„Day of the Sabbaths“ was replaced by „Day of the Sun“

Chapter 6.5.

In the previous chapters, the phrase „day of the Sabbath“ (singular) or „day of the Sabbaths“ (plural) has already been mentioned several times. Now we will explain exactly what the Hebrews meant by it. First, it must be mentioned that there are many passages in the New Testament (NT) where the word ημερα (hemera, day) was not mentioned in the Greek text, but it was still meant in the textual context. All translators had no problems with this and added the word "day" in many places in their Bibles for better understanding. Also, in the respective verses dealing with the resurrection of Jesus, many added the word "day", giving rise to the phrase „τη μια ημερα των σαββατων“ (on a day of the Sabbaths).

Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1; Acts 20:7: τη μια των σαββατων = on the one of the Sabbaths

If we now add the "day", the result is:

τη μια των σαββατων + [ημερα] = τη μια [ημερα] των σαββατων

th mia ton sabbaton + [hemera] = th mia [hemera] ton sabbaton

on the one of the Sabbaths + [day] = on the one [day] of the Sabbaths

It is not necessary to add the word "day" (ημερα, hemera) in the resurrection chapter because everyone understands the expression „on the one of the Sabbaths“ (Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1; Acts 20:7). However, if someone adds the Greek word "day", then there is no problem at all, because then the phrase „on the one day of the Sabbaths“ is created. What is meant by this? This question is very easy to answer biblically. It means: 

τη μια ημερα των σαββατων = on a day of the Sabbaths (plural) = on a Sabbath day (singular) 

See also the chapter „mia ton sabbaton“ and the biggest translation error in the history of mankind.

Note: Some theologians prefer to translate "mia" (one) as "first" (prote), which then becomes „on the first [day] of the Sabbaths“. Although this is not literal, it is completely correct in terms of content, because this particular Sabbath (Nisan 17) is indeed „the first of the Sabbaths“ (plural) or „the first Sabbath“ (sigular) in a series of exactly 7 weekly Sabbaths that must be counted each year between Passover (Nisan 15) and Pentecost (50th day) and can be found in every biblical/Jewish calendar. Therefore, Mark speaks of this „first Sabbath“ (Mk 16:9) in the genitive singular, which can be translated extremely easily into any language in the world.

The phrase „day of the Sabbaths“ in the plural is unknown in almost all languages of the world. It is therefore important to consider what the ancient Greek-speaking evangelists wanted to express with it. Anyone who does not have this basic knowledge should not even begin a translation of the New Testament. This phrase is ancient and already exists in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament (OT), the Septuagint (LXX), which was translated 200 years before the birth of Jesus. When reading all the biblical passages in this context, it becomes clear that, in accordance with the special grammatical rules of the ancient Greek language, the Hebrews and Christians meant nothing other than ONE specific Sabbath day (in the singular). There is much evidence for this:

The Hebrew „in the day (יום) of the Sabbath (השבת)“ (on the day of the Sabbath = on the Sabbath day) in the singular was often translated in the Septuagint as „τη ημερα των σαββατων“ (on the day of the Sabbaths) in the plural. This is also the case in Exodus 20:8, one of the best-known passages in the Bible. All Christians in the world know the 4th of God's 10 commandments, which reads: „Remember the Sabbath day“ (Hebrew singular). But very few people are aware that the Greek equivalent in the LXX is: „Remember the day of the Sabbaths“ in the plural! This was not a mistranslation in the Septuagint, but the completely correct ancient Greek equivalent, which used the plural. Was this about the „first day of the week“ or „a Sunday“? Of course not. An ancient Greek „day of the Sabbaths“ always meant nothing other than „a Sabbath day“.

Once again: an ancient Greek „day of the Sabbaths“ (ημερα των σαββατων) in the plural has always meant nothing other than a single Sabbath day in the singular. This may sound strange to us today, but for the Hebrews and Greeks of the time, it was a completely normal expression that everyone understood. It was a matter of translating a foreign Hebrew word into ancient Greek, where special language rules had to be observed: The Aramaic word "Shabbat-a" means "the Sabbath" in the singular, but in ancient Greek, words with an "a" at the end are considered plural. This means that the Sabbath is of course still the Sabbath and does not become another day of the week. Despite the use of the plural, no one would think of translating Exodus 20:8 as „remember the first day of the week“ or „remember the Sunday“. The same language rules also apply in the NT. So if modern translators were to look at the Greek Septuagint and the Greek NT at the same time, they must not translate „on the Sabbath“ in the OT and then another time in the resurrection chapter of the NT for the 100% same phrase „on the first day of the week“ or „on Sunday“; that would be a pure forgery. Further biblical examples from the Greek Septuagint follow, which prove that the Hebrews and Greeks always meant a single Sabbath day in the singular by „ημεραν των σαββατων“ (day of the Sabbaths) and never another day of the week or the week:

• Ex 35:3: „You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day“ [LXX: τη ημερα των σαββατων = on the day of the Sabbaths, plural!].
  
