The term "three-year" in the Bible often signifies a period of time that holds particular significance in various contexts, including agriculture, prophecy, and religious practices. This entry explores the occurrences and implications of the three-year period within the biblical narrative.

Agricultural Context

In the agricultural laws given to the Israelites, the three-year period is significant in the context of fruit trees. According to Leviticus 19:23-25 , when the Israelites entered the Promised Land and planted fruit trees, they were instructed not to eat the fruit for the first three years. The fruit was considered forbidden, or "uncircumcised," during this time. In the fourth year, all the fruit was to be consecrated as an offering of praise to the LORD. Only in the fifth year could the Israelites eat the fruit, ensuring a period of maturation and dedication to God before personal consumption.

Prophetic and Historical Context

The three-year period is also notable in prophetic and historical contexts. In Isaiah 20:3 , the prophet Isaiah is instructed by God to walk naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush. This act symbolized the impending captivity and humiliation that these nations would face at the hands of Assyria.

In the New Testament, Jesus refers to a three-year period in the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6-9). In this parable, a man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and for three years, he sought fruit on it but found none. The owner of the vineyard instructed the vinedresser to cut it down, but the vinedresser pleaded for one more year to cultivate and fertilize it, hoping it would bear fruit. This parable illustrates God's patience and the opportunity for repentance and fruitfulness.

Religious Practices

The three-year period also appears in the context of religious vows and dedications. In Numbers 6, the Nazirite vow, which could be taken for a specified period, often included a time of dedication that could last for three years or more, depending on the individual's commitment. While the text does not explicitly state a three-year duration, the concept of a set period of dedication aligns with the broader biblical theme of significant timeframes.

Symbolic Significance

The number three in biblical numerology often represents completeness or divine perfection, and a three-year period can symbolize a complete cycle or a time of testing and preparation. This is evident in the various contexts where three years are mentioned, whether in agricultural laws, prophetic acts, or parables.

In summary, the three-year period in the Bible is a multifaceted concept that appears in various contexts, each carrying its own significance. Whether in agricultural laws, prophetic symbolism, or religious practices, the three-year timeframe often denotes a period of preparation, dedication, or divine intervention.7969. shalosh -- a three, triad
... 11), thirteen* (12), thirteenth* (11), thirty (2), thirty-three* (7), three (267),
three things (6), three-pronged* (1), three-tenths* (8), three-year-old (1 ...
/hebrew/7969.htm - 7k

8027. shalash -- to do a third time, divide into three parts
... divide into three parts (1), do it a third time (1), stayed for three days (1),
third time (2), three (2), three days (1), three parts (1), three year old (3). ...
/hebrew/8027.htm - 6k

Samuel the Boy Prophet
... Then she took him with her, and a three-year-old ox, a bushel of flour, and a skin
of wine, and brought him to the temple of Jehovah at Shiloh. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/samuel the boy prophet.htm

The Chronology
... Many students have inferred the three year ministry from the Gospel of John alone,
identifying the unnamed feast in John 5:1 with a Passover. ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/iv the chronology.htm

Chapter xv
... 9, 10. And He said to him: Take me a three year old heifer, a three year old
she-goat, a three year old ram and a turtledove and a young pigeon. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xv.htm

Concerning the Government of Claudius, and the Reign of Agrippa. ...
... 1. Now when Caius had reigned three year's and eight months, and had been slain
by treachery, Claudius was hurried away by the armies that were at Rome to take ...
/.../chapter 11 concerning the government.htm

My California Trip
... As I left, her little three-year-old child heard her say that she wished Sister
Cole had prayed for her while there, as she wanted to be healed and go to ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter xvii my california trip.htm

Chronology of the Life of Christ.
... of the barren fig-tree, which represents the Jewish people, has been used as an
argument in favor of a three years' ministry: "Behold, these three year I come ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 16 chronology of the.htm

The Presentation of the Blessed virgin in the Temple
... Already some days ago I saw the three-year-old child Mary standing before Anna in
a room in her house and being instructed in her prayers, as the priests were ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/iii the presentation of the.htm

Interdenominational Readjustment
... 2c. How to raise. 1d. Estimate amount that should come from each cooperating church.
Ask each church to assume its share on a three-year guarantee. 2d. ...
/.../chapter viii interdenominational readjustment.htm

Byzantine Empresses Theodora ii. , Theophano, Zoe, Theodora iii.
... into that of a merchant. Theophilus died in 842, leaving the throne to
his three-year-old son, Michael. His mother, Theodora, as ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/xiii byzantine empresses theodora ii.htm

Corn in Egypt
... For three year's I persevered in that; and many a day, in every room of the house
in which I lived, as each room became unoccupied, upon an occasion, have I ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/corn in egypt.htm

Three-year (1 Occurrence)
Three-year. Three-tenths, Three-year. Three-year-old . Multi-Version
Concordance Three-year (1 Occurrence). 1 Samuel ...
/t/three-year.htm - 6k

Three-year-old (1 Occurrence)
Three-year-old. Three-year, Three-year-old. Thresh . Multi-Version
Concordance Three-year-old (1 Occurrence). 1 Samuel ...
/t/three-year-old.htm - 6k

Thresh (7 Occurrences)

/t/thresh.htm - 9k

Three-tenths (8 Occurrences)
Three-tenths. Three-tenth, Three-tenths. Three-year . Multi-Version Concordance ...
Three-tenth, Three-tenths. Three-year . Reference Bible.
/t/three-tenths.htm - 8k

Skin (115 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 1:24 Then when she had done so, she took him with her, with a three-year
old ox and an ephah of meal and a skin full of wine, and took him to the ...
/s/skin.htm - 44k

What is a sabbatical year? | GotQuestions.org

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What are the three woes of Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

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