Word Studies¶

G3957 -- pascha (Passover)¶

Original: πάσχα Transliteration: páscha Part of Speech: neuter noun Definition: Of Chaldee origin; the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the victim) BLB Count: 29 occurrences

Translations¶

Translation	Count	Percentage
passover	17	89.5%
the Passover	1	5.3%
Easter	1	5.3%

Key Verses (all NT occurrences traced)¶

Mat 26:2 -- "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover"
Mat 26:17 -- "Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?"
Mat 26:18 -- "I will keep the passover at thy house"
Mat 26:19 -- "made ready the passover"
Mar 14:1 -- "After two days was the feast of the passover"
Mar 14:12 (2x) -- "when they killed the passover... that thou mayest eat the passover"
Mar 14:14 -- "Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover"
Mar 14:16 -- "made ready the passover"
Luk 2:41 -- "went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover"
Luk 22:7 -- "the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed"
Luk 22:8 -- "Go and prepare us the passover"
Luk 22:11 -- "Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover"
Luk 22:13 -- "they made ready the passover"
Luk 22:15 -- "With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you"
1Co 5:7 -- "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us"
Heb 11:28 -- "Through faith he kept the passover"
Act 12:4 -- "Easter" (KJV mistranslation of pascha)

Additional Johannine occurrences (from lexicon): Jhn 2:13, 2:23, 6:4, 11:55, 12:1, 13:1, 18:28, 18:39, 19:14

LXX Connection¶

H6453 (pesach) -> G3957 (pascha): 27 LXX occurrences with PMI score 8.89 (highest correlation) Also maps to G2380 (thyo, "to sacrifice") with 9 occurrences -- confirming the sacrificial nature Also maps to G106 (azymos, "unleavened") with 3 occurrences -- confirming the leaven connection

G286 -- amnos (lamb)¶

Original: ἀμνός Transliteration: amnós Part of Speech: masculine noun Definition: Apparently a primary word; a lamb BLB Count: 4 occurrences

Translations¶

Translation	Count	Percentage
a lamb	1	50%
of a lamb	1	50%

Key Verses (all 4 NT occurrences)¶

John 1:29 -- "Behold the Lamb (amnos) of God, which taketh away the sin of the world"
John 1:36 -- "Behold the Lamb (amnos) of God!"
Acts 8:32 -- "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb (amnos) dumb before his shearer"
1 Peter 1:19 -- "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb (amnos) without blemish and without spot"

Comparison: amnos (G286) vs arnion (G721)¶

Feature	amnos (G286)	arnion (G721)
Meaning	lamb (adult)	lambkin (diminutive)
Gender	masculine	neuter
NT Count	4	30
Usage	Sacrificial/prophetic	Revelatory/eschatological
Key books	John, Acts, 1 Peter	John 21:15, Revelation (29x)
Emphasis	Christ as Passover sacrifice	Christ as reigning, conquering Lamb

arnion (G721) -- 30 BLB occurrences: - Translations: Lamb (24), a Lamb (2), Lamb's (2), a lamb (1) - John 21:15 -- "Feed my lambs" (only non-Revelation use) - Revelation 5:6,8,12; 6:1,16; 7:9,10,14,17; 12:11; 13:8,11; 14:1,4,10; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7,9; 21:9,14,22,23,27; 22:1,3

Significance: John uses amnos for the sacrificial identification (Jhn 1:29 -- "Lamb of God") and arnion for the victorious/reigning identification (Revelation). Peter connects amnos to the Passover lamb directly (1 Pet 1:19 -- "without blemish and without spot" = Exo 12:5).

G536 -- aparche (firstfruit)¶

Original: ἀπαρχή Transliteration: aparchē Part of Speech: feminine noun Definition: From a compound of apo and archo; a beginning of sacrifice, i.e. the first portion BLB Count: 8 occurrences

Translations¶

Translation	Count	Percentage
the firstfruits	5	71.4%
firstfruits	1	14.3%
firstfruit	1	14.3%

All 8 NT Occurrences (traced via --verses)¶

Romans 8:23 -- "ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption"
Romans 11:16 -- "For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches"
Romans 16:5 -- "Epaenetus... who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ"
1 Corinthians 15:20 -- "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept"
1 Corinthians 15:23 -- "Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming"
1 Corinthians 16:15 -- "the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia"
James 1:18 -- "that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures"
Revelation 14:4 -- "These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb"

Usage Categories¶

Christological (2): 1 Cor 15:20, 15:23 -- Christ IS the firstfruits of the resurrection Pneumatological (1): Rom 8:23 -- The Spirit IS the firstfruits of the coming full redemption Ecclesiological (2): Rom 16:5, 1 Cor 16:15 -- First converts in a region Theological principle (1): Rom 11:16 -- Firstfruit consecrates the whole lump Eschatological (1): Rev 14:4 -- 144,000 as firstfruits unto God and the Lamb Anthropological (1): Jas 1:18 -- Believers as firstfruits of God's creatures

Key Theological Pattern¶

The firstfruit guarantees and consecrates the full harvest. When applied to Christ's resurrection (1 Cor 15:20,23), it means His resurrection is not an isolated event but the guarantee/beginning of the general resurrection harvest. The sequence is explicit: "Christ the firstfruits; afterward (epeita) they that are Christ's at his coming (parousia)."

