All Things Three
Cardinal: THREE
Hindu-Arabic: 3
Ordinate: Third
Roman: III
Greek: Gamma
1+2; 1+1+1; 1x3
Pythagorean numbers: the triad
Words of Three:
Roman Words
- tres, tertius: tertiary, trey, tervalent
- terni: three each as in ternion
- ter: ternary, tern foot
Sanskrit Words
- tri: triad, triangulate, triathlon, triceps, tricolored, tricorn, tricuspid, tricycle, trident, triform, trifurcate, trimester, trinity, trilogy, triplets, tripod, tricerotops
Associated words:
- clover
Geometric, Scientific Associations:
- Geometric symbol: triangle
- Earth third planet from sun
- Three dimensional: having length, width and depth
- Insects have head, thorax & abdomen
- pyramid (only on its triangular side, there are four sides to a pyramid plus the square bottom)
- Periodic number of Lithium (Li)
- Color: Color systems break color into triads for mixing purposes
- primary colors: red, blue, yellow.
- secondary colors: green, purple, orange.
- CYMK color sytem uses cyan, magenta and yellow.
- RGB color system uses red, green and blue.
- U.S. flag – the red, white and blue.
- Architecture, machinery: Triforium; Triga (chariot drawn by 3 horses)
- Explosives: TNT (Trinitrotoluene); Nitroglycerin (trinitroglycerin)
Time Associations:
- Wednesday (Germanic god Woden & Mercury)
- March
Family & Social Associations:
- Child as the product of man and wife
- Third estate, the nobles, the church and the commoners
- Third Reich
Games & sports:
- three of a kind (poker)
- triathlon (swimming)– biking, running
- 1, 2, 3 go
- three-legged race
- three-gaited show horse – walk, trot, canter
- Baseball: three strikes, three outs, 3 base hit, Three bases & home plate, three strikes – you’re out
Religious Associations:
- Christain: the Trinity
- Third Commandment: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
- Three in bible: Three wise men, three kings, Christ rose on third day, he was denied by Peter 3 times, 3 crosses at the crucifixion, betrayed by Judas for 30 pieces of silver, Cock crowed thrice
- Druids believed 3 was number of unknown God.
- Trimurti: Hindu Gods Brahma, Vishnu & Siva
- Buddhism: Three signs of Being
Biblical Associations:
- Genesis 1:13-19 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. And God said, "let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
- Genesis 7:13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. and 9:19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth.
- 1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
- Three in prophesy: Genesis 40:16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, "I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. and Genesis 40:18 "This is what it means," Joseph said. "The three baskets are three days. and Matthew 26:34 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." and Matthew 26:75 Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly. and Mark 14:30 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today-yes, tonight-before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times." and Luke 22:34 Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." and John 13:38 Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
- Three as warning: Exodus 10:22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. and 10:23 No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. and 15:22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. and Amos 1:3 This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath . Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, and Amos 1:6 This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath . Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, and Amos 1:9 This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood and Amos 1:11 This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath . Because he pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all compassion, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, and Amos 1:13 This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not turn back. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, and Amos 2:1 This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not turn back. Because he burned, as if to lime, the bones of Edom's king, and Amos 2:4 This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back. Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed,
- Three as offering: Exodus 23:17 "Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord. and Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. No man should appear before the Lord empty-handed. and 1 Kings 9:25 Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense before the Lord along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations.
- Three as punishment: Numbers 22:28 Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" and 22:32 The angel of the Lord asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. and 1 Chronicles 21:12 three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord -days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.' Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me." and 2 Corinthians 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
- Three witnesses: Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. and Matthew 18:16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. and Timothy 5:19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. and John 5:7 For there are three that testify. and 1 Corinthians 14:29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. and 2 Corinthians 13:1 This will be my third visit to you. "Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." and 1 John 5:8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
- Sets of Three: Kings 7:5 All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other. and Kings 7:25 The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center.
