I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. .

Psalm 2.7f

These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.

I Kings 9.22f

In Hebrew, the 550 Rulers King Solomon set over his work are called Sarim, translated as "rulers," "prince," and "chief" in I Kings above (it occurs three times in those verese). We have the identity¹:

(Sarim, Rulers) = 550

The root is (Sar, Prince/Ruler). It relates directly to the English Sir and Sire and the Slavic Tsar and Czar. It appears in the name the Lord gave to Jacob, (Israel), when the Angel said: "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." (Gen 32.28).

Sarim is the first word in the Shin section of the great Alphabetic Psalm 119 (vs. 161):

Princes () have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.

The singlular form appears in the great prophetic title of the Lord Jesus Christ: (Sar Shalom, Prince of Peace) given in In Isaiah 9.6:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

This leads to a second identity. The exact word written is:

(HaMisrah, The Government) = 550

This word comes from the same root as Sar. The Number is also found in Psalm 2, quoted at the head of this page:

Psalm 2 is very special. Its index integrates with the nature of Eternal God, (cf. [Inner Cycles] > Psalm 2 - God the Son).

When Ezekiel saw the Throne of God, one of the Four Living Creatures was an Eagle. The word written is (Ezekiel 1.10):

(Nashar, Eagle) = 550

The Number 550 is also found in Psalm 121.7:

The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

The exact word written is (qal imperfect 3rd person masculine):

(He shall preserve) = 550

The root of this word (Shamar) is variously translated as keep, observe, preserve, watchman, etc. Note that all these words use the Letters (Resh) and (Shin). This relates to The Law:

(Sar, Ruler) = 500 = (Ho Nomos, The Law)

Finally, the Number 550 relates to the principle of ordering and straightening (Ecclesiastes 12.9):

And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

The exact word written is:

(Tikkun, To set in order) = 550

This is name of the modern Jewish magazine, Tikkun, where it is understood as encompassing the purpose of all our travails here on earth - to straighten, mend, correct, and align this fallen world until God's Will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

1. The exact word written in I Kings 9.23 is the plural in the construct state, (Sari). It is translated as "the chief" in the phrase "the chief of the officers." In the absloute state, the pural is (Sarim). This form is given in Psalm 119.161 above.

Questions? Comments? Join the discussion on the Bible Wheel Forum!