Interpretation of the Number Eleven Eleven in Scripture

The Significance of Eleven in Scripture

The number eleven appears in various contexts throughout the Bible, often carrying symbolic or thematic significance. In biblical numerology, numbers frequently convey meaning beyond their literal value, and eleven is no exception.

In the Old Testament, the number eleven is associated with disorder and imperfection. For instance, Numbers 11 recounts the Israelites' complaints against Moses and God, resulting in divine displeasure and punishment ^[9]. This chapter is part of a larger narrative highlighting Israel's disobedience and God's responses. The number eleven also appears in the context of the tabernacle and priestly duties in Exodus and Numbers, though not directly as a count of eleven, but in the context of the eleven curtains of the tabernacle's tent ^[6].

In the New Testament, Revelation 11 is a pivotal chapter that describes the measuring of the temple, the two witnesses, and their testimony. According to Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, this chapter is part of a larger section that includes the measurement of the temple, the testimony of the two witnesses, their death and resurrection, and the subsequent earthquake ^[10]. The use of eleven here is not explicitly symbolic but is part of a larger apocalyptic narrative.

The number eleven is also linked to several cross-references in biblical commentaries. OpenBible.info notes several Psalms cross-references with a confidence level of eleven votes, indicating a pattern of thematic or linguistic connections between these passages ^{[1, 3, 4, 5, 7]}. For example, Psalm 112:1 is cross-referenced with Psalm 119:35, both of which deal with themes of righteousness and the law ^[5].

Calvin's commentary on Isaiah highlights the significance of numerical patterns and symbolic meanings in biblical texts, though not directly addressing the number eleven ^{[12, 13, 14]}. Abraham Ibn Ezra's commentary on Exodus and Isaiah provides insights into Jewish rationalist interpretations of biblical numbers, suggesting that some numbers are used to convey round or approximate values rather than exact counts ^{[15, 16]}.

John Gill's commentary on Numbers 11 provides a Baptist/Reformed perspective on the chapter, emphasizing the Israelites' lusting after flesh and Moses' intercession ^[17]. This interpretation underscores the thematic significance of the chapter, which is more about the spiritual state of the Israelites than the numerical value of eleven.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge notes numerous cross-references for Revelation 11:19, connecting it to various Old Testament passages that describe divine manifestations, judgments, and the tabernacle ^[2]. These cross-references suggest that the events described in Revelation 11 are part of a larger biblical narrative concerning God's presence, judgment, and redemption.

While the number eleven itself is not universally symbolic, its appearances in Scripture are often tied to contexts of disorder, divine judgment, or the anticipation of completion (since twelve is a number often associated with completeness, as seen in the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles) ^[8]. The significance of eleven, therefore, can be understood within the broader context of biblical numerology and the specific narratives in which it appears.

The varied interpretations of biblical numbers and their significance across different traditions, including Presbyterian, Baptist/Reformed, and Jewish rationalist perspectives, demonstrate the complexity and richness of biblical interpretation ^{[8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17]}. Understanding the number eleven requires considering both its literal occurrences and its thematic and symbolic contexts within the biblical narrative.