- Three days of waiting: Ezra 8:32 So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days. and Ezra 10:8 Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles. and Jonah 1:17 But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. and Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. and Matthew 26:61 Finally two came forward and declared, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'" and Matthew 27:40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" and Mark 15:29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, and Mark 14:58 "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.' " and John 2:19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." and Matthew 27:63 "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' and Mark 8:31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. and Mark 9:31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." and Mark 10:34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." and Luke 2:46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. and Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
- Three daughters: Job 42:13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. Job 1:2 He had seven sons and three daughters,
- Three as strength: Ecclesiastes 4:12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Three in Revelation:
- Revelation 8:13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"
- Revelation 9:18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.
- Revelation 16:13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
- Revelation 16:19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.
- Revelation 21:13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west.
Alphabetical letters: c, l, u
Common Triads:
- Beginning, middle, end
- Body, soul, spirit
- Earth, sea, sky
- Father, mother, son
- man, woman, child
- Father, Son Holy Ghost
- Fish, flesh, fowl
- Length, width, height
- Liberty, equality, fraternity
- Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
- Milk, wine, honey
- In Psycology: Ego, super-ego, id
- Reading, writing, arithmetic
- Sun, moon, stars
Astrological Associations: House of Gemini and Mercury
Astrological and Numerology Prophetic Description:
- Three is the number of time and fate as shown in past, present and future.
- A holy number that represents completeness in family as represented in man, woman and child. In creation and procreation representing both spiritual and sexual power.
- Three is the answer to the conflict posed by one and two.
- Pythagoreans didn't consider 1 and 2 numbers so three became the first odd number.
- Three’s keywords are friendship, peace, justice, prudence, piety, temperance & virtue.
- Three is a number of wisdom because men benefit from the past, organize the present and foresee the future. Three is the number of knowledge – music, geometry & astronomy. It represents the primary colors & the major planets. A holy number that represents completeness in a family or father, mother, child. Because of this, three represents continuity & life.
- Three was associated with Saturn (the ruler of time), Ophion, Hecate, Pluto, Triton, The Fates, Furies and the Graces.
Negative connotations:
- Incompleteness
- divorce
- separation
- abducted child
- lacking sexual desire
- barrenness
Tarot Divination: The empress or Earth mother who is also the goddess of love, or Venus. She is the virgin's promise of productivity now come to fruition. She represents the seed of an idea sown in unconscious, also material wealth, marriage, fertility for would-be parents, farmers, people in creative arts. If reversed or not in good placement with other cards, may mean infertility, dissipation in luxury, loss of belongings especially those indicating wealth, possible destruction by famine or war, problems within the family or home.
Symbolic Representatios: Trident: clover leaf:
Sign: Three’s symbol is the triangle.
Literary, folk lore, art:
- Larry, Moe & Curly
- triptych (3 part painting)
- Three graces, mytholgy
- Three fates, mythology
- Three Musketeers, novel
- Three Penny Opera
- Three Pigs, folktale;
- Three Billy Goat Gruffs, folktale;
- Three Bears, folktale
- Three Questions of the Sphinx, mythology
- Music: Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub; Three Blind Mice
- triology – a three volume set of books
Movies & TV
- Three's Company, 1977-1984 TV show with John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, Don Knotts and Suzanne Summers
- Three for the Road, 1975, TV show with Alex Rocco, Vince Van Patten and Leif Garrett (replaced by 60 Minutes)
- Three for the Road, 1987, movie starring Charlie Sheen
Common usage, slang:
- accidents (deaths) come in three
- giving someone the third degree
- good (or bad) things come in threes
- leaves of three, let it be (poison ivy)
- odd man out
- third leg
- three chances
- three sheets to the wind
- three wishes
- threesome
- three-masted ship
- three-in-one
- 3-R’s
- three-ring circus
- three-day weekend
- triage
- two’s company three’s a crowd
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Sources Some information drawn from:
- The Discoverers by Daniel J. Boorstin
- The Numerology Workbook by Julia Line
- Zero to Lazy Eight, the Romance of Numbers by Humez, Humez and Maguire
- Dartmouth, Number Symbolism in the Middle Ages at http://www.math.dartmouth.edu/~matc/math5.geometry/unit8/unit8.html
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