HEBRAIC VIEW: FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK
Dear Mishpochah (family):
In this article, I would like to examine the phrase,
"First Day
of the Week" found in the NT.
As you know, this phrase, "First Day of the
Week" is what MANY
in traditiional Christianity use to explain worship on Sunday and a
Sunday resurrection of the Messiah. Is this a valid interpretation of
NT scripture? Let us examine the issue:
There are EIGHT places in the NT where the phrase "First day of the
week" occurs. Let's look at them:
KJV Matthew 28:1 In the end of the sabbath <4521>, as it began to dawn
toward
the FIRST <3391> DAY OF THE WEEK <4521>, came Mary Magdalene and
the
other Mary to see the sepulchre.
KJV Mark 16:2 And very early in the morning the FIRST <3391> DAY OF
THE WEEK <4521>, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
KJV Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the FIRST <4413> DAY
OF
THE WEEK <4521>, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had
cast
seven devils.
KJV Luke 24:1 Now upon the FIRST<3391> DAY OF
THE WEEK <4521> very early in the morning, they came unto the
sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain
others with them.
KJV John 20:1 The FIRST<3391> DAY OF
THE WEEK <4521> cometh Mary Magdalene early,
when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken
away from the sepulchre.
KJV John 20:1 The FIRST<3391> DAY OF
THE WEEK <4521> cometh Mary Magdalene early,
when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken
away from the sepulchre.
KJV John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the FIRST<3391>
DAY OF
THE WEEK <4521>, when the doors were shut where the disciples were
assembled
for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith
unto them, Peace be unto you.
KJV Acts 20:7 And upon the FIRST<3391> DAY OF
THE WEEK <4521>, when the disciples came together to break bread,
Paul preached unto them, ready to depart
on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
KJV 1 Corinthians 16:2 Upon the FIRST<3391> DAY OF
THE WEEK <4521> let every one of
you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no
gatherings when I come.
If you would look in a Strong's Concordance for the word
"WEEK"
that occurs in these passages, you will notice that the Greek word
is:
<4521)
sabbaton {sab'-bat-on} of Hebrew
origin 07676; TDNT - 7:1,989; n n AV - sabbath day
37, sabbath 22, week 9; 68 1) the seventh day of each
week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites
were required to abstain from all work 1a) the institution
of the sabbath, the law for keeping holy every seventh
day of the week 1b) a single sabbath, sabbath day 2)
seven days, a week
FIFTY-NINE times in the NT, the Greek word, "Sabbaton"
is
translated in the KJV as "sabbath". Here are several examples:
KJV Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up:
and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath
<4521> day,
and stood up for to read.
KJV Mark
not man for the sabbath <4521>::
In certain Bible translations, the word
"day" in "first day of
the week" is in ITALICS. What this means is that the word is NOT in
the Greek manuscripts.
In SEVEN of the EIGHT verses cited above where the
phrase "FIRST
DAY OF THE WEEK" occurs, all but Mark 16:9, the Greek word for FIRST
is:
<3391>
mia {mee'-ah} irregular feminine of 1520;;
adj AV - one 62, first 8, a certain 4, a 3, the other 1,
agree + 4160 + 1106 1; 79 1) only one, someone
SIXTY-TWO times the Greek word "mia" is translated
as ONE.
Here are some examples:
KJV Matthew 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and
mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one
<3391>
flesh?
KJV John
them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall
be ONE <3391> fold, and one shepherd.
Therefore, the phrases in the original eight
verses listed
above should say:
"one sabbath (s)"
The Greek language didn't have a word for SABBATH. If
you notice
in the definition, it says that the word "shabbaton" is of Hebrew
origin.
sabbaton {sab'-bat-on} of Hebrew
origin 07676
<7676>
shabbath {shab-bawth'} intensive from
07673; TWOT - 2323b; n f/m AV - sabbath 107,
another 1; 108 1) Sabbath 1a) sabbath 1b) day of
atonement 1c) sabbath year 1d) week 1e) produce (in
sabbath year)
It indicates that the Hebrew equivalent is <7676> or
Sabbath.
The Greek word, "shabbaton" <3391> comes from the Hebrew
language for
the word, SABBATH.
After Passover, the Torah commands in Lev 23 to start counting
SEVEN WEEKS until the Feast of Pentecost / Shavuot.
The Hebrew word for WEEK is "Shavuah". It simply means,
"seven".
<7620>
shabuwa` {shaw-boo'-ah} or [;buv' shabua`
{shaw-boo'-ah} also (fem.) sh@bu`ah
{sheb-oo-aw'}
properly, pass part of 07650 as a denom. of 07651;
TWOT - 2318d; n m AV - week 19, seven 1; 20 1)
seven, period of seven (days or years), heptad, week 1a)
period of seven days, a week 1a1) Feast of Weeks 1b)
heptad, seven (of years)
Therefore, the feast of Pentecost / Shavuot is the feast of
"sevens". The plural of Shavuah is Shavuot.
In Hebrew, a DESIGNATED SABBATH DAY (apart from the weekly sabbath
day) is called a, "SHABBATON".
KJV Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the
seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a
sabbath <07677>, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy
convocation.
<7677>
shabbathown {shab-baw-thone'} from
07676; TWOT - 2323d; n m AV - rest 8, sabbath 3, 11
1) Sabbath observance, sabbatism 1a) of weekly
sabbath 1b) day of atonement 1c) sabbatical year 1d) of
Feast of Trumpets 1e) of the 1st and last days of the
Feast of Tabernacles
The GREEK language doesn't have a word that
differentiates
between a weekly sabbath and the special designated "high sabbath"
day known as a "shabbaton" in Hebrew.
Therefore, the translation of "FIRST DAY OF THE
WEEK" in the
EIGHT verses of the NT could be translated:
#1) "ONE (FIRST) of the SABBATH"
#2) "ONE OF THE SABBATHS": Indicating that the event took place
during the FIRST WEEK of the SEVEN WEEK counting
from Passover to
Pentecost.
The "FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK" translation to
imply SUNDAY is a
BIAS on the part of the translators to support the established
practice of SUNday worship.
Before Constantine declared the Roman Empire to
be Christian in
321 AD, it had MANY religions. The primary religion was Mithraism.
Mithraism centered around the worship of the SUN god.
The BIRTHDAY of the SUN god in Mithraism was
December 25.
The DAY to WORSHIP the SUN was SUN-day.
Through the influence of SUN worship in the
ancient Roman
Empire, Roman Christianity began to observe their worship services on
SUN-day and celebrate the birthday of Jesus on the day that WAS
celebrated as the birthday of the sun-god.
This SUN-day bias in Roman Christianity influenced the
King
James translators to translate the EIGHT phrases mentioned above as
"FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK" to justify the existing practice of observing
SUN-day worship based upon the teaching of a SUN-day resurrection of
Yeshua / Jesus. The SUN-day celebration of a SUN-day resurrection was
conducted with a SUN-rise worship service.
While many Pastors are aware of these things, TRADITION has
caused them to dismiss and continue the status-quo. However, the
SHEEP for the most part are IGNORANT of these truths.
The BIBLICAL day to worship YHVH through Yeshua / Jesus is
SABBATH.
Yeshua kept SABBATH (Luke 4:16). Paul kept Sabbath (Acts
13:14,
42-44). The Sabbath will be kept during the time of the new heaven
and new earth (Isaiah 66:22-23).
I pray that this study on the "first day of the
week" will help
you in embracing your Hebraic heritage in Messiah.
May YHVH continue to bless you in your studies.
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l