It is not surprising that 70 has a certain cabalistic value, since it is the tenfold of the sacred 7, and thus, as it were, its “great form”. “Our life lasts threescore and ten. . .” (Ps. 90:10) says the psalmist, and groups of 70 are found throughout the Old Testament, from the 70 men accompanying Moses to Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:1) to the 70 years of the Babylonian exile (Jer. 25:12). This latter period also contains the aspect of mourning that is sometimes connected with 70-as when Moses was mourned for 70 days. Likewise, Isaiah threatened that Tyre would be forgotten for 70 years. According to Jewish and early Christian tradition, either 70 or 72 scholars are supposed to have translated the Old Testament into Greek in the days of the Egyptian king Ptolomy II, and the Greek version is therefore still known as Septuaginta  , “of the 70.” Whatever their real number was, since they were excellent scholars, they had to be a group of 70 or 72.

According to legend, Adam knew 70 languages, which is taken to mean all the languages of the world. In a similar vein, the Prophet Muhammad   is said to have recited the Quran 70 times during his heavenly journey in the Divine Presence, and also to have asked forgiveness 70 times daily-a recurring motif in the Abrahamic religions.

A charming wordplay with 70 is found in the later Midrash where it is said: “He who remains sober while drinking wine has the insight of 70 wise men.” The Hebrew word for wine, yayin, has the numerical value of 70, as does the word for secret, sod; thus, when the wine enters, the secrets come out.

Although 70 is itself a great round number, it can be multiplied. Islamic mysticism   holds that 70,000 veils separate God from his creatures, and according to another mystical tradition in Islam, the Prophet’s luminous essence stayed at the Tree of Knowledge for 70,000 years. [’’The Mystery of Numbers’’]

Only Luke tells us that Jesus formed a second group of disciples, which was composed of seventy (or seventy-two) and was sent out with a mission similar to that of the Twelve (cf. Lk   10:1–12). Like the number twelve, the number seventy (or seventy-two—the manuscripts variously report one or the other) is symbolic. Based on a combination of Deuteronomy 32:8 and Exodus 1:5, seventy was considered to be the number of the nations of the world. According to Exodus 1:5, seventy was the number of people who accompanied Jacob into Egypt; “they were all Jacob’s offspring.” A recent variant of Deuteronomy 32:8, which has become the generally received version, runs as follows: “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of men, he fixed the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel”—this is a reference to the seventy members of the house of Jacob at the time of the emigration to Egypt. Alongside the twelve sons, who prefigure Israel, stand the seventy, who represent the whole world and are thus considered also to have some connection with Jacob, with Israel. [’’Jesus of Nazareth’’]

That Cain being avenged "seven fold" signifies that it was a sacrilege to violate the faith separate understood by Cain, may be seen as shown at verse 15; and that by "seventy and seven fold" is signified what is much more a sacrilege, and that there is condemnation therefor, may be evident from the signification of "seventy and seven fold." The number seven is holy, on account of the fact that the seventh day signifies the celestial man, the celestial church, the celestial kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself. For this reason wherever it occurs in the Word the number seven signifies holy, or sacred; and the holiness, or sacredness is predicated of the things or according to the things treated of. And from this comes the signification of the number seventy, which comprehends seven ages — for an age in the Word is ten years. When any thing most holy, or most sacred was to be expressed, it was said "seventy fold" or "seventy times" — as when the Lord said they should forgive their brother not until seven times, but until seventy times seven (Matt. xviii. 21, 22); by which is meant that they should forgive as many times as he sins, so that it should be without end, or should be eternal — which is holy. And here, that he should be avenged "seventy and seven fold" is condemnation because of the violation of what was most sacred. [’’The Divine Revelation of the New Jerusalem’’]