Sources

OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Ps.115.13 → Ps.112.1 (confidence: 11 votes)”
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “Revelation 11:19 cross-references: Exodus 9:18, Exodus 25:21, Numbers 4:5, Numbers 4:15, Numbers 10:33, Joshua 10:11, Job 38:22, Psalms 18:12, Psalms 105:32, Isaiah 6:1, Isaiah 28:2, Isaiah 30:30, Isaiah 32:19, Ezekiel 13:11, Ezekiel 38:22, 2 Corinthians 3:14, Hebrews 9:4, Revelation 4:5, Revelation 8:5, Revelation 8:7, Revelation 11:13, Revelation 11:15, Revelation 14:15, Revelation 15:5, Revelation 16:18, Revelation 16:21, Revelation 19:11”
OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Ps.14.2 → Heb.11.6 (confidence: 11 votes)”
OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Ps.119.111 → Jer.15.16 (confidence: 11 votes)”
OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Ps.112.1 → Ps.119.35 (confidence: 11 votes)”
Numbers “I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone. -- Numbers 11:17”
OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Ps.17.6 → Ps.116.2 (confidence: 11 votes)”
Revelation (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Revelation 7:4: Twelve is the number of the tribes, and appropriate to the Church: three by four: three, the divine number, multiplied by four, the number for world-wide extension. Twelve by twelve implies fixity and completeness, which is taken a thousandfold in 144,000. A thousand implies the world perfectly pervaded by the divine; for it is ten, the world number, raised to the power of three, the number of God. of all the tribes--literally, "out of every tribe"; not 144,000 of each tribe, but the aggregate of the twelve thousand from every tribe. children--G”
Numbers (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Numbers 11:1: 11:1-35 This is one of many occasions in the wilderness when Israel was disobedient to the Lord. 11:1 Soon the people began to complain. . . . Then the Lord’s anger blazed: The link between Israel’s complaints and God’s anger is a major theme of Numbers and throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Deut 9:22; Ps 78). God is holy and just, and he demands obedience from his people. Complaints are equivalent to rejecting him (cp. Num 11:20). • their hardship: Mount Sinai had provided a stable residence for a year; the road to Paran provided heat, thirst, and fatigue. • fi”
Revelation (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Revelation 11 (introduction): MEASUREMENT OF THE TEMPLE. THE TWO WITNESSES' TESTIMONY: THEIR DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION: THE EARTHQUAKE: THE THIRD WOE: THE SEVENTH TRUMPET USHERS IN CHRIST'S KINGDOM. THANKSGIVING OF THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS. (Rev. 11:1-19) and the angel stood--omitted in A, Vulgate, and Coptic. Supported by B and Syriac. If it be omitted, the "reed" will, in construction, agree with "saying." So WORDSWORTH takes it. The reed, the canon of Scripture, the measuring reed of the Church, our rule of faith, speaks. So in Rev 16:7 the altar is pers”
Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 117 (introduction): ALEPH. (Psa 119:1-8). This celebrated Psalm has several peculiarities. It is divided into twenty-two parts or stanzas, denoted by the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each stanza contains eight verses, and the first letter of each verse is that which gives name to the stanza. Its contents are mainly praises of God's Word, exhortations to its perusal, and reverence for it, prayers for its proper influence, and complaints of the wicked for despising it. There are but two verses (Psa 119:122, Psa 119:132) which do not contain some”
CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 7.45: twelfth,” or, “one of twelve,” that is, “along with eleven other persons.” — Ed. FT315 “Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless.” — Eng. Ver. FT316 Our Author perhaps refers to his expository remarks on Ephesians 2:10 , Isaiah 17:7 , Isaiah 64:7 , See p. 26 27 {Bogus footnote} 28 {Bogus footnote} 29 {Bogus footnote} 30 {Bogus footnote} 31 {Bogus footnote} 32 {Bogus footnote} 33 {Bogus footnote} 34 {Bogus footnote} 35 {Bogus footnote} 36 {Bogus footnote} 37 {Bogus footnote} 38 {Bogus footnote} 39 {Bogus footnote} 40 {Bogus footnote} 41 {Bogus footn”
CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 1, section 23.2: 62:10 65:20 65:24 Jeremiah 1:6 1:17 2:21 2:21 7:4 7:4 7:21 7:22 9:23-24 9:26 10:14 17:5 17:5 22:7 23:5 23:19 23:36 25:11-12 29:10 30:9 30:9 31:34 32:18 33:15 41:5 48:7 48:13 48:29 48:30 48:32 48:32 48:32 48:34 Lamentations 2:22 3:22 Ezekiel 4:16 13:9 18:20 20:22 34:23 34:23 36:25 37:11-12 37:16 37:24 37:24 47:1 47:1 Daniel 2:44 7:10 7:14 7:27 9:24 9:27 Hosea 2:5 2:13 2:18 2:19-20 2:23 3:4 3:5 6:6 13:11 14:2 14:9 Joel 2:31 2:32 2:32 Amos 2:4-5 3:11 5:11 5:18 5:20 5:21 6:11 9:11 9:11 Jonah 1:2 3:10 Micah 1:16 5:10 6:7-8 7:8 Habakkuk 1:16 2:2 2:”
CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 53.2: 64:7 66:24 Jeremiah 4:31 5:8 5:28 7:4 7:4 9:1 10:23 10:24 10:24 11:21 17:1 17:5 18:16 19:6 19:8 22:24 22:28 25:9 25:13 25:18 28:10 28:11 30:11 31:15 43:2 48:2 50:11 Lamentations 1:7 2:5 2:8 3:29 Ezekiel 15:3 16:26 20:11 20:24 20:25 26:2 26:14 37:1 43:15 43:15 47:11 Daniel 5:28 5:30 5:31 7:10 7:17 8:20 Hosea 1:7 6:4 8:14 9:6 13:3 Joel 1:13 2:13 2:23 2:28 Amos 1:3 3:6 4:1 4:1 5:10 5:19 8:11 Micah 1:3 1:11 2:11 7:9 7:16 Nahum 3:8 Habakkuk 2:1 2:1 2:1 2:2 3:2 3:2 3:13 Zechariah 9:14 13:4 14:3 Malachi 1:4 1:11 4:2 Matthew 2:14 3:12 3:12 3:12 3:12 ”
Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 5:10: Ten. A round number, meaning many.”
Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 14:19: AND THE ANGEL OF GOD. This took place before speak unto the children of Israel, that they should go forward (v. 15). 70 The incident described in verses 19 and 20 must have taken place before Israel was commanded to go forward, since the pillar of cloud came between the two camps and prevented the Egyptians from harming the Israelites all the night (v. 20). It’s meaning thus is, and the angel of God had already removed. 71 In other words, va-yissa (removed) is a pluperfect, meaning had removed. I have already showed you many such instances. 72 Where Scripture ”
Numbers (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Numbers 11 (introduction): INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 11 This chapter informs us of the complaints of the people of Israel, which brought the fire of the Lord upon them, and consumed many of them; and which, at the intercession of Moses, was quenched, and the place from thence called Taberah, Num 11:1; and of the lusting of the mixed multitude after flesh, to increase which, they called to mind their food in Egypt; and to show their folly and ingratitude in so doing, the manna is described, Num 11:4; and of the uneasiness of Moses, and his complaints of the heavy burden of the peop”

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