Judah: either 500,000 (40 X 12,500) (2 Samuel 24:9) or 470,000 (40 X 11,750) (I Chronicles 21:5).
• 800 (40 X 20) men killed by David's tough guy (2 Samuel 23:8).
• "And David took from him a thousand [40 X 25] chariots, and seven thousand [40 X 174] horsemen, and twenty thousand [40 X 500] footmen" (I Chronicles 18:4).
• Number of Soloman's horse stalls: either 40,000 (I Kings 4:26) or 4,000 (40 X 100) (2 chronicles 9:25).
• Soloman appointed 3,600 (40 X 90) overseers, 80,000 (40 X 40 X 50) hewers, and 70,000 (40 X 1750) carriers of loads (2 Chronicles 2:2).
• Number of baths in facility Soloman built: either 2,000 (40 X 50) or 3,000 (40 X 75) (2 Chronicles 4:5).
• 200 (40 X 5) singers (Ezra 2:65).
• Number of Israelites who died in a God-sent plague: 24,000 (40 X 40 X 5 X 3) (Numbers 25:9).