Jewish Reckoning by L. L. Caviness

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 11, 1913

Jewish Reckoning

By L. L. Caviness

L. L. CAVINESS

ONE is sometimes reminded of the poet’s statement, “A little learning is a dangerous thing.” Some time ago the writer received two letters, one from Iowa and one from Colorado, asking the original Greek reading and literal meaning of Matt. 28:1 and other parallel texts. The particular phrase whose original meaning was desired, was that which appears in the Authorized Version correctly translated as the “first day of the week.” Some one, with but little acquaintance with the Greek and with even less knowledge of the Jewish way of reckoning the days of the week, not wishing to acknowledge the claims of the seventh day, tried to make this text prove the end of the Jewish Sabbath and the beginning of the Christian Sunday.

He first objected to the expression “first day of the week,” stating correctly that the word day was supplied, and then incorrectly adding that, as the original Greek word here translated week was sabbaton, it should not be translated “of the week” but “of the Sabbaths.” Thus supplying “Jewish” and “Christian,” he made the whole passage read: “In the end of the Jewish Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first of the Christian Sabbaths, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.”

When correctly understood, the phrase here discussed, simply shows how important the Sabbath was in all the Jewish reckonings. I quote a paragraph from a book, written by a teacher in the Theological Seminary of Princeton, and published almost one hundred years ago by the Western Sunday-school Union:—

“The Jews had not particular names for the first six days of the week, but distinguished them merely by their order; thus, what we now call Sunday was termed the first day of the week, Monday was the second, Tuesday the third, and so of the rest. The seventh day, which we name Saturday, was styled among them the Sabbath, that is, the day of rest. And because this was the most important day of all in the week, the whole week came to be called from its name, a Sabbath; whence the other days were called also the first day of the Sabbath, the second day of the Sabbath, and so on in their order.”—“A Summary of Biblical Antiquities,” John W. Nevin, assistant teacher in the Theological Seminary of Princeton (2 vols.), Utica, Western Sunday-school Union, 1828, Vol. I, page 187.

This is one of the many quotations that are being collected for the revised edition of “Facts for the Times,” which is now being prepared. References to good quotations which might well be included in the new book would be thankfully received. It is desired that the new book may be made a veritable library of authentic quotations so carefully selected as to make the book indispensable to all classes of workers.