• Dt 5:12: „Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you“ [LXX: την ημεραν των σαββατων = the day of the Sabbaths, plural!]. KJV: „Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it.“
• Lev 23:15: „You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath“ [LXX: της (the) επαυριον (following, after-day) των (of the) σαββατων (Sabbaths, plural!)]. Here we are clearly only talking about a specific day, namely the day after a single Sabbath (singular), from which to count to Pentecost, yet in the translation of the LXX the plural "σαββατων" (sabbaton, Sabbaths) is used.
  
• Num 15:32: „While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day“ [LXX: τη ημερα των σαββατων = on the day of the Sabbaths, plural!].

The examples of Ex 35:3 and Num 15:32 in particular clearly show that although the Hebrew speaks of only one specific Sabbath day (be-yom ha-Shabbat = in the day of the Sabbath), the Greek equivalent in the Septuagint is nevertheless in the plural form σαββατων (Sabbaths). But this is not at all surprising, since all Israelites understood this phrase in the singular sense because of the special grammatical handling of the word Sabbath in the Greek language (for further explanation see Replacement-2). It clearly refers to an action „on the day of the Sabaths“ (τη ημεραν των σαββατων, i.e. in the plural) and no one would dare to translate it here as „on a day of the week“ or „on a Sun-day“. loaded wood.

It is completely normal in the ancient Greek Septuagint and in all ancient Greek literature that the plural sabbata (σαβββατα) means a single Sabbath day in the singular. One of many examples is Deuteronomy 5:14:

Dt 5:14: „τη δε ημερα τη εβδομη σαββατα κυριω τω θεω“ = „but the day [hemera] seventh [ebdomi] is Sabbaths [sabbata, plural] to the Lord your God.“

This is also the case with the plural sabbaton (σαββατων), which was often used in ancient Greek to describe the Sabbath in the singular. This is not insider knowledge, but an absolute basic knowledge of the ancient Greek language, in which the foreign word "Sabbath/s" is very often used in the plural (σαββατα, σαβββατων), although it also means the singular.

The prophet Jeremiah uses several times (Jer 17:21,22,24,27) an alternation between „be-yom ha-Shabbat“ (in the day of the Shabbat) and „et yom ha-Shabbat“ (of the day of the Shabbat) which the Septuagint (LXX) ALWAYS translates with the plural term σαββατων (Sabbaths), although the Hebrew original only means a Sabbath in the singular:

Jer 17:22: „And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath [literally in LXX: τη ημερα των σαββατων = on the day of the Sabbaths] or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy [literally in LXX: την ημεραν των σαββατων = the day of the Sabbaths], as I commanded your fathers“.

If someone were to translate the Septuagint into English, they could never write „on a [or first] day of the week“, so why should the 100% identical ancient Greek phrase in the resurrection chapter of the NT (τη μια ημερα των σαβββατων = on a day of the Sabbaths) be translated as „on the first day of the week“ or „on a Sunday“ instead of „on a Sabbath day“ in the singular?

Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1 and John 20:1 speak of the resurrection of Jesus „on the one of the Sabbaths“ (τη μια των σαββατων; plural genitive). This can be translated very easily into all other languages of the world, regardless of whether the ancient Greek day (ημερα, hemera) is added in between or not. Since there are always 3 Sabbaths during the 7-day Passover (namely the two High Sabbaths on Nisan 15 and 21 with the one minor weekly Sabbath in between) and every year even 7 weekly Sabbaths must be counted between Passover (Nisan 15) and Pentecost (50th day), it is easy to understand when the evangelists report what happened „on the one of the Sabbaths“ or „on one day of the Sabbaths“.

Mark 16:9 is also extremely easy to translate, because it says that Jesus rose from the dead „early on the first Sabbath“ (πρωι πρωτη σαββατου; singular genitive). From „a Lord's Day (Sunday)" (μια Κυριακή = mia Kyriaki), „a Sunday (μια ημερα του ήλιου = mia hemera tou heiliou) or of „a first day of the week“ (μια πρωτη ημερα της εβδομαδας = mia prote hemera tis ebdomadas) was never mentioned in the ancient Greek NT, because God emphasizes the resurrection Sabbath a total of 7 times (see Interlinear Bible).

