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Posts tagged ‘Gift offering’

Mark 7 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Mark 7:9-16 – Invalidating God’s Word

Mark 7:9-16 – Invalidating God’s Word

|| Matthew 15:1-9[1]

MK7:9 Continuing, Jesus said to them: “Skillfully you [Jews] set aside God’s commandments to keep your own tradition! MK7:10 For Moses said: ‘Honor[2] your father and mother.’ [Exodus 20:12] And, ‘Whoever speaks badly of[3] father or mother, let them be put to death.’ [Exodus 21:17] MK7:11 But, all of you say, ‘If a person tells father or mother: “Whatever I possess which might benefit you is corban”’[4] (that is, ‘a gift [dedicated to God]’) MK7:12 – you [Jews] do nothing to help your father or mother! MK7:13 Thus, you invalidate[5] the Word of the God because of your tradition handed down to you, as well as many other similar things.” MK7:14 And after Jesus had said all this he asked the crowd to approach, and then he said to them: “Every one of you, listen to me now, and understand: MK7:15 There is nothing outside entering a person that defiles. MK7:16 [[Anyone with ears – listen!]]”[6]

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[1] Matthew 15:1-9: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew.

[2] Honor: Not just respect and obedience, but financial assistance as they grow older.

[3] Whoever speaks badly of: Or, curses, speak evil of, reviles. There is serious danger in speaking abusively of one’s parents. [Compare 1 Timothy 5:8.]

[4] Corban: Or, korban, qorban. Meaning an offering dedicated to God and thus exempt from parental support. Josephus mentions qorban: “Those who describe themselves as ‘Corban’ to God-meaning what Greeks would call ‘a gift’-when desirous to be relieved of this obligation must pay down to the priests a fixed sum.” [Jewish Antiquities, IV, 73 [iv, 4]] The word is used at Leviticus 1:2, 3; 2:1; Numbers 5:18; 6:14, 21]

[5] Invalidate: Or, none effect, void, nullify, break.

[6] Bracketed words are recognized as not adequately supported.

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Preceding

Mark 7 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Mark 7:1-8 – Vain Worship and Human Doctrines

Matthew 15:1-20 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Tradition and the Heart

Matthew 23:25-26 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Woe 5: Greed and Uncleanness

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 5:21-26 – 1. The Nazarene’s Commentary on Exodus 20:13

Matthew 5:21-26 – 1. The Nazarene’s Commentary on Exodus 20:13

|| Luke 12:58, 59

MT5:21 “You heard it was said[1] to the Ancients: ‘Murder not’ [Exodus 20:13] but the murderer will be judged.[2] MT5:22 But, I tell you: Anyone angry[3] with his brother will be judged. But, anyone saying ‘Raca!’[4] to his brother will be liable to the Sanhedrin.[5] But, anyone saying ‘Moron!’[6] will be liable to the Gehenna[7] of the Fire. MT5:23 And so, when you bring your gift-offering to the Altar[8] and right then you remember your brother has something against you[9] MT5:24 leave your gift-offering at the Altar. First leave and be reconciled with your brother[10] and then return and offer up your gift. MT5:25 Think well of your adversary,[11] and quickly, while on the way, so your adversary never hand you over to the judge and the judge to the court-officer and he throw you into prison. MT5:26 I tell you the truth: You will not get out until you have repaid the last little coin![12]

Depiction of the Parable of the Unmerciful Ser...

Depiction of the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. Photograph of stained glass window at Scots’ Church, Melbourne (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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[1] It was said: Here begins the first of six rabbinical commentaries by the Nazarene on the spirit of the law, or its fulfillment. James does something similar at James 2:8, 11.

[2] The murderer will be judged: The first of two commentaries on the Ten Commandments. It is interesting the Nazarene makes no comment on the abuse of the Divine Name (YHWH) or the Sabbath (Exodus 20:13; James 1:19; 5:6; 1 John 3:15).

[3] Anyone angry: Various renderings are: WMS: harbors malice; NEB: nurses anger; MOF: maligns. It is anger which is the root of murder. Mere anger makes one liable to judgment though Jesus does not explain what this is. Benjamin Wilson suggests: “The Jews had a Common Court consisting of 23 men.” Later in Matthew 12:36 he warns against speaking the unprofitable, probably about someone else in anger, and how this will not escape the Judgment. Meekness and peaceableness both oppose anger. The Nazarene Saint is on guard against anger which rises out of an egocentric heart.

