Psalm 90:The days of our years are threescore years and ten;
and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,
yet is their strength labor and sorrow;
for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Since a score is 20, threescore and ten means 70; fourscore is 80.
This is found in Psalm 90 verse 10:-
Psa 90:10 KJV The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
A 'score' is an old English word meaning '20', so 3 score and ten is 70. The above version of the King James came out in 1769, but more recent translations are easier to understand:-
(LITV) (ie Literal Translation by Jay Green) [1976-2000] The days of our years are seventy; and if any by strength live eighty years, yet their pride is labor and sorrow; for it soon passes, and we fly away.
(ISV-v2.0) (ie International Standard Version v.2.0) [2008] We live for 70 years, or 80 years if we're healthy, yet even in their prime there are troubles and sorrow. They pass by quickly and we fly away.
Gen:46:27: And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.
Gen:50:3: And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.
Ex:15:27: And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
Num:33:9: And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there.
Deut:10:22: Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.
Judg:1:7: And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
Judg:8:30: And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
Judg:9:2: Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
Judg:9:4: And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
Judg:9:5: And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
Judg:9:18: And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
Judg:9:24: That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
Judg:12:14: And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
1Sam:6:19: And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
1Kgs:5:15: And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains;
1Chron:21:5: And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.
2Chron:2:2: And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
2Chron:2:18: And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.
2Chron:29:32: And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.
2Chron:36:21: To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
Zech:1:12: Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
Esword shows the phrase occurring 22 times. The first mention is in Genesis 46:27. === === Perhaps the most familiar of the "threescore and ten" passages is Psalm 90:10: The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (KJV)
The Bible refers to the length of our days on earth when it speaks in this famous passage: - a score is twenty.
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away (Psalms 90.10)
Psalm 90
Psa 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
The word score means twenty, 20. So the bible says mans life is three score and a half. That means 70 years , life of man. It comes in Psalms 90.
Since a score is 20, threescore and ten means 70; fourscore is 80.
John Wyclif's Bible, Leviticus 12, at that date:
"Thre scoor and sixe daies."
Psalm 90:10
These words are not mentioned in the bible.
Psalm 90:10 in King James Version
The phrase three score and a half , does not come in the book of Job, but in the book of Psalms chapter 90.
A score is twenty; if read as 'a score, ten and three' it is 20 + 10 + 3 = 33, but if read as 'a score [times] ten' it becomes 203.
He promised nothing at all like that."Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
The phrase Three score years and ten is from Psalms 90 verse 10: The days of our years are threescore years and ten;and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,yet is their strength labor and sorrow;for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
70 miles. A score is 20.
ten
In the older translations of the Bible and other old English literature, it just means 70, e.g.Genesis 46:27 "And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten."
the ten commandments
If you are thinking of the word 'score' as a span of life, it is of biblical origin, Leviticus 12 and Psalms 90 which quotes 'there is a use of it that refers to a span of our lives' - 'the days of our years are three score years and ten'. Also borrowed by Shakespeare in Macbeth as 'Three score and ten I can remember well,' The span of life was then considered to be three score and ten, in other words 70 years
No, "three score and ten years" is not exclusive to nonbelievers. It is a phrase taken from the Bible, specifically from Psalms 90:10, and it refers to the traditional lifespan of a human being, which is approximately 70 years. This concept is not limited to a particular religious belief or nonbelief.