The King James Bible translates Mt 26:17 as follows:

"Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?"

However, the word ημερα (day) does not appear at all in the basic Greek text. The Greek language omitted the word "day" in many places in the New Testament context because it was clear to everyone that it was meant anyway. If it is nevertheless added [in brackets] in the translation for the sake of better understanding, it is correct, as the comparison with the corresponding parallel passages proves. It is about the same event. However, Mark and Luke mention the word "day", whereas Matthew does not. The content is nevertheless 100% the same:

Even in the sentences that tell of the day of Jesus' resurrection (Mk 16:2; Luk 24:1; Jn 20:1), a feminine ημερα (day) can be added after the feminine μια (mia, one/a) in each case for better understanding. While this is correct, it is not obligatory, as the comparison of Mt 26:17 with Mk 14:12 clearly proves, where the feminine πρωτη (prote, first) also comes immediately before the neuter plural (unleavened breads). In exactly the same way, in Lk 24:1 the feminine μια (one) precedes the neuter σαββατων (sabbaths). In other words, the word "day" may be added, but it is not necessary at all. Nevertheless, those who think that the day, which is also feminine, should be placed after the mia (one) are welcome to do so. Instead of „τη μια των σαββατων“ (on the one of the Sabbaths), then arises the phrase „τη μια ημερα των σαββατων“ (on the one day of the Sabbaths), which means exactly the same thing, namely, „on a/one Sabbath day.“

As has already been proven in chapter 6.2, the plural "Sabbaths" was often used in the Greek language to describe a single Sabbath day (singular). Thus, the correct translation of „τη μια ημερα των σαββατων“ would be „on a/one Sabbath day,“ but never „on the first day of the week,“ nor the „first day after the Sabbath,“ nor „on the Lord's day,“ and certainly not „on a/one Sunday.“ That would be an absolute NO GO in the Greek.

In the resurrection chapter, the evangelists omitted the word hemera (ημερα, day) after the word mia (μια, a/one) because it was clear to all readers that they were talking about an event „on a Sabbath“ and every Sabbath is also a day anyway, so this word did not necessarily have to be mentioned. „On a Sabbaths“ (plural) and „on a day of the Sabbaths“ (plural) mean exactly the same thing in ancient Greek, namely „on a Sabbath day“ (singular). But the short form was used more frequently, as in the many other examples. It was always only about „a Sabbath day“ (μια ημερα των σαββατων), it was never about „a day of the sun (Sunday)“ (μια ημέρα του ήλιου; μια ήλιος ημερας), it was never about „on a Lord's Day" (τη μια ημέρα του Κυρίου; μια Κυριακή), it was never about „on the first day of the week“ (την πρωτη ημερα της εβδομάδας). You can distinguish between these phrases in every language in the world, and in ancient Greek too, of course.

Most translators have also added the word day in Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2, Mk 16,9; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1, Jn 20:19 and Acts 20:7. Although this is not necessary, it is nevertheless acceptable. Thus the phrase „on a day of Sabbaths“ clearly arises. It should now be immediately clear to anyone familiar with the NT and the Septuagint that this can only mean a single Sabbath day, as Gen 20:8 in the Septuagint (LXX), for example, proves.

Mt 26:17 is particularly important because the missing word "day" (ημερα, hemera) before the neuter "unleavened [bread]" (αζυμων; azymon) is grammatically exactly the same as the feminine mia (one) and prote (first) before the neuter σαββατων (Sabbaths). It is therefore unimportant whether someone translates „on a Sabbath“, „on the first Sabbath“ or „on a Sabbath day“, or „on the first Sabbath day“. The main thing is that the Sabbath is preserved. Just as the day could have been added after the word first (prote) in Mt 26:17 (as it is in Mk 14:12), the day could also have been added after the word mia (μια, one). Grammatically, it is exactly the same:

In terms of content, it is not important whether the day (ημέρα, hemera) is mentioned after mia [μια, one, Strong No. 1520] and prote [πρωτη, first, Strong No. 4413] or not, because the content remains the same in both cases. Just as someone can say „on the first day of Unleavened Bread“, he can also say „on a day of Unleavened Bread“. And he can also say either „on the first of the Sabbaths“ or „on the one of the Sabbaths“ or „on the one of the Sabbath days“ or „on one day of the Sabbaths“ or „on a Sabbath day“. However, this never refers to „a day of the sun (Sunday)“ (μία ημέρα του ήλιου), but always only to the „day of the Sabbaths“ (Sabbath).

