Tell me more ×

In the following verse

Matthew 27:62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate

Why didn't Matthew simply say "on the Sabbath"? Was there any special reason not to call Sabbath a Sabbath, but rather refer to it in such an obscured manner?

share|improve this question
My family and I were reading in John chapter 19 tonight and I noticed in verse 14 that the day of preparation was mentioned, only it was called "the day of preparation of the Passover." I didn't know if that would be any help to you and I wasn't sure you would receive the info through my edit, so I thought I'd drop you a comment on it. –  Sarah Mar 31 at 2:01
add comment

2 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

Circumlocution is an ambiguous or roundabout figure of speech. For example, instead of saying ‘Throw that in the trash bin’, one might say, ‘Throw that it in the oblong somewhat cone shaped silver container with a beveled lip'.

It seems to indicate an intentional avoidance of using the simple word and indicating that the Jewish Sabbath is no longer a valid institution after Christ died.

The argument of Matthew's use of circumlocution does not have clear intra-textural support, however as all understand Matthew to be focusing his account with more attention to its relationship to Jewish faith then the other gospels, the ideas is plausible.  John 19:31 and Mark 15:42 use similar language in describing the passover day, but only Matthew seems to skip the obvious word. It seems hard to imagine that a Jewish audience, Matthew's audience, would not notice it missing.

share|improve this answer
Very interesting, Mike, and quite along with what I guessed, but do we have any proof for that explanation? –  brilliant Jul 12 '12 at 5:36
@brilliant - Added second para as 'proof' at least some proof. Cheers –  Mike Jul 12 '12 at 7:17
I see. Very interesting. Thank you. –  brilliant Jul 12 '12 at 8:08
add comment

This was acutally the day of preparation of the Passover. This is drawn out more clearly in John.

14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” (19:14, cf. John 19:31,42--nkjv)

Possibly connected with Exodus 12 Which depicts the first day of Unleavened Bread as a day in which no work was to be done; only preparation for the Feast of Unleavened Bread was allowed:

14 'Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. 15 'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 'On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you. 17 'You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. (nkjv).

See also, Luke 22:7-9 where the word "prepare" is used twice in reference to this day on which the lamb was killed.

7 Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it." 9 They said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare it?"

See also notes in Bullinger's Companion Bible for Mark 15:42.

share|improve this answer
add comment

Your Answer


