Sabbath(s) and Sunday
Acts 20:7 reads, “On the first day of the week (μια των σαββατων), when we were gathered together to break bread ….” (ESV).
There is an obvious question for the Greek newbie as to why μια is translated as “first” when we learned it as “one,“ and why σαββατων is translated as “week” when we learned it as “sabbaths”? Why “first day of the week” and not “one of the sabbaths”?
Part of the key is in the nature of the word σαββατον. It is not as straight forward as one might expect. A quick perusal of BDAG show these options.
1. “the seventh day of the week,” hence, the “Sabbath.” It can be used in the singular but also the plural, and here is the interesting part; in the plural it can refer to multiple days but it can also refer to a single day. Why, you say, would they do that? I have no idea. The attestation given in BDAG is significant and the point can’t really be debated. There is evidently something idiomatic in how the word is used such that a plural can refer to a single day.
2. “Week.” Again, it can be both singular (Lk 18:12; Mk 16:9; 1 Cor 16:2) and plural.
Combined with this is the use of numbers with σαββατον.
- πρωτη σαββατου, first day of the week (Sunday), Mk 16:9
- κατα μιαν σαββατου, every Sunday, 1 Cor 16:2
- μιας σαββατου, Sunday morning, Mk 16:2 (v.l.)
In the plural we see the same thing.
- μια σαββατων (i.e. ημερα) the first day of the week Mt 28:1 (also Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; J 20:1, 19; Ac 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2 v.l.)
Most significant is the Didache 8:1, which says that the Judeans fast δευτερα σαββατων και πεμπτη on the second and fifth days of the week (Monday and Thursday).
Also, if you check BDAG on the Greek word for “one” (εις), you will find that it can be a marker for something that is first; hence, it has a wider range of meaning than just “one.”
So what do we make of all this?
1. The Didache passage shows that when numbers are used with σαββατον, it is idiomatic and the numbers are referring to certain days during the week. And so in Acts 21:7 “one of the sabbaths” means “the first day of the week.”
2. It explains why my definition in BBG is “Sabbath, week.” The word has a wider range of meaning than might be expected, and when you see a gloss like this for a Greek word, it should signal that there is something a little different going on.
3. It should cause the Greek newbie to be respectful of the language. The glosses that you are memorizing in the vocabulary sections are only approximations, and even at that they do not cover all the uses of the term. In the first year of Greek, the day’s trouble is sufficient — I’m sure Jesus was thinking of Greek class in Matt 6:34 ;-) — and so simple glosses are adequate; but part of second year Greek is learning to broaden your understanding of words and not to rely solely on your memorized glosses.
4. Especially for the person who is limited to using the language tools, caution is urged. Words are rarely simple; they are usually nuanced and sometimes idiomatic. The fact that every modern translation goes with “first day of the week” shows that here is an idiom at work, and no theological doctrines should be drawn from this usage (other than the fact that the early church saw no conflict in worshiping on the first day of the week and not the last, probably as a reflection of the significance of Jesus’ resurrection on the first day).
In the resurrection verses we commonly find the Koine Greek phrase; ‘μια τῶν σαββατων’ which is transliterated ‘mia twn sabbatwn’ and is translated to literally mean; ‘one of the sabbaths’. As well, the words can be found similarly within other N.T. verses such as; Acts 20:7 : 1 Corinthians 16:2 and Colossians 2:16. This phrase has been traditionally perceived, interpreted, and understood to read as ; ‘the first day of the week’ or ‘the first of sabbaths.’ However, let us consider specifically the Koine Greek word ‘σαββατων’ which is transliterated as ‘sabbatwn’ where the literal English rendering is translated as ‘sabbaths’ and is plural of meaning in line with Greek Syntax rules. In the key resurrection verse of Matthew 28:1 the word ‘sabbatwn’ appears twice in the same sentence and is plural in meaning at both instances. The full sentence of Matthew 28:1 would render something like; “Late the sabbaths (plural) as it was lighting up on one of the sabbaths (plural) Mary of Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb.”
What could this possibly mean according to Greek Syntax without it being a contradiction to itself?
Hence Matthew 28:1 may be describing details in meaning like ; ‘Late (adverb) [post-after-end] the sabbaths (plural) as it was lighting up (twi-light) on one (cardinal) of the ( partitive genitive ) sabbaths (plural)…… .’ A description that may pertain to a time interval when the Passover period was finished and had already completed e.g. End ( opse-adverbial ) the 2 High sabbaths (Nisan 15 & 21 i.e. EX 12:16 ) of the Passover period onto a weekly sabbath ( 1 0f 7 ) within the 50 day duration between Passover (from the sheaf offering LEV 23:11,15) leading up to Pentecost.
Best Regards - Pmary65
Hi Bill
I posted your blog about Acts20:7 on http://forums.carm.org/v/showthread.php?p=5819364#post5819364
Below was the responce by Hawkeye1618 i believe he considers himself to be part of Messianic Judaism , i'm christianous..
The above explanation is primarily what the Main Stream Church has been propounding now for over 1700 years. The word SABBATON is not the Greek form used in the scripture references I provided . It is SABBATWN and it has a different meaning. A SABBATWN is not a normal weekly Sabbath. As you can see by this: http://www.htmlbible.com/sacrednameb...K452.htm#S4521
Without these mistranslations [Matthew 28:1][Mark 16:2][Luke 24:1][John 20:1][John 20:19][Acts 20:7] and [I Corinthians 16:2] their entire theology come to a grinding halt....as they have "Bet the farm" on a Sunday resurrection. It is their only reason for Sunday observance and is nothing but false tradition.....established to prop up Sunday observance. The Savior can be shown to have resurrected early Sabbath (Saturday) morning before sunrise.
..............SABBATWN is an annually observed type of Sabbath mentioned in scripture....and is written for all the resurrection passages. This is because....it also describes the weekly Sabbaths between Passover and Pentecost. It does not mean week. It is a plural word form meaning Sabbaths.
http://www.torahtimes.org/Sabbaton_Week_Sabbaths.html
http://www.torahtimes.org/Sabbatou_and_Luke18_12.htm
For translators to continue in this vein is not surprising. They have been weaned on the idea of a Sunday morning resurrection....so to twist the Greek to say something it doesn't say.....means their traditions will continue to be the mainstream....and the folks will continue in their Sunday observance.
The only translator I know of who comes close to getting this right is "Young's Literal Translation."
Here is an example of Mr. Young's work: [Matthew 28:1] And on the eve of the sabbaths, at the dawn, toward the first of the sabbaths, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre.
You can locate that here: http://yltbible.com/matthew/28.htm
Ed,
If what you are saying is true then Didache 8.1 is saying that Judeans fast on the second and fifth Sabbaths after Passover. This sounds a bit absurd, doesn't it? I mean, wouldn't a Judean fast EVERY Sabbath? Why would Didache 8.1 seem to making a point of telling me they fast on the second and fifth Sabbaths after Passover unless... SABBATWN was in fact idiomatic and it really means they fast Monday and Thursday of EVERY week?
God bless,
Barry