[4] Raca: NJB: “The Aramaic word raqa, transliterated in Matthew, translated here, means: ‘empty-headed’, ‘nitwit’.” Various renderings are: NJB: fool.

[5] Sanhedrin: Jesus has the Jewish audience in mind and thus Raca! is something worthy of the attention of these judges.

[6] Moron: This is more exact to the Greek word, MORE. Various renderings are: LAM: I spit on you; BER: simpleton; BECK: empty-head; PHI: looks down on his brother as a lost soul; BWD: Apostate; NJB: Traitor!; NJB ftn: “Jewish usage added the much more contemptuous one of ‘apostate’.” Job, Moses, David, Jesus and Paul were all objects of wrathful contempt, often by the very ones professing a relationship with God. It is one thing to be reproached by the Gentile pagans and wholly another to have ‘endured the contradictions of sinners’ among your own fellow worshippers (Hebrews 12:3).

In all the Scriptures the word-group “apostate” occurs most often in the Book of Job as an accusation against that godly man (Job 8:13; 13:16; 17:8; 20:5; 27:8; 34:30; 36:13). In the Christian Bible it occurs as a charge against Paul (Acts 21:21). “Apostate” is a most dangerous word to use as Jesus makes the consequences clear. Jesus never uses it against his foes.

[7] Gehenna: See various lexicons, dictionaries or commentaries on this word. It alludes to the city dump where the dead bodies of criminals were thrown who were judged unworthy of a resurrection. The dump was kept burning night and day and at the edges were to be found worms which seem to never die (See Isaiah 66:24).

The Jewish commentator David Kimhi (1160?-1235?), in his comment on Psalm 27:13, gives the following historical information concerning Gehinnom: “And it is a place in the land adjoining Jerusalem, and it is a loathsome place, and they throw there unclean things and carcasses. Also there was a continual fire there to burn the unclean things and the bones of the carcasses. Hence, the judgment of the wicked ones is called parabolically Gehinnom.”

[8] Altar: The image is one of a Jewish worshipper approaching the Temple and about to hand over his sin-offering or communion gift to the priest serving at the Temple. The worshipper’s purpose is to give a sacrifice for his sin. In the Christian Age there is another “altar,” a spiritual one associated with the New Covenant (Hebrews 13:10, 12, 15, 16). In these verses the inspired writer outlines two aspects to this “altar”: a) praise; and, b) charitable care of the Saints. Using Jesus’ teaching, the Nazarene Saint will keep this in mind before offering ‘a sacrifice of praise’ or ‘sharing’ with others in some charity, to pause and ponder whether there is a fellow Saint who holds a grudge. Better to go and make peace with him or her before approaching this spiritual “altar.”

[9] Against you: Apparently a legitimate charge or accusation of which you are aware. Here the Nazarene shows that peaceful relations come before ceremonial worship. Seeking peace with God through a communion sacrifice is meaningless if relationships with fellows are jeopardized. James writes in a similar vein at James 1:26, 27.

[10] Be reconciled with your brother: Here is the “peaceable” of Matthew 5:9. Various renderings: TCNT: be ready to make friends with; WEY: comes to terms without delay; NEB: if someone sues you come to terms with him promptly.

[11] Adversary: Compare a similar thought at Luke 12:58, 59. Compare Leviticus 19:17 with Colossians 3:13. Various renderings are: KNX: some ground of complaint. Note the singular “you” as if now Jesus’ attention is directed to one individual, singled out in the crowd or among his disciples (who often had personal difficulties), who is not at peace with his fellow. Would not the eye contact of the Nazarene send this worshipper speedily to the door of his brother begging forgiveness?

The context here seems of a material or financial nature for when the worshipper leaves the altar to reconcile with his brother it is over a matter involving a court appearance. It is a financial debt and the Nazarene demonstrates how such matters can take priority over worship. Financial matters are often one of the chief areas of complaint and the cause of disunity among fellow worshippers. Nothing divides persons more than materialism (the god Mammon) with its greed, covetousness, business deceit, or fraud (Compare 1 Corinthians chapter 6; Luke 12:58: disputes; 1 Corinthians 6:7: fraud).

[12] Coin: Compare Luke 12:59: debts. How would one ever get out of prison without borrowing from another or selling some property in order to cancel the debt. From the Altar to Prison in one day! Of course, the other person has much to learn from the Nazarene’s Mountain Teachings about canceling debts if one wants God’s forgiveness.