The evangelist Luke himself defines what is meant by the „day of the Sabbaths“. He writes:

Lk 4:16: „And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth... And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day [LITERALLY: on the day of the Sabbaths = ημερα των σαββατων], and he stood up to read.“

Jesus' custom was therefore to teach in the synagogue on the „day of the Sabbaths“ (plural). As in the ancient Greek Septuagint, so also in the ancient Greek NT, it was always only about „a Sabbath day“ (singular) and never about „a Sunday“ or the „first day of the week“. Therefore, every child understands when the same Luke writes that the women came to the tomb „on the one of the Sabbaths“ or „on a [day] of the Sabbaths“ (Lk 24:1). What is so difficult to understand about that? By the way, this is the same ancient Greek „day of the Sabbaths" (plural) that is mentioned in the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:8), as has already been demonstrated in the text above. When did Jesus appear to the disciples? John speaks of „the day, the one Sabbaths“ (τη ημερα τη μια σαββατων; John 20:19) and not of „the day, the one Sunday“. The ancient Greek „day of the Sabbaths“ in the plural therefore always meant „the Sabbath day“ in the singular:

Some theologians believe that the expression „ημερα των σαββατων“ (day of the Sabbaths) refers to a day on which 2 Sabbaths, namely an annual festive Sabbath (or High Sabbath) and a weekly Sabbath, fall on one day. In this case, we speak of a double Sabbath. Although this is theoretically possible, the phrase „ημερα των σαββατων“ was generally and very often used to describe a single normal weekly Sabbath day (not an annual High Sabbath), as can be seen not only from the Septuagint (see examples above), but also from the books of the historian Josephus, the Apocrypha and even from the NT itself. The expression „day of the Sabbaths“ (plural) sounds strange to us, but for the Hebrews, Romans and Greeks at the time of Jesus it was a completely normal ancient Greek expression that they adopted from their fathers and that everyone understood without exception. The following examples from the NT (Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14; Acts 16:13) prove that almost all Bible translators in the world knew this expression and used it to describe a single Sabbath day in the singular.

Almost all Bible translators in the world have translated the plural phrase „ημερα των σαββατων“ (hemera ton sabbaton = day of the Sabbaths) as „on the Sabbath day“ or simply as „on the Sabbath“ in the singular (!). The evangelist Luke not only wrote a gospel, but also the Acts of the Apostles and he always clearly defined what was always meant by the ancient Greek „day of the Sabbaths“, namely a „Sabbath day“. It was defined in exactly the same way centuries earlier in the Septuagint (LXX, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew OT). There are therefore no contradictions between the ancient Greek texts of the Septuagint and the New Testament:

Whether in Catholic, Protestant, ecumenical, Free Evangelical, Adventist or Jehovah's Witness Bibles, all translate „ημερα των σαββατων“ (day of the Sabbaths, plural) in these passages as „on the Sabbath“ or „on the Sabbath day“ in the singular. So all Bible translators knew this phrase very well and knew what was meant. How could they then translate the 100% identical phrase in the passages that tell of Jesus' resurrection as „on the first day of the week“, or „on the day after the Sabbath“ or „on a Sunday“? This is a legitimate question that clearly shows that love for the doctrine of Jesus' alleged Sunday resurrection was greater than love for Jesus and His word itself.

If the phrase „τη ημερα των σαββατων“ (on the day of the Sabbaths) in Lk 4:16; Acts 13:14 and Acts 16:13 was interpreted by all translators as „on the Sabbath day“ or „on the Sabbath“, it is now quite clear that the same wording „τη μια [ημερα] των σαββατων“ in Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1 and Jn 20:1 can only offer one possible translation, namely „on a/first Sabbath day“ or „on a/first Sabbath":

Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1:  τη μια/πρωτη ημερα των σαββατων = on a/first Sabbath day

Translation into any language is extremely easy. Both μια (mia, one) and πρωτη (prote, first) are feminine and refer to the feminine day (hemera, ημερα), which is often not mentioned in the NT, but was meant. The women therefore went to the tomb „on a/first Sabbath day“, but not: „on a/first Sunday“, „on the first day of the week“ and also not „after the Sabbath“, because there are completely different ancient Greek equivalents for this, see the chapter No Sunday.

As the Strong's numbers clearly prove, the NT only speaks of „one of the Sabbaths“ (Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1) and the „first Sabbath“ (Mk 16:9). Nevertheless, people have dared to change God's statements (underlined in red). Here is an example from the website Biblehub.com:

But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end.

Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increas 

 (Daniel 12:4)

 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil"

(1Thess 5:21-22)

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them"

(Epheser 5:11)