SABBATON: AN EXPOSITION OF MATT. 28:1, AND PARALLEL PASSAGES.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
Argument on Sabbaton.
"A DROWNING man will catch at straws." This saying is wonderfully illustrated in the various and contradictory arguments which are resorted to in support of the Sunday Sabbath. Among the weakest of these is that founded upon the Greek of Matt. 28:1, where we find the phrase, eis mian sabbaton, rendered first day of the week. It is claimed that this really means, and should be translated, "first day of the Sabbaths," as sabbaton means Sabbath. Putting this with the phrase before it, it reads, "In the end of the Sabbaths, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the Sabbaths." From this, a grand argument is made, thus:—
In the end of the Sabbaths means the end of the old series of Sabbaths, that is, the seventh-day Sabbaths, which ended with the day that Christ lay in the tomb; and then the first day of the Sabbaths means the first day of the new series of Sabbaths, which began the day of Christ's resurrection, the first-day Sabbath, thus showing that the old series of Sabbaths ended there, and the new series commenced at the resurrection of Christ. But is there any real truth in this assumption? There is not, as may be seen by good authority on the meaning of these terms.
First, on the meaning of the term, "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn," &c. This is King James' translation, which is manifestly the best translation that might be made of the original. Mark, in referring to the same thing, says, "And when the Sabbath was past." Matthew must harmonize with Mark. The following notes and translations by eminent authors will give the reader a correct idea of its meaning:—
"Matt. 28:1. In the end of the Sabbath. The word end here means the same as, after the Sabbath, i. e., after the Sabbath was fully completed, or finished, and may be expressed in this manner: In the night following the Sabbath (for the Sabbath closed at sunset), as it began to dawn."—Barnes' Notes on Matt. 28:1.
"Matt. 28:1. Opse de Sabb. This must, with Krebs, Wahl., Tittm., Kuim., and Fritz, be explained, 'after the Sabbath,' i. e., as Mark more clearly expresses it, dia genomenon ton sabbaton, which must determine the sense here. Of this signification, the commentators adduce examples from Philost., Plut., Ælian, Xenophon."—Bloomfield's Notes.
"Matt. 28:1. In the end of the Sabbath.Opse de Sabbaton. After the end of the week: this is the translation given by several eminent critics; and in this way the word opse is used by the most eminent Greek writers."—Clarke on Matt. 28:1.
"Matt. 28:1. And late in the Sabbath, as it was dawning into the first day of the week, came Mary," &c.—Bible Union.
"Matt. 28:1. Now after the Sabbath, as it was dawning to the first day of the week," &c.—Diaglott.
"Matt. 28:1. And after the Sabbath, when it began to dawn on the first day of the week," &c.—Sawyer.
These authorities are sufficient to show the meaning of that expression. It does not signify the end of a series of Sabbaths, or any thing like it, but simply after the Sabbath. But what is the meaning of the phrase, eis mian sabbaton, first day of the Sabbaths? Does it not mean the beginning of a new series of Sabbaths? Well, if it does, then we have another new series of Sabbaths, beginning about twenty-eight years after the resurrection of Christ, as recorded in Acts 20:7, where King James' translation says, "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together." Here the Greek is the same as Matt. 28:1, mia ton sabbaton, the first day of the Sabbaths. If this phrase, in Matt. 28:1, means the first day of a new series of Sabbaths, then, of course, this also means the first day of a new series of Sabbaths. We should like to know what new series of Sabbaths commenced way down over twenty-eight years after the resurrection of Christ. So also we have the phrase in 1 Cor. 16:2, thus having several new series of Sabbaths. The simple truth in the case is this: Among the Hebrews, the Sabbath was the principal day of the week, and hence the whole week was frequently called from its name, a Sabbath; and the other days of the week were reckoned from it. Thus, the first day of the week was called the first day of the Sabbath, and so on. That this is so, is pointedly proved by the following eminent authors:—
SABBATON—ITS MEANING.
