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. A plural form "Sabbatwn" is used 12 times.
. A singular form "Sabbatou" is used 13 times.
. A singular form "Sabbaton" is used 14 times.
. A singular form "Sabbatw" is used 15 times.
It should be noted that "Sabbata" (a plural form of "Sabbaton") is used only one time in the
Greek New Testament (as cited) -- but this plural form is used numerous times in the Greek OT
Septuagint.
In addition to the above 70 instances, a closely related word "Sabbatismos" is used once in
the New Testament.
Another part of the New Testament definition of the Sabbath concerns the omission of a
day descriptor. (The expression which equates to Sabbath day, or the expression Sabbath days, is
seldom used in biblical texts). Essentially, the original texts -- when expressing Sabbath time --
consistently leave off a day descriptor. Consequently, Sabbath time is invariably expressed as be-
longing within either the Sabbath, or the Sabbaths.
The Luke/Acts author occasionally uses the word for "day" in association with Sabbath
time. In general, the New Testament authors -- for some reason -- avoided using the "day" descrip-
tor in reference to Sabbath time (perhaps because the routinely appearing Sabbath -- as it would
have appeared amid stages of the lunar cycle -- can not adequately be described as occurring on
only one day).
The next several paragraphs will set forth additional detail of the early definition of the
Sabbath by citing the rather prevalent New Testament usage of plural Sabbath time. Based upon
the original usage of a plural Sabbath interval, it becomes clearer that the early week -- as it
would have been understood in the early Christian Era -- was rather different from the definition
of the week (as used and understood in this modern era).
A good example of the early Sabbath week (which included more than one Sabbath inter-
val) can perhaps be recited from the Book of Luke as follows:
"And it came to pass, on the Deuteroprotos Sabbatw [or the 'Second-First Sabbath'], as he
is going through the corn fields, that his disciples were plucking the ears, and were eating,
rubbing with the hands, And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which
is not lawful to do on the Sabbasin [or Sabbaths]?" (AV Text of Luke 6:1-2 with selected
Greek word substitutions).
This interesting passage refers to an interval which seems to involve plural Sabbaths
("Sabbasin"), and -- in addition -- this peculiar interval contains a single Sabbath termed as
Second-First Sabbatw (or "Deuterprotos Sabbatw"). A cross-reference to this same time interval
is recorded in the Book of Matthew as follows:
"At that time Jesus went on the Sabbasin [Sabbaths] through the corn; and his disciples
were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees
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