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Preceding

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 5:1-12 Nazarene Mountain teachings: Blessed and legal commentaries

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 5:13-16 Salt and Light shining bright

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 5:17-20 – The Nazarene Rabbi’s Commentary on the Torah

Next: Nazarene Commentary Matthew 5:27-30 – 2. The Nazarene’s Commentary on Exodus 20:14

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Additional reading

  1. Let us become nothing, and Christ everything
  2. Lent, 40 days, meditation and repentance
  3. Growth in character
  4. Doest thou well to be Angry?
  5. A man who cannot forgive others
  6. He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass
  7. Forgiveness always possible
  8. Forgiveness is a blessing for the one who forgives
  9. Love is like playing the piano

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Further reading

  1. 2:2-5
  2. What’s in Your Heart?
  3. “The False and Confused Language of Our Hearts”
  4. A Study of the Sermon on the Mount
  5. The Beatitudes and being human
  6. The Beatitudes in the Law of Moses
  7. Denounced by his brothers, Pakistani Jew says he’s being thrown to an ‘apostate lynch mob’
  8. Egypt’s Al-Azhar university replaces head in apostasy row
  9. Reaching Muslims in Love
  10. Heretics
  11. “No In Between: The Sifting of Our Souls” (Matthew 3:12 sermon)
  12. “If an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him..” ~~Jesus
  13. Matthew 5:21-37 – First be reconciled to your brother or sister
  14. Word Study: Stumble, fall away, to be offended
  15. Summing Up the Sermon: The Greatest Sermon Ever {Part 1}
  16. Summing Up the Sermon: The Greatest Sermon Ever {Part 2}
  17. Thou Shalt Not Kill
  18. Video Games, Anger & Murder
  19. Anger and Insults
  20. Judgment, Rumors & War
  21. ‘Blessed are the Lawyers?’
  22. Jesus Longs for His People (Matthew 23:37-39)
  23. Hell and the Destruction of Souls
  24. Is Hell Real?
  25. Did Jesus ever actually say, “If you don’t believe in me you will go to hell”?
  26. Angry or Just Plain Mad
  27. What is Mercy…Really?
  28. Make me a channel of your Peace
  29. Editor’s Pick: The verdict is in! “Sorry” is the hardest word…
  30. What It Really Means To Behave Like A Christian
  31. Kindness
  32. Breathe In, Breathe Out, Forgive.
  33. Facing Forgiveness (Part I)What Happens When Mistakes Aren’t Forgiven? (1 min read)“Live generously.” ~~Jesus
    loved, forgiven, set free, and – yes – practitioners of holiness…

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Related articles

Most important weekend of the year 2016

Assembled together on the night before he died, Jeshua and his disciples and closest friends came together in an upper room to celebrate the Passover meal.  They recalled the great story of deliverance: how the people of Israel had been freed from bondage and slavery by God’s power through the prophet Moses.  They remembered how the blood of the lamb marked the lintel and doorposts so that the Angel of Death would pass by the people as it brought devastation to the land of Egypt.  They ate the unleavened bread, mindful that the Israelites were in such a hurry to depart Egypt that their own bread had not yet risen.

That night the 14th of Nisan is one Jesus wanted to be remembered for an other occasion as well. Not only had his followers to remember the deliverance of God’s Chosen People, the Israelites, but now their rabbi had opened they way for others than Jews.

By his own example the sent one from God showed how his followers had to become servants for God and for the People of God. Like Jesus had called for people to follow him, the apostles had to come to do so too. They too had to become as humble as Christ was. As a sign of humbleness Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. The work which is reserved for servants Jesus did and he also asked them to do the same for one another.  There is no ambiguity in this moment, no chance to say it is merely a symbol.  Christ shows them what to do and tells them to do it (John 13:1-15); the path that leads to freedom from sin and death is marked by our care for our brothers and sisters.  Simply put, our lives are meant to be offered for others – giving ourselves in service.

In the end, in life which passes so quickly and everything is vanity (like Solomon writes in today’s reading – Ecclesiastes 1) everything turns around “Giving and Receiving”.  We all have received the Grace of God by the sent one from God, who is the son of man and the son of God, who gave his life for our sins.

Like Jesus offered himself as a lamb of God to have his blood as a signpost to deliver us from the punishment of death, we too should offer our lives as we are strengthened by the Messiah and are giving life-spirit by the blood of Christ, being partakers in the Body of Christ.

Thanks to the ransom offer brought by Jesus God blesses us with the gift of life and faith so that we in turn might be a gift to those around us.

