'Three score and ten' is the nominal span of a human life. In the days that this expression was coined that span was considered to be seventy years. Threescore used to be used for sixty, in the way that we still use a dozen for twelve, and (occasionally) score for twenty.
Lincoln mentions that “a new nation” was created “four score and seven years ago.” Since “score” means 20, four score is 80. Four score and seven years is, therefore, 80 and 7 years, which is 87 years. Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address November 19, 1863, 87 years after independence in 1776.
20 (twenty; Roman numeral XX) is the natural number following 19 and preceding 21. A group of twenty units may also be referred to as a score.
being or containing three times twenty; sixty.
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. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
When mankind had become corrupted in the period preceding the flood, God said: 'My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for he is flesh; his days shall be a hundred and twenty years' (Gen. 6:3).
A score refers to a span of 20 years. 'Fourscore and seven years ago' has often tripped up people in modern times. When Lincoln said fourscore and seven years, it was another way of saying eighty-seven years. Lincoln gave the speech in...
four·score ˈfōr-ˈskō(ə)r. ˈfȯr-ˈskȯ(ə)r. : being four times twenty : eighty.
Jehoash was 7 years old when his reign began, and he reigned for 40 years.
The original meaning of "score" was the sense of a notch or incision (e.g. *to score a piece of paper*). Shepherds would often count their sheep by making a notch in a piece of wood for every 20 sheep, from which the meanings "a score"="twenty" and "score" = "tally" both arise.
nounplural -ies. a period of 50 years: during the past half-century. a score or grouping of 50: a half-century of points. (as modifier): as I near the half-century mark.
We use these English words to represent numbers because numbers themselves are harder to decipher. Dozen is a standard term that is used to represent the number twelve. Likewise, the score is a standard term that is equal to twenty.
For example, a ranking of 75% means that 25% of test takers performed as well or better than you, and 75% did not do as well.
Threescore used to be used for sixty, in the way that we still use a dozen for twelve, and (occasionally) score for twenty. The use of threescore as a name for sixty has long since died out but is still remembered in this phrase.
: being 100 in number.
(archaic) One hundred and twenty.
Gideon had 70 sons from the many women he took as wives. He also had a Shechemite concubine who bore him a son whom he named Abimelech, which means "my father is king". There was peace in Israel for 40 years during the life of Gideon.
Methuselah, in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), patriarch whose life span as recorded in Genesis (5:27) was 969 years. Methuselah has survived in legend and tradition as the longest-lived human.
Hebrew Bible
The earliest account of primogeniture to be widely known in modern times involved Isaac's son Jacob being born second (Genesis 25:26) and Isaac's son, Esau being born first (Genesis 25:25) and entitled to the birthright, but eventually selling it to Jacob for a small amount of food (Genesis 25:31–34).
Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Let's take a look at what it means to dwell on these things.
And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
Gospel: Mark 4:26-34
The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.” He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it?
Four score and seven years ago ...
One “score” is 20, so “four score and seven” means 87 years. This is a reference to the Continental Congress adopting the language of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 – 87 years, 4 months, and 16 days before Lincoln gave his famous speech.
score (n.) late Old English scoru "twenty," from Old Norse skor "mark, notch, incision; a rift in rock," also, in Icelandic, "twenty," from Proto-Germanic *skur-, from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut." The notion probably is of counting large numbers (of a passing flock of sheep, etc.)
Etymology. From the Bible, Psalm 90, verse 10: "The days of our years are three score and ten."