"A period of seven days, a week, sing. and pl. Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:9."—Greenfield's Greek N. T. on Sabbaton.
"A cessation from labor, rest, the Sabbath, a day of rest: by synecd., a week. Mark 16:7; Luke 18:12; Matt. 28:1," &c.—Pickering's Comp. Lex. of the Greek Language.
"2. Meton., a sabbath, put for the interval from Sabbath to Sabbath; hence a se'nnight, week."—Robinson.
"Shabbath. 2. perh. week, as in the Syriac and Greek. Matt. 28:1; Lev. 23:15; comp. Deut. 16:9."—Gesenius' Hebrew Lexicon.
"Sabbaton. 2. a week, N. T."—Liddell and Scott.
"From the circumstance that the Sabbath was the principal day of the week, the whole period of seven days was likewise called, Shabat, in Syriac, Shabta, in the N. T., Sabbaton, Sabbata. The Jews, accordingly, in designating the successive days of the week, were accustomed to say, the first day of the Sabbath, that is, of the week; the second day of the Sabbath, that is, Sunday, Monday, &c. Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:9."—Ency. of Relig. Knowl., Art. Week.
"Sabbath is also taken for the whole week. Luke 18:12. I fast twice in the week: in the Greek it is, I fast twice in the Sabbath."—Cruden.
This fast was on the second and fifth days of the week, says Bloomfield in his Greek N. T.
"The seventh day, which we term Saturday, was styled among them [the Jews] the Sabbath, that is, the day of rest. And because this was the most important day of all 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."—Nevins' Biblical Antiquities, p. 174.
"The Jews called Sunday one of the Sabbath, that is, the first day of the week. Monday was two of the Sabbath."—Union Bible Dict., Art. Weeks.
"Sabbathum is also taken for the whole week."—Calmet., Art. Sabbath.
Other remarks might be made, and facts stated, showing the absurdity of the argument founded on this phrase; but these certainly are all-sufficient for any candid mind.
IN these times it is almost dangerous to explode a heresy; for there are not a few who are ready even to seize the fragments, and caper about with them in the highest glee, as if they had discovered a new truth, or been blessed with a flood of new light. There are many now claiming that the first day of the week is called the Sabbath in Matt. 28:1, who doubtless learned for the first time that sabbatone occurs in that passage, from reading a refutation of that foolish claim.
Let us then again examine the manner in which the first day attempts to find an asylum in Matt. 28:1. The passage, in the original, reads thus: "Opse de sabbatone, te epiphosekouse eis mian sabbatone, eelthe Maria, eelthe Magdalene," &c. A translation is given to these words as follows: "In the end of the Sabbaths, as it began to dawn toward one (or the first) of the Sabbaths, came Mary Magdalene," &c. And on this the following claim is raised: In the end of the Sabbaths, that is, the old series, or seventh-day Sabbaths, as it began to dawn toward the first of a new series of Sabbaths, namely, Sabbaths to be held thereafter upon the first day of the week. What is necessary to sustain this claim? It is necessary, first, that the word Sabbatone should have a plural signification, and refer to a series of Sabbaths, and, secondly, that the word first should agree with sabbaton understood; for in that case the idea would be, "as it began to dawn toward the first Sabbath of a new series." If now it shall appear that the word sabbaton has a signification the same as if it was in the singular number, and that the word first cannot agree with sabbaton understood, then the translation given above is incorrect, and the claim based thereon, unfounded.
If now the reader will turn with us to the lexicon and grammar, we will try to ascertain clearly the meaning of the words and the sense of the passage.
Opse is defined by Robinson to mean, as a general signification, late, after a long time. "With a genitive, the same as at the end of, at the close of, after." Robinson then quotes these words from the Greek of Matt. 28:1, "opse de sabbatone," and translates them, "at the end of the Sabbath, i. e., after the Sabbath being now ended."
De is simply a continuative particle, signifying but, and, also, and the like.