As God commanded to remember the night the firstborns of Israel where saved so also Jesus asked his followers to remember the day he gave his body and poured out his blood for the salvation of mankind.

Long before the Mosaic Law covenant was altered, Jehovah foretold through the prophet Jeremiah that He would make with the nation of Israel “a new covenant.”

32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,+ ‘my covenant that they broke,+ although I was their true master,’* declares Jehovah.”

33 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Jehovah. “I will put my law within them,+ and in their heart I will write it.+ And I will become their God, and they will become my people.”+(Jeremiah 31:32, 33)

English: Stained glass image of the Lamb of Go...

Stained glass image of the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei) with a Christian banner. photo by John Workman in St. Ignatius church in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Throughout history we have seen how God made Himself a people. For a very long time it was for the People of Israel that there was a covenant on which they could count. One of the regulations or demands was to remember how the exodus from Egypt was made possible. That putting of blood at the doorposts could also considered as a signature of choosing for God, which made it possible to be passed over for damnation or destruction. After that event there was still a need of offers to be brought to the temple or synagogue. But on the 14th of Nisan Jesus spoke about an other offer which would not have to be repeated any more and which would be sufficient for all times. though that offer would not take away the remembrance of the liberation marks.

Jesus came to institute and Evening Meal on Nisan 14, 33 C.E. Speaking of the cup of wine, he told his 11 faithful apostles:

“This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf.” (Luke 22:20)

Matthew’s account quotes Jesus as saying regarding the wine:

“This means my ‘blood of the covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.” (Matt. 26:27, 28)

Jesus’ shed blood validates the new covenant. That blood also makes possible the forgiveness of sins once and for all time.

A few years later the apostle Paul would remind the new followers

14 Therefore, my beloved ones, flee from idolatry.+ 15 I speak as to men with discernment; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of the Christ?+ The loaf that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of the Christ?+ 17 Because there is one loaf, we, although many, are one body,+ for we are all partaking of that one loaf. (1 Corinthians 10: 16-17)

On that special intimate night rabbi Jeshua had taken the bread and the wine.

26 As they continued eating, Jesus took a loaf, and after saying a blessing, he broke it,+ and giving it to the disciples, he said: “Take, eat. This means my body.”+(Matthew 26:26)

19 Also, he took a loaf,+ gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: “This means my body,+ which is to be given in your behalf.+ Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”+(Luke 22:19)

Notice how Jesus says

Keep doing this in remembrance of me.

The blood+ of the covenant,+ which is to be poured out in behalf of many+ for forgiveness of sins + should, like the blood of the lambs for the liberation of the Jews from the Egyptian slavery, be contributed to the heathen or pagan people who are willing to come under the blood of Christ, whitewashed from sin. But they should remember it and come together, more than once in a year, because Jesus asks it to do it often and whenever we do it to do it in remembrance of him.

23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night+ on which he was going to be betrayed took a loaf, 24 and after giving thanks, he broke it and said: “This means my body,+ which is in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”+ 25 He did the same with the cup+ also, after they had the evening meal, saying: “This cup means the new covenant+ by virtue of my blood.+ Keep doing this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Chorinthians 11: 23-26)

For that reason we should come together today and remember the Exodus out of Egypt, out of slavery of the worldly work, but also the exodus from the slavery of sin and death.

14 “‘This day will serve as a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to Jehovah throughout your generations. As a lasting statute, you should celebrate it.(Exodus 12:14)

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Please read also the related articles concerning this special weekend, 14 Nisan and following days:

  1. 1 -15 Nisan
  2. Yom Hey, Eve of Passover and liberation of many people
  3. This day shall be unto you for a memorial and you shall keep it a feast to the Most High God
  4. 14-15 Nisan and Easter
  5. Days of Nisan, Pesach, Pasach, Pascha and Easter
  6. Getting out of the dark corners of this world
  7. A Holy week in remembrance of the Blood of life
  8. Around the feast of Unleavened Bread
  9. The son of David and the first day of the feast of unleavened bread
  10. Day of remembrance coming near
  11. A new exodus and offering of a Lamb
  12. Observance of a day to Remember
  13. Jesus memorial
  14. Holidays, holy days and traditions
  15. Seven Bible Feasts of JHWH
  16. White Privilege Conference (WPC) wanting to keep the press out for obvious reasons
  17. First month of the year and predictions
  18. Entrance of a king to question our position #2 Who do we want to see and to be
  19. Death of Christ on the day of preparation
  20. A Great Gift commemorated
  21. Shabbat Pesach service reading 1/2
  22. Passover and Liberation Theology
  23. Seven days of Passover
  24. Kingdom Visions of Rainbowed angel, Lamb in Mount Zion
  25. Kingdom Visions of God’s judgements and Marriage of the Lamb
  26. The Song of The Lamb #2 Sevens
  27. The Song of The Lamb #7 Revelation 15
  28. Why we do not keep to a Sabbath or a Sunday or Lord’s Day #3 Days to be kept holy or set apart
  29. Easter holiday, fun and rejoicing
  30. Like grasshoppers
  31. Peter Cottontail and a Bunny laying Eastereggs
  32. Who Would You Rather Listen To?
  33. Focus on outward appearances
  34. After darkness a moment of life renewal
  35. Deliverance and establishment of a theocracy