H6453 -- pesach (Passover)¶

Original: פֶּסַח Transliteration: pesach Part of Speech: masculine noun Definition: From H6452 (pasach, "to pass/leap over"); a pretermission, i.e. exemption; used technically of the Jewish Passover (the festival or the victim) BLB Count: 49 occurrences (KJV: 50)

Translations¶

Translation	Count	Percentage
the passover	32	64%
passover	6	12%
of the passover	4	8%
such a passover	2	4%
for the passover offerings	2	4%
other	4	8%

Distribution¶

Pentateuch: Exo 12 (15x), Exo 34:25, Lev 23:5 (2x), Num 9 (12x), Num 28:16, Num 33:3, Deu 16 (7x) Historical: Jos 5:10-11, 2Ki 23:21-23, 2Ch 30:1-18 (8x), 2Ch 35:1-19 (10x), Ezr 6:19-20 Prophetic: Ezk 45:21 (2x)

LXX Translation¶

Primary Greek equivalent: G3957 (pascha) -- 27 mapped occurrences Also associated with: G2380 (thyo, "to sacrifice/slay") -- confirming the sacrificial dimension

H4150 -- mo'ed (appointed time)¶

Original: מוֹעֵד Transliteration: mo'ed Part of Speech: masculine noun Definition: From H3259 (ya'ad, "to appoint"); properly, an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly; technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting BLB Count: 223 occurrences (KJV: 229)

Translations¶

Translation	Count	Percentage
of the congregation	146	63.8%
the feasts / set feasts / solemn feasts	~25	~10.9%
appointed time/season	~20	~8.7%
assembly	~5	~2.2%
other	~33	~14.4%

Semantic Range¶

The word bridges TWO major concepts: 1. Feast/appointed time -- The mo'adim of Lev 23:2,4,37,44 are divine appointments, not merely "feasts" or "holidays" 2. Tabernacle/congregation -- The "tabernacle of the congregation" (ohel mo'ed) uses the same word -- the place where God meets His people

This dual meaning connects the feast calendar to the sanctuary: both are about divinely appointed meeting between God and His people.

Key Leviticus 23 Uses¶

Lev 23:2 -- "the feasts (mo'adei) of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim"
Lev 23:4 -- "These are the feasts (mo'adei) of the LORD... which ye shall proclaim in their seasons"
Lev 23:37 -- "These are the feasts (mo'adei) of the LORD"
Lev 23:44 -- "And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts (mo'adei) of the LORD"

LXX Translation¶

Primary equivalents: - G3142 (martyrion, "testimony/tabernacle") -- 138 occurrences (the "tent of meeting" usage) - G4633 (skene, "tent/tabernacle") -- 138 occurrences - G1859 (heorte, "feast") -- 34 occurrences (the "feast/appointed time" usage) - G2540 (kairos, "season/opportune time") -- 29 occurrences - G3831 (panegyris, "general assembly") -- 3 occurrences (cf. Heb 12:23)

G3904 -- paraskeue (preparation)¶

Original: παρασκευή Transliteration: paraskeuē Part of Speech: feminine noun Definition: As if from paraskeuazo; readiness; preparation BLB Count: 6 occurrences

Translations¶

Translation	Count	Percentage
the preparation	2	66.7%
day of the preparation	1	33.3%

All NT Occurrences¶

Matthew 27:62 -- "Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation"
Mark 15:42 -- "because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath"
Luke 23:54 -- "And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on"
John 19:14 -- "it was the preparation of the passover"
John 19:31 -- "because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain"
John 19:42 -- "because of the Jews' preparation day"

Significance for Chronology¶

John 19:14 -- "Paraskeue tou pascha" (preparation of the Passover) places the crucifixion on the day the Passover lambs were being slain. John 19:31 notes "that sabbath day was an high day" (megas), indicating the weekly Sabbath coincided with the first day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15), a festival sabbath.

