What Does the Number 14 Mean in the Bible? Double Perfection Explained

 Numbers in the Bible are not random, and the number 14 is no exception. There is a purpose and meaning behind every word of the Bible, including numbers. The study of numbers in the Bible is called “Biblical numerology.” The numbers in the Bible, and their associated meanings, are not mystical, magical, lucky angel numbers, and they should not be viewed or used in that way. But rather, understanding the general meaning of Bible numbers will help you to “grow in grace and knowledge” which is the command of 2 Peter 3:18.

The number 14 is 2 times 7. Seven in the Bible is the number of perfection or completeness. The number fourteen is double perfection or double completeness. Here are some of the notable appearances of the number 14 in the Bible.

Clean Animals on Noah’s Ark: 14 in Pairs

God instructed Noah to take two of every beast, a male and a female, into the safety of his ark. But the clean animals, those which were also to be used for sacrifice to God, He told Noah to take seven pairs — 14 total of clean beasts.

This is recorded in Genesis 7:2. “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female.” (KJV)

Jacob, Leah and Rachel-Jacob’s 14 Years of Labor for Rachel

The first mention of the word “fourteen” is in relation with the patriarch Jacob in Genesis 31:41. “Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.” (KJV)

Originally, when Jacob came to live with his uncle, Laban, he made the agreement to work for seven years in exchange for Laban’s daughter, Rachel. Laban agreed and seven years later tricked Jacob and gave him his daughter, Leah, instead. Then he required Jacob to work another seven years to “pay” for Rachel.

 Rachel was Jacob’s favorite wife and gave him two sons but died while giving birth to her last son. Years later, her two sons had 10 sons between them. Years later, the Bible specifically mentions the number 14 in relation to Rachel’s two sons and their children in Genesis 46:22. “These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.” (KJV)

The Passover: Celebrated on the 14th Day

The most notable usage of number 14 in the Old Testament is in relation to the Passover. The Feast of Passover was a command to the children of Israel, which commemorated the night when the death angel “passed over” the homes that had lamb’s blood applied to the door. Here are the instructions for the sacrificial lamb in relation to the first Passover. Exodus 12:6 “And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” (KJV)

In those homes without the protective blood cover, the death angel killed the firstborn.

The first Passover was on the fourteenth day of the month of Abib. God commanded His people to remember this event by celebrating the Passover yearly.                                                                                   

Leviticus 23:5 “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover.” (KJV)

Deuteronomy 16:1 “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.” (KJV)

The Passover was an important custom to the Jewish people, which they observed throughout the centuries.

Joshua 5:10 “And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.” (KJV)

Ezra 6:19 “And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.” (KJV)

Jesus Himself observed the Passover. One of the verses recording this is Matthew 26:17: “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?” (KJV)

Significantly, Jesus was crucified on the fourteenth day of Abib (also called Nisan) — the exact same day the Passover lamb was killed. This was no coincidence. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Passover, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Judah and Benjamin’s Inheritance-14 Cities Each

In the Promised Land, both the tribes of Judah and Benjamin inherited 14 cities according to Joshua 15:20-36 and Joshua 18:28.

Solomon’s Temple Dedication: 14 Days of Celebration

After King Solomon finished building God’s temple, he had a great dedication feast which lasted 14 days, as recorded in 1 Kings 8:65. “And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.” (KJV)

It appears from the context, the feast was originally planned for only seven days, but the celebration was so joyous it continued for twice the originally planned time.

In a related verse, the prophet Ezekiel had a vision of a yet future temple. God gave him the exact measurement of the altar of this future place of worship. The altar will have a ledge, a “settle,” which will be 14 cubits long and wide. This is recorded in Ezekiel 43:17. “And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof.” (KJV).

The Genealogy of Jesus: Three Sets of 14 Generations

In the New Testament, the most notable mention of the number fourteen is in relation to the genealogy of Jesus Christ through the line of Joseph, the foster father of Jesus Christ. This is summarized in Matthew 1:17. “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.” (KJV)

In this single verse, three significant biblical numbers converge — 3 (divine completeness), 7 (perfection), and 14 (double perfection) — all pointing to the perfect plan of God in sending His Son.

This verse mentions David, associating Jesus Christ with this great ancestor. According to gematria (a numerical system where the Hebrew letters correspond to numbers), the consonants of the name “David” has the numerical value of 4-6-4, which equals fourteen.

The Apostle Paul and the Number 14

Fourteen was also part of some of the events in the life of the Apostle Paul. God used Paul to write at least 13 books of the New Testament, and most Bible scholars believe Paul was the author of the Book of Hebrews, though there is no author associated with that epistle. If Paul was indeed the author of Hebrews — as many conservative Bible scholars believe — then Paul wrote a total of 14 books of the Bible.

Paul described an event that occurred to him, and he, by the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, used the word “fourteen,” even though there was not an exact date. “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.” 2 Corinthians 12:2 (KJV)

Later, Paul described another event in his life where the number 14 is mentioned. “Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.” Galatians 2:1 (KJV)

In one of Paul’s missionary journeys, he was on a ship that encountered a great storm. “But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country” Acts 27:27 (KJV)

Paul and his shipmates battled the storm, fasted, and prayed for 14 days. “And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.” Acts 27:33 (KJV)

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What Does 14 Mean in the Bible? — Conclusion

Number 14 is composed of two “sevens.” This doubling of God’s perfect number makes 14 a bit special in the context of Biblical numerology. Although not directly related to the number 14 in the Bible, this doubling of God’s perfection brings to remembrance the request of the prophet Elisha before his mentor and friend, Elijah, was taken up into heaven. “And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” 2 Kings 2:9 (KJV) This double portion of God’s spirit could be seen as 2 sevens which equal fourteen.

Study/Review Questions on the Number 14 in the Bible

1. What were clean animals used for? Sacrifice to God
2. How many times in 20 years did Jacob’s uncle Laban change his wages? Ten times
3. Jesus was crucified in which Jewish month? Abib which is also called Nisan.
4. Which two tribes of Israel each inherited fourteen cities? Judah and Benjamin
5. What was the name of the king who built the first temple for God? King Solomon.
6. The gospel of Matthew recorded the genealogy of Jesus through which of His earthly parents? Joseph
7. If Paul was the author of Hebrews, how many books of the Bible did he write? 14
8. Which Old Testament prophet wanted, and received, a double portion of God’s Spirit? Elisha

Learn about the Biblical meaning of number 13 here.

Click here to discover the Biblical meaning of number 15.

For a summary of the meaning of Bible numbers, which includes a free downloadable PDF, click here.

People Also Ask About What the Number 14 Means In the Bible

Here are some related questions and answers about the Biblical meaning of 14.

What does the number 14 mean in the Bible?

Double perfection or double completeness, since 14 is twice the biblical number of perfection (7)

Why are there three sets of 14 generations in Matthew 1?

Matthew organized the genealogy of Jesus into three groups of 14 to show God’s perfect plan unfolding through history

What is the significance of the 14th day of the month in the Bible?

The Passover was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month, commemorating Israel’s deliverance from Egypt

How many books of the Bible did Paul write?

Confirmed 13, and possibly 14 if Paul authored Hebrews

What does gematria mean?

A numerical system where Hebrew letters correspond to numbers, used to find deeper meaning in biblical names and words

How many clean animals did Noah take on the ark?

Seven pairs (14 total) of each clean animal (Genesis 7:2)

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