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We wish you a nice memorial day and a holy Pesach

File:Saint John the Baptist Pointing Out Christ as the Lamb of God Philadelphia Museum of Art Cat. 347.jpg

Johannes de Doper wijst Christus aan als het Lam Gods. Ca. 1500-1510 – Saint John the Baptist Pointing Out Christ as the Lamb of God Philadelphia Museum of Art – Master of the Saint John Altarpiece

Seven full weeks or seven completed Sabbaths and ascension of Jesus

Leviticus / Wayyiqra 23:15, 16     

Comparing Differences in the Translations between The Scriptures, HRV, and Restoration Scriptures:

THE SCRIPTURES  Leviticus / Wayyiqra 23:15, 16 —   “AND FROM THE MORROW AFTER THE SABBATH, FROM THE DAY THAT YOU BROUGHT THE SHEAF OF THE WAVE OFFERING, YOU SHALL COUNT FOR YOURSELVES: SEVEN COMPLETEDSABBATHS.  UNTIL THE MORROW AFTER THE SEVENTH SABBATH YOU COUNT FIFTY DAYS, THEN YOU SHALL BRING A NEW GRAIN OFFERING TO YHWH.”

Brooklyn Museum - The Resurrection (La Résurrection) - James Tissot

17 Nisan the Resurrection of Jeshua, Jesus Christ – La Résurrection – between 1886 and 1894, James Tissot (1836–1902) – Brooklyn Museum

RESTORATION SCRIPTURES  BY M. KONIUCHOWSKY:  Leviticus / Wayyiqra 23:15, 16 —   “AND YOU SHALL COUNT FROM THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE SHABBAT, FROM THE DAY THAT YOU BROUGHT THE SHEAF OF THE WAVE OFFERING;  SEVEN FULLWEEKS:  UNTIL THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE LAST WEEK SHALL YOU NUMBER FIFTY DAYS, AND YOU SHALL OFFER A NEW GRAIN OFFERING TO YHWH.”

HRV BY JAMES TRIMM:  Leviticus / Wayyiqra 23:15, 16 —   “AND YOU SHALL COUNT UNTO YOU FROM THE MORROW AFTER THE DAY OF REST, FROM THE DAY THAT YOU BROUGHT THE SHEAF OF THE WAVING;  SEVEN WEEKS SHALL THERE BE COMPLETE;  EVEN UNTO THE MORROW AFTER THE SEVENTHWEEK SHALL YOU NUMBER FIFTY DAYS; AND YOU SHALL PRESENT A NEW MEAL-OFFERING UNTO YHWH.”

According to “traditional” Rabbinical understanding,
Abib 16, or the 2nd day of Matsah, is the time that the Kohen Gadol waved the sheaf/omer of grain (First-fruits offering).
When did Yahusha ascend to Abba to do this?  Not Abib 16, as Rabbinical Judaism teaches is the time of the Wave Sheaf Offering.  We see that Yahusha became our Wave Sheaf Offering, and would not allow Miryam of Migdal to touch

Him, because He had not yet performed this (Yoch. 20:17).  