G1859 -- heorte (feast)¶

Original: ἑορτή Transliteration: heortē Part of Speech: feminine noun Definition: Of uncertain affinity; a festival BLB Count: 27 occurrences

Translations¶

Translation	Count	Percentage
feast	8	80%
the feast	1	10%
of an holyday	1	10%

Key Verses¶

Colossians 2:16 -- "Let no man therefore judge you... in respect of an holyday (heorte)"
John 7:2 -- "the Jews' feast (heorte) of tabernacles was at hand"
John 13:1 -- "before the feast (heorte) of the passover"
Multiple Johannine uses establishing Jesus' attendance at feasts

Usage in Colossians 2:16¶

Paul lists heorte alongside "new moon" and "sabbath days" as shadow-elements pointing to Christ (v.17). The LXX maps H4150 (mo'ed) to G1859 (heorte) 34 times, confirming the NT use draws on OT feast terminology.

H1061 -- bikkuwr (firstfruits)¶

Original: בִּכּוּר Transliteration: bikkuwr Part of Speech: masculine plural noun Definition: From H1069 (bakar); the first-fruits of the crop BLB Count: 18 occurrences

Translations¶

Translation	Count	Percentage
of the firstfruits	6	33.3%
the firstfruits	4	22.2%
of thy firstfruits	2	11.1%
firstripe / first ripe	2	11.1%
other	4	22.3%

Key Occurrences¶

Lev 23:17 -- "they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits (bikkurim) unto the LORD" (Pentecost loaves)
Lev 23:20 -- "the bread of the firstfruits (bikkurim) for a wave offering"
Num 28:26 -- "the day of the firstfruits (bikkurim), when ye bring a new meat offering"
Exo 23:16 -- "the firstfruits (bikkurim) of thy labours"

Note on Lev 23:10 (reshith vs bikkuwr)¶

Lev 23:10 uses "reshith" (beginning/firstfruits) for the wave sheaf, not "bikkuwr." The wave sheaf is the reshith (first portion) of the barley harvest. The bikkurim at Pentecost (Lev 23:17,20) are the first of the wheat harvest. Both are "firstfruits" but of different harvests, pointing to different fulfillments.

H4682 -- matstsah (unleavened bread)¶

Original: מַצָּה Transliteration: matstsah Part of Speech: feminine noun Definition: From H4711 in the sense of greedily devouring for sweetness; properly sweetness; concretely, sweet (not soured with yeast); specifically an unfermented cake/loaf BLB Count: 53 occurrences

Translations¶

Translation	Count	Percentage
unleavened bread	15	25%
of unleavened bread	14	23.3%
unleavened	12	20%
other	19	31.7%

Key Occurrences¶

Exo 12:8 -- "unleavened bread (matstsah); and with bitter herbs they shall eat it"
Exo 12:15 -- "Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread (matstsot)"
Exo 12:17 -- "ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread (matstsot)"
Lev 23:6 -- "the feast of unleavened bread (matstsot) unto the LORD"

H2282 -- chag (festival)¶

Original: חַג Transliteration: chag Part of Speech: masculine noun Definition: From H2287 (chagag, "to celebrate/keep a feast"); a festival, or a victim therefor BLB Count: 62 occurrences

Translations¶

Translation	Count	Percentage
a feast / the feast / feast	34	~55%
in the feast / of the feast	8	~13%
sacrifice	2	~3%
solemn feast / solemnity	4	~6%
other	14	~23%

Relationship to mo'ed (H4150)¶

Both mean "feast" but with different emphases: - mo'ed = appointed time (the WHEN of divine meetings) - chag = pilgrim feast/celebration (the HOW of festive observance)

The three pilgrimage feasts (Passover/UB, Pentecost, Tabernacles) are called both mo'adim and chaggim. The chag emphasizes the celebratory, communal aspect; the mo'ed emphasizes the divinely appointed, calendrical aspect.

Additional Strong's Numbers Referenced¶

G4845 -- sympleroō (to fill completely)¶

Used in Acts 2:1 -- "when the day of Pentecost was fully come (symplērousthai)" - Present passive infinitive - Carries nuance of "being fulfilled/completed," not merely "arriving" - Same word used in Luke 9:51 ("when the time was come [symplērousthai] that he should be received up") -- prophetic fulfillment language

G2380 -- thyo (to sacrifice/slay)¶

Used in 1 Cor 5:7 -- "Christ our passover is sacrificed (etythe) for us" - Aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular - The aorist tense marks this as a definitive, once-for-all action - The passive voice indicates Christ was the one acted upon (sacrificed by others/God's plan)

G4639 -- skia (shadow)¶

Used in Col 2:17 -- "which are a shadow (skia) of things to come" Also in Heb 10:1 -- "the law having a shadow (skia) of good things to come" - A shadow requires both a light source AND a real body casting it - The feasts as shadows presuppose a real substance (soma, "body") = Christ

G1453 -- egeiro (to raise)¶

Used in 1 Cor 15:20 -- "Christ is risen (egegertai) from the dead" - Perfect passive indicative - The PERFECT tense indicates a past action with continuing present results: "has been raised and remains in the raised state" - This grammatical form underlies the firstfruits imagery: the wave sheaf, once raised before the LORD, remains consecrated