Sabbatone. There are two words translated Sabbath in the New Testament. The first is sabbaton, which is a noun of the second declension, and is always used in the singular number. The second is sabbata, a noun of the third declension, and always used in the plural number. But these two words have identically the same signification, and are used interchangeably. Robinson says that where the plural form occurs, it is generally used for the singular. The word here in Matt. 28:1, is in the genitive case, which, according to Robinson, determines the meaning of opse before it; he, as already noticed, having said that opse* with a genitive signifies at the end of, or after. The genitive is thus used, Sophocles § 196, to denote the time when, or place where.
Te epiphosekouse: It beginning to dawn. Here we have the article te and the participle of the verb epiphoseko, which means, according to Robinson, "to grow light upon, to dawn upon." Liddell and Scott give it the single signification "to grow toward daylight." The word occurs elsewhere in the New Testament, only in Luke 23:54, where it says that the Sabbath drew on; and this use of the word in this instance, Bloomfield explains to be a Jewish idiom to denote the commencement of their day, borrowed from the classic use of the word by the heathen, who commenced their day in the morning. The word cannot have the tropical signification in Matt. 28:1, that it has in Luke 23:54, and signify that the first day, according to Jewish reckoning, was drawing on; for the word opse signifies that the Sabbath was already past. It must therefore here have its proper and literal signification, and mean, "as it began to grow toward daylight." The word is here in the dative form for the genitive absolute, Soph. § 226, Note 3, the article te, agreeing with heemera, day, understood.
Eis is simply a preposition, meaning to or into.
Mian is a numeral adjective, the first of the cardinal numbers, literally signifying one. It is here used, according to a Hebraism, as an ordinal, signifying the first.—Robinson. The form mian is found in the singular number, feminine gender, accusative case, from the nominative, heis, mia, hen. Being an adjective, it must agree with some substantive, either expressed or understood. Is there any word expressed with which it can agree? The next word is sabbatone which is in the genitive plural, and cannot therefore be the word with which the accusative singular, mian, agrees. What word, then, shall be supplied? This brings us to the principal claim based upon this text in behalf of the first day of the week. Is the sense of the passage that this is the first of a new series of Sabbaths now introduced? the first Sabbath of a new series? If so, the word first (mian) must agree with Sabbath (singular) understood. This form is found in the singular number and accusative case, the agreement thus far being all right; but when we look at the gender, we find that sabbaton is neuter, and mian, as already stated, is feminine. We cannot, therefore, supply the word sabbatone, unless we can perform the ungrammatical miracle of making a feminine adjective agree with a neuter noun.
But, strange to say, some are so determined to have sabbatone understood, as to claim that mian is neuter! and that the gender of the adjective is determined, not by its form, but by the gender of the noun with which it agrees; as much as to say that the adjective has but one form, and is masculine, feminine, or neuter, according to the gender of its noun. This will certainly surprise those who have any acquaintance with the Greek. It is only for the benefit of those who have never studied it, that we need to say that adjectives are declined, or take a change of form to express the number and case, exactly the same as nouns; and that they have a change of form also to denote the gender; and the gender of the noun determines absolutely what form of the adjective shall be used to agree with it.
Take, for instance, the word under consideration. The accusative singular, masculine, of the numeral heis, is hena, accusative feminine, mian, accusative neuter, hen. Used with a noun in the accusative singular, if masculine, hena would be the form of the adjective to be used; if feminine, mian; if neuter, hen. If therefore sabbaton is the word understood with which the numeral should agree; the form hen should have been used, not mian; and the fact that mian, the feminine form, is used, shows that the noun understood, with which it agrees, must be a feminine noun. In this respect the law of the globe is absolute and inexorable.
With what, then, does mian agree? Scholars and critics who understand thoroughly the idioms of the Greek, tell us that in such sentences the word day, heemera, is understood. See Greenfield's Greek Testament, Matt. 28:1, margin, also Robinson's Lexicon. Heemera is a feminine noun, and hence mian can agree with it in every respect; and there is no grammatical inaccuracy involved; putting in the supplied word, we have eis mian heemeran sabbatone, literally, the first day of the Sabbath.