What Does the Number 8 Mean in The Bible?

Many numbers in the Bible have a significant meaning. Usually, the meaning is related to the first time a number is mentioned in the Bible. There’s a common phrase called the law of first mention.

This simply means that the very first time we see a word, name, or number in the Bible, it has significant meaning.

You’ll find some numbers that are repeated throughout the Bible. You might also see numbers that are showing up throughout your day, in your dreams. This can be a way of God speaking to you in a still small voice.

The number 8 in the Bible is related to new beginnings, hope, and resurrection. The number 7 is represents completion of a cycle, so 8 is the start of something new. 

Where is the number 8 in the Bible?

One of the first instances of the number 8 is in the story of Noah. 8 people were saved in the ark that Noah built, and they exited the ark in the 8th chapter of Genesis.

The next time we see the number 8 is when Abraham circumcises his son Isaac on the 8th day of his life. Abraham also had a total of 8 sons: Ishmael, Isaac, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

In the New Testament Jesus rose from the dead on the 8th day. He also made 8 separate appearances after his resurrection. The name of Jesus adds up to 888 in Greek numerology. 

The New Testament was written by 8 different men: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Peter, Jude, and Paul.

It’s important to remember that when the Bible was written, most of the chapters and verses weren’t numbered. This is why you might not see a correlation between different verses with similar numbers (ie. Genesis 8:8 and John 8:8 probably won’t be related to the meaning of the number 8). 

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