Yahusha did it on the first day of the week, and it was not on Abib 16.
His resurrection represented the wave-sheaf offering.
Later that same day, He allowed His talmidim to touch Him (Yoch. 20:27).
Yahusha is the sheaf of first-fruits, and could not “wave” Himself before Yahuah until He resurrected.
His resurrection was at the end of the weekly Shabbat.  
Then on the first day of the week, the “morrow after the Sabbath”, He performed the wave-offering, Himself.
50 days later, another “morrow after the seventh Shabbat”, comes Shabuoth, often called “Pentecost” (count-fifty).  
On Abib 16, or the 2nd day of Matsah, our Kohen Gadol was in the Earth, fulfilling the sign of Yonah.
It’s incredible to see how Yahusha timed His last Passover meal, 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb,
then resurrected to become the wave offering Himself on the “morrow after the Sabbath”. 
I hope that one day both Moshe K. and James Trimm will see the literal words of Lev. 23:15,16 further 
confirm what actually took place when the words were fulfilled by Yahusha, our first-fruits omer/sheaf offering! 

SHEBA SHABATHOTH TAMIMOTH (seven Sabbaths complete/intact) at Wayyiqra 23:15 is rendered “seven complete Sabbaths” in its literal form by many, and others follow the idea of

seven completeweeks“.   If these “weeks” were truly intact weeks of day 1 through day 7, then
there is no difference in the outcome.  As you know,  Rabbinical Judaism’s interpretation allows for “weeks” to represent any 7-day grouping, so the day of Shabuoth can “float”, and occur on any day of the week.
With this interpretation, they have to overlook the literal words “HASHABBATH HASHABIYOTH” (seventh Sabbath) at 23:16. 
While we can make some compromises with how to bring some words over to our English, it’s a
huge stretch to make the word “HASHABBATH” to mean “week” (23:16).  Yahuah stated it two ways so that this special anniversary of Israel’s marriage to Him would have a self-checking test.   The day after the seventh Sabbath will always fall on the 1st day of the week.   I’ve always seen this as a miniature form of Jubilees, 49 (7×7) years + 1 making a total of 50 years, as Shabuoth counts up to the 50th day, after 7 intact weeks. 
This also makes the Sabbatical “years” a type of reflection of the intact week of 7 “days”.   To interpret a “week” to mean anything but “THE” week, allows for us to count-off ANY set of 7 days and call that a “week”  (i.e., the 4th day through the 3rd day  –  as in “a week from today”).  This kind of treatment of the term may be comfortable with our modern world, however it is not able to be justified by any example seen in Scripture.   A “month” is 29.5 days, and when Yahuah speaks of a month, He’s talking about the
real month, not a “group” of 29.5 days that we can slide around any way we like.  The moon defines what a month is, as the sun defines what a day is.  The week was shown to Israel with the manna for 40 years, but has no other reference point than the weekly Sabbaths.   If we allow ourselves to ignore the Sabbath as the reference point for what a “week” is, then we’ve departed from reality.   I only wish to stay with what is the SAFEST interpretation, checking ALL the words carefully.  I could not, in good conscience, ignore the situation that exists here, since how a person interprets the words will establish the High Sabbaths.

23:15: The text in the original Hebrew clearly gives us certain directions, however some translate the words in such a way that two possible interpretations can be made. Are we to believe the text means “Seven WEEKS” or “seven Sabbaths complete”? Yahuah uses the words “sheba (seven) Shabbathoth (Shabbaths) tamimoth (finished, intact)” at 23:15 (which Moshe Koniuchowsky and James Trimm take down as “seven full weeks“, but to many of us it means seven “intact” Sabbaths). These 7 Sabbaths are literally a whole “week” of fully-intact Sabbaths, and they are “complete” or “intact” because they are made up of THE seven days, and there are seven of them. The word “Shabbathoth” is written as shin-beth-tau-waw-tau (Sabbathoth, in contrast to shin-beth-ayin-waw-tau (shabuoth). If it really means “seven full weeks“, the Scripture would have used the word “shabuoth”, not “Shabbathoth” (compare Daniel 9:25). The idea of “complete” or “full” really means: thorough / closed / fully concluded, finished, intact. The Hebrew word for “complete” or “full” here is TAMIM + oth (pluralized) and means intact, perfect, without defect, entire, FINISHED, come to an end.

23:16: This can cause confusion, but the greatest difference in our interpretation is in verse 16, where it should read “up to the day after the seventh Sabbath”. “Seventh Sabbath” is the literal translation of the Hebrew words “haShabbath haShebiyoth”. “Shebiyoth” is the ordinal number “seventh”, where the root is sheba, meaning seven (which also means “perfect” or “complete”). “HaShabbath” is literally “the Sabbath“, not “week”.

I’ll say it again for emphasis: “HaShabbath” is spelled hay-shin-beth-tau, and means “the Shabbath”, not “week“.

