KONSEP MATEMATIKA DALAM ALKITAB: STUDI DESKRIPTIF TENTANG BILANGAN, PENGUKURAN, GEOMETRI, RASIO, DAN PENALARAN MATEMATIS
Keywords:
Bible; Mathematics; Number; Measurement; Geometry; Ratio; Qualitative Description.
Abstract
Mathematics is a field of knowledge concerned with number, quantity, structure, space, measurement, relations, and reasoning. Although the Bible is not a mathematics textbook, a number of biblical passages contain counting activities, measures of length, weights and capacities, dimensions of objects, quantitative comparisons, and the calculation of resources. This study aims to describe mathematical concepts that can be identified in biblical texts and to explain contextual relationships between certain quantitative practices and the moral values associated with them. The study employs a qualitative descriptive approach using document study. Primary data consist of biblical passages that explicitly contain phenomena related to number, measurement, geometry, ratio, and estimation, while secondary sources include literature on the history of mathematics, biblical metrology, biblical studies, and qualitative research methodology. The analysis proceeds through textual description, historical contextualization, mathematical description, and limited interpretation. The findings indicate enumeration in the census of Israel; measurement and ratio in the dimensions of Noah’s Ark; standardization of measures and weights in Israelite law; the relationship between diameter and circumference in the description of the Molten Sea; and estimation in the parable of building a tower. The study concludes that the Bible does not teach formal mathematics as a discipline, but it contains quantitative phenomena that can be described mathematically when their historical, literary, and theological contexts are preserved. The clearest relationship between quantitative practice and moral value occurs in texts concerning honest measures and weights in the context of justice and integrity.References
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Robson, E. (2008). Mathematics in ancient Iraq: A social history. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv10qqzk0
Sandelowski, M. (2000). Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing & Health, 23(4), 334–340. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-240X(200008)23:4<334::AID-NUR9>3.0.CO;2-G
Scott, R. B. Y. (1959). Weights and measures of the Bible. The Biblical Archaeologist, 22(2), 22–40. https://doi.org/10.2307/3209306
Smith, D. I., & Smith, J. K. A. (Eds.). (2011). Teaching and Christian practices: Reshaping faith and learning. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Walton, J. H. (2018). Ancient Near Eastern thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the conceptual world of the Hebrew Bible (2nd ed.). Baker Academic.
Walton, J. H., Matthews, V. H., & Chavalas, M. W. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament. InterVarsity Press.
Wenham, G. J. (1987). Genesis 1–15. Word Books.
Badley, K. (2009). Clarifying “faith-learning integration”: Essentially contested concepts and the concept-conception distinction. Journal of Education and Christian Belief, 13(1), 7–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/205699710901300103
Bishop, A. J. (1988). Mathematical enculturation: A cultural perspective on mathematics education. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Colorafi, K. J., & Evans, B. (2016). Qualitative descriptive methods in health science research. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 9(4), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1937586715614171
Dell, K. J., & Joyce, P. M. (Eds.). (2013). Biblical interpretation and method: Essays in honour of John Barton. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199645534.001.0001
Glanzer, P. L. (2008). Why we should discard “the integration of faith and learning”: Rearticulating the mission of the Christian scholar. Journal of Education and Christian Belief, 12(1), 41–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/205699710801200105
Gombo, M. (2025). The Use Of Inquiry-Based Learning Models To Develop Students’ Critical Thinking Skills In Solving Contextual Mathematics Problems . Afore : Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika, 4(1), 42-55. https://doi.org/10.57094/afore.v4i1.2562
Gombo, M. (2026). Agriculture-Based Local Economic Development In Highland Papua: Potential, Challenges, And Community Empowerment Strategies. Curve Elasticity: Jurnal Pendidikan Ekonomi, 7(2), 15-31. https://doi.org/10.57094/jpe.v7i2.5530
Gombo, M., Ketut Suma, I Made Candiasa, & I Nyoman Jampel. (2025). Implementasi Manajemen Keuangan Sederhana Pada Usaha Pinang Tradisional Di Wamena: Tantangan Dan Peluang Dalam Konteks Pendidikan Kewirausahaan. Curve Elasticity: Jurnal Pendidikan Ekonomi, 6(1), 94-108. https://doi.org/10.57094/jpe.v6i1.2858
Harefa, E.,Dkk. 2026. From STEM Knowledge to Technology Integration: The Mediating Role of Intrinsic Motivation and Growth Mindset Among Elementary Teachers. Proceeding of International Conference on Biology Education, Natural Science, and Technology
Hendel, R. (2024). Genesis 1–11: A new translation with introduction and commentary. Yale University Press.
Hollenback, G. M. (1998). The value of pi and the circumference of the “Molten Sea” in 3 Kingdoms 7,10. Biblica, 79(3), 409–412. https://doi.org/10.2143/BIB.79.3.3200626
Høyrup, J. (2002). Lengths, widths, surfaces: A portrait of Old Babylonian algebra and its kin. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3685-4
Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Katz, V. J. (2013). A history of mathematics: An introduction (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Kim, H., Sefcik, J. S., & Bradway, C. (2017). Characteristics of qualitative descriptive studies: A systematic review. Research in Nursing & Health, 40(1), 23–42. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21768
Kletter, R. (1998). Economic keystones: The weight system of the Kingdom of Judah. Sheffield Academic Press.
Kline, M. (1990). Mathematical thought from ancient to modern times (Vol. 1). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195061352.001.0001
Krippendorff, K. (2018). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Maeir, A. M. (2020). Biblical archaeology. In Oxford Classical Dictionary. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.8308
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Miano, D. (2010). Shadow on the steps: Time measurement in ancient Israel. Society of Biblical Literature.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Morgan, R., & Barton, J. (1988). Biblical interpretation. Oxford University Press.
Neergaard, M. A., Olesen, F., Andersen, R. S., & Sondergaard, J. (2009). Qualitative description—The poor cousin of health research? BMC Medical Research Methodology, 9, Article 52. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-9-52
Robson, E. (2008). Mathematics in ancient Iraq: A social history. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv10qqzk0
Sandelowski, M. (2000). Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing & Health, 23(4), 334–340. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-240X(200008)23:4<334::AID-NUR9>3.0.CO;2-G
Scott, R. B. Y. (1959). Weights and measures of the Bible. The Biblical Archaeologist, 22(2), 22–40. https://doi.org/10.2307/3209306
Smith, D. I., & Smith, J. K. A. (Eds.). (2011). Teaching and Christian practices: Reshaping faith and learning. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Walton, J. H. (2018). Ancient Near Eastern thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the conceptual world of the Hebrew Bible (2nd ed.). Baker Academic.
Walton, J. H., Matthews, V. H., & Chavalas, M. W. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament. InterVarsity Press.
Wenham, G. J. (1987). Genesis 1–15. Word Books.
Published
2026-10-06
How to Cite
Gombo, M. (2026). KONSEP MATEMATIKA DALAM ALKITAB: STUDI DESKRIPTIF TENTANG BILANGAN, PENGUKURAN, GEOMETRI, RASIO, DAN PENALARAN MATEMATIS. Afore : Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika, 5(2), 71-86. https://doi.org/10.57094/afore.v5i2.5675
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Articles
