Meaning of Numbers: The Number 100
The English phrase "one hundred" or "an hundred years," used for the number 100, is recorded 9 times in 8 King James Bible verses. The phrases are recorded in the book of Genesis (3 times) followed by 1Chronicles and Isaiah (twice each) then the books of Ezra and Romans (one each).
The meaning of the number 100 in the Bible can vary depending on the context in which it is found.
Abraham was 100 years old (Genesis 21:5), and his wife Sarah was 91, when Isaac was born. Even though Abraham had already produced a son, Ishmael (through Hagar), God considered Isaac the rightful heir to the promises made to his father.
The patriarch Shem, one of Noah's three sons who survived the flood, gave birth to his firstborn son when he was 100 years old. The birth took place two years after the flood subsided when he was able to leave the ark.
These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood (Genesis 11:10, HBFV).
Appearances of Number One Hundred
A group of Jews, at the time of Ezra, was allowed to return to Jerusalem after years in captivity. When some of the elders came into the city, they saw the temple lying in ruins. The sight motivates them to contribute gold, silver and 100 priestly garments toward the restoration of the temple and its services.
They gave according to their ability to the treasury of the work, sixty-one thousand drachmas of gold, and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priestly garments (Ezra 2:69, HBFV).
King Saul, who both envied and despised David, wanted him dead. One way he attempted to accomplish this was to require, instead of a dowry, that David kill one hundred Philistines (Israel's fiercest enemy) before he could marry his daughter. Saul's hope, however, of having the Philistines murder him were crushed when David killed two hundred men and brought their foreskins back as proof (1Samuel 18:17 - 27)!
The English word "Esau" is recorded 100 times in 85 King James verses. It is written the most in the book of Genesis (76 times) followed by Obadiah (7) and then Deuteronomy (6). Esau, whose name means "hairy" or "rough," was the son of Isaac and twin brother of Jacob.
Esau, who married two women when he was forty (Genesis 26:34), was the founder of the nation of Edomites (36:43). He is known for selling his birthright blessings to his brother in exchange for a bowl of lentil soup (25:29 - 34). According to the Apostle Paul, Esau was a man who was a fornicator (had loose sexual morals) and godless.
Lest there be any fornicator or godless person, as Esau, who for one meal sold his birthright; Because you also know that afterwards, when he wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; and he found no room for repentance, although he sought it earnestly with tears (Hebrews 12;16 - 17, HBFV).
Parables and the Number 100
The parable of the unforgiving servant is one of God's many warnings that he requires us to forgive others. Jesus gave the example of a king who forgave the debt of a servant who owed him a large sum.
The person, however, after he left the king, confronted a fellow servant who owed him only 100 silver coins and refused to forgive his debt. The king punished the servant severely because, although he was forgiven much, he refused to forgive others (Matthew 18:21 - 35).
Then that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred silver coins; and after seizing him, he choked him, saying, "Pay me what you owe." . . .
Then his lord called him (the servant) and said to him, "You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you implored me. Were you not also obligated to have compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had compassion on you?" (Matthew 18:28, 32 - 33, HBFV).
Jesus' parable of the sower reveals the wide variety of responses humans can have toward the gospel message. Those in which the truth takes root can produce "fruit" (e.g. love, service to others, and so on) in varying proportions. Believers can produce fruit that is 30, 60 or even 100 times more than what they received from God (Mark 4, Matthew 13).
In the unjust steward parable a man, who is about to be fired, finds a way of making friends before leaving his position. He reduces the debt of one person from 100 measures of wheat to 80 and lessens the debt owed of others.
Among its many lessons, the unjust steward parable teaches a Christian must strive to wisely use the resources God has given him (Luke 16:10 - 13).
Jesus, in his parable of the Good Shepherd (lost sheep), illustrates God's profound love for humanity, even for those who lose their way. The Lord is willing to do whatever it takes, including pursuing only one lost "sheep" out of 100, in order to save someone who has gone astray.
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and search for the one that went astray?
And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray (Matthew 18:12 - 13, HBFV).
The Pharisees
The Greek word Pharisaios, Strong's #G5330, is found 100 times in 95 Greek New Testament verses. It is found the most in the book of Matthew (30 times) followed by Luke (28) and then John (20). The word, which means "a separatist," is translated as "Pharisee" in the King James.
The Pharisees were a political and religious group of influential Jews active in Palestine from the second century B.C. up to the New Testament period. They advocated and adhered to a scrupulous observance of both the written and oral laws as interpreted by Scribes, in accordance with tradition. They often clashed with those truly inspired by God.
But when he (John the Baptist) saw many of the Pharisees (Pharisaios) and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7, KJV).
The Pharisees clashed many times with Jesus over the meaning and implementation of Scripture. They also, early in Jesus' ministry, plotted with the Herodians to kill him (Mark 3:6).
Then He (Jesus) said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of God, so that you may observe your own tradition.
"For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'The one who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'If a man shall say to his father or mother, "Whatever benefit you might receive from me is corban" (that is, set aside as a gift to God), he is not obligated to help his parents.'" (Mark 7:9 - 11, HBFV).
The Apostle Paul, before his conversion, was trained as a Pharisee like his father (Philippians 3:5).
More Info on Biblical Meaning of 100
There are 4 words and phrases in the Bible's original languages that are recorded exactly 100 times.
The number 100 in the Hebrew alphabet is represented by its 19th letter Qof. In the Greek alphabet it is represent by the letter Rho.
100 is the product of 2 x 2 (2 squared) x 5 x 5 (5 squared). Both 2 and 5 are prime numbers.
100 can also be arrived at by cubing the first four integers and adding them together or (1 x 1 x 1) + (2 x 2 x 2) + (3 x 3 x 3) + (4 x 4 x 4) or 1 + 8 + 27 + 64.
100 is also the sum of the first 9 prime numbers or 2 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 11 + 13 + 17 + 19 + 23.
The Israelites, when they left Egyptian bondage, brought with them the bones of Joseph. After entering the Promised Land, they buried them, per Joseph's request (Genesis 50:25), near Shechem in the land his father Jacob bought for 100 pieces of silver.
And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in a piece of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver. And it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph (Joshua 24:32, HBFV).
God promised his people that if they obeyed him, he would grant them military victories such that five Israelites would be able to overcome one hundred of their enemies. In cases where the opponent was more numerous, God would cause one hundred children of Israel to be victorious over 10,000 (Leviticus 26:7 - 8)!
God, during the Millennium, promises that people will not have their lives cut short due to the effects of sin. All humans will be able to live at least to the age of 100.
There will not be an infant who lives but a few days, nor an old man that has not filled his days, for the child will die a hundred years old; but the sinner who is a hundred years old shall be accursed (Isaiah 65:20, HBFV).
King David is believed to have personally written at least 100 of the 150 Psalms delineated in the Bible (Psalms 1 - 71, 107 - 119 and 135 - 150). It should therefore come as no surprise that the book of 2Samuel, when David is on his death bed, labels him, "the sweet psalmist of Israel" (2Samuel 23:1).
The Apostle John, the last surviving member of the original twelve apostles, dies around the year 100 A.D.
Apostle Paul's fourteen New Testament books contain a total number of 100 chapters.