The Hebrew word for “week” is shabua, and the plural of shabua is SHABUOTH. “Until the next day after the last week” (Moshe’s view of verse 16) to me would read:

“up to the day after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days”.

In other words, you’ll find that you’ve counted fifty days when you’ve counted up to the day AFTER the seventh Shabbath, because 7 x 7 = 49 (seven complete or “intact” weeks of Shabbathoth).

The fiftieth day will be the appointed time, or mo’ed, which falls the day after the seventh Shabbath (haShabbath haShebiyoth). So, in our interpretation it will always fall on the 1st day of the week. Not knowing what the “week” is makes it very difficult for people – Israel had this problem too.

Observing the Sabbath-closing havdalah ritual ...

Observing the Sabbath-closing havdalah ritual in 14th-century Spain. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yahuah’s “week” is always THE week, not any group of seven days starting at some arbitrary point. If we pull a starting-point out of our hat, we stand a chance to be out-of-synch. The “week of days” was being “remembered” by the nation of Israel after their captivity for 430 years, and the manna conditioned them to the correct pattern. This is why Yahuah used the word “tamimoth”, as this removes all doubt that He emphatically meant THE Sabbath that “concluded intact” each week of the seven days. The real key to understanding this concept largely rests on this word, “tamimoth”. It means “intact” because the week of Sabbaths is “intact”. It’s literally a whole “week” of Sabbaths, thus they are “complete”. If we don’t know what the original words are and take the translator’s at face value, we could be observing the moed’im (festival days of Yahuah) at different times, and not walk in unity.

At Daniel 9:25, the translators often correctly write “seven sevens” from the Hebrew words SHABUA SHABUIM, and these refer to seven “weeks” (sevens) of years. So, here we have a comparison to look at for distinctions in the words – but one must see the original Hebrew to make these distinctions. We must PROVE (test) all things we walk in from Scripture.

Without being unkind or judgmental of our brothers James’ and Moshe’s interpretations, we would hope they would look at this again and see if there is any way to improve it. If they are correct, then we will have to change! Rebellion is not in their heart, nor yours, nor mine. But, what I’ve learned is that when we see something differently than another brother does, and we then treat them as if they are corrupt and that we would have nothing to do with them, then we are in the worst danger of all. What if Yahuah made several things purposely to be able to be seen in two different ways, then sat back to see which individuals would be hateful and judgmental toward the other view? When Yahusha returns, He will set everything right again. We’ll know when the Sabbatical years are, and when the Jubilee year is. We’ll know whether the Rosh Chodesh is a “dark moon” or a “sliver – sighted” moon. Suppose that a person was correct about every detail, and interpreted everything flawlessly according to the intentions of Yahuah – yet they were severe, mean and unloving to others who also did their best to observe Yahuah’s Torah and held to the Testimony of Yahusha. I’m convinced that the one who loves is the one that has learned what Torah is established to accomplish. The one who cannot accept, but hates his brother because he expects perfection, may be in greatest danger of losing the race.

Compare Lev. / Wayyiqra 23:15,16 in various versions, especially our “blue” Scriptures above.

I’ll acknowledge that translators have a tremendous task to perform, andthe work by Moshe and James is certainly superb.   On some fine points, there will always be differences.   The Kohlenberger Hebrew-English Interlinear is inconsistent in how they bring many words into our English.
shin-beth-tau-waw-tau they also render as “weeks“, while other translators render it “Sabbaths“.
It is certainly the “feast of weeks”, not the “feast of Sabbaths”  — a point Moshemade to me quite well.
At Debarim 16:9, the word “shabuoth” (shin-beth-ayin-tau) is used, and these we are to count  When Yahuah uses the term “week”, the only consistent, sane interpretation of what it consists of is provided at Genesis/Bereshith chapters 1 & 2.   At Debarim 16:10, Yahuah refers to this mo’ed as “Chag Shabuoth” (Feast of Weeks), however here we don’t have the complete details of how the feast is calculated, as we find at Wayyiqra 23.  But, a “week” needs to be understood as THE week, not any grouping of 7 days we pull out of our imagination.

The day of Shabuoth will be determined by how these words are translated and understood, as well as what day is used as the starting point.  Personally, I feel the literal translation of our blue Scriptures is the safest to follow on these two highly critical verses.  If I’m wrong, I’ll change and fall on the forgiveness of Yahusha.  If I guide one person into any error because I did not thoroughly check the original words and intentions provided in the Hebrew Scriptures, the guilt falls more heavily on me as their teacher.  We still love all the brothers and sisters whose consciences follow the alternate interpretation.

Lew White from Fossilized customs

Strawberry Islands Messianic Publishing / TORAH INSTITUTE

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Biblestudents Editorial Note:

On the 14th of Nisan Jesus died at the same time as the lambs were slaughtered in the temple and as such became the Lamb of God, the Peace offering for our sins. Later in the day he was put in sheol (the hell) which is the tomb or sepulchre where he stayed buried for three days. Like Jonah stayed for three days in the vowels of the whale, Jesus stayed three days in the grave until he was taken out of death by his Father. As such the resurrection was on the 17th of Nisan, according the wording of the Holy Scriptures.

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  • Even Resurrection Pauses For Sabbath Rest (godspace.wordpress.com)
    For the Jews Sabbath also carries with it a sense of longing and promise. It is the culmination of their week, that day on which they hoped to glimpse God’s eternal world and on this Sabbath rest 2,000 years ago they did glimpse it, though they did not know it.
    As Jesus entered Hades and released those who had died, the first signs of God’s resurrection world emerged in expectation of the fullness of God coming into the world on Easter morning.
  • When Was Jesus Crucified? (verse4psalm37.wordpress.com)
    Most Gentile believers, including me, have been taught that Christ was crucified on Friday, put in the tomb before sundown, and raised from the dead before sunrise on the first day of the week (Sunday).  Here’s the problem.
    Jesus indicated that He would be in the tomb three days and three nights  Do the math.  It doesn’t add up.  The key is in the Sabbath.  The regular Sabbath is from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.  But in Leviticus, you’ll find more than one Sabbath during Passover.  In fact, two”special” Sabbaths are observed in addition to the regular Sabbath.  (However, sometimes a special Sabbath falls on the regular Sabbath.)
  • The Shabbat dinner – JUST TRY IT!!! Honor the Sabbath – a blessing for Christians too (prepareforthelamb.wordpress.com)
    Honoring the Sabbath is actually a blessing given to you from the Lord. You can take it or leave it. However, before you knock it down, I suggest you try it. I spent all my life believing church arguments and people’s arguments against Sabbath- until the Lord spoke clearly into my heart. Five instructions, He gave me that day. The fourth was “Honor my Sabbath”. I was shocked and argued back, but decided to search it out and find it. It was much more than I had previously thought.
  • The Fourth Commandment – The Holy Sabbath (plowingthefields.wordpress.com)
    God rested when He finished creation. He asks us to rest, too. He didn’t create us to be so busy that we never take time to sit quietly before Him. He wants a relationship with us. We can only do that when we actually spend time with Him.
  • The Sabbath Is A Gift From Jesus (gospelbondservant.com)
    The Sabbath is a true gift of God to humanity (Mark 2:27).  It was the first complete day that Adam and Eve spent as children of God and their first day as a married couple (Gen. 2:1-3).  On Sabbath we stop worrying about our daily struggles (Ex. 20:8-11).  We do not just rest: any day of the week would do as a day of rest.  The difference between this day and any other day is that the Sabbath offers a rest not for inactivity but rather to undertake different activities similar to the first Sabbath in Eden.  Sabbath is the moment to catch our breath (Ex. 31:17) as we change activities.
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    Sabbath is also a day of re-creation.  When everything in life seems to be disintegrating, Sabbath calls us back to Eden.  And once again the Lord turns and creates everything from nothing.  Where we are weak, we can become strong.  Chaos turns into order; fear becomes joy; uncertainty is replaced by certainty and trust; God’s justice puts injustice and oppression into their corner; guilt is transformed into pardon.
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    The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another.  It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God’s kingdom.
  • The First Fruits of Our Ressurection (jacksonandrew.com)
    All of the seven festivals are divided into three sections and timed around three different seasons of harvests. At First Fruits, barley is harvested; at Pentecost, wheat is harvested; and in the fall, at the Festival of Tabernacles, fruit and corn are harvested.
  • He Is Arisen…Exactly On Time! (savedbygraceblogdotcom.wordpress.com)
    As Jesus made His entry to Jerusalem right on time as prophesied in Daniel, so His death, burial and resurrection occurred just exactly as GOD planned.right on time! Jesus was crucified and died on Passover.  He was buried before the Sabbath (Saturday) that occurred during that Passover.  The day following the Sabbath (Sunday) during Passover is called the Feast of First Fruits.  The day was the seventeenth of Nisan, on the Jewish calendar.

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