Jump to: Smith's • ISBE • Easton's • Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Topical Encyclopedia In the biblical context, the concept of a "week" is deeply rooted in the creation narrative and the rhythm of life as ordained by God. The week is a seven-day cycle that is foundational to the Judeo-Christian understanding of time and is first introduced in the Book of Genesis.Creation and the Sabbath The week originates from the creation account in Genesis 1-2. According to Genesis 1:31-2:2 , "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work." This passage establishes the pattern of six days of work followed by a day of rest, which is the Sabbath. The Sabbath, observed on the seventh day, is a day set apart for rest and worship, reflecting God's rest after creation. The Fourth Commandment The significance of the week is further emphasized in the Ten Commandments, where the observance of the Sabbath is enshrined as a divine command. Exodus 20:8-11 states, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy." The Week in Jewish Tradition In Jewish tradition, the week is central to religious life. The Sabbath, or Shabbat, begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. It is a time for rest, reflection, and worship, and it serves as a reminder of God's creation and His covenant with Israel. The weekly cycle is a constant reminder of God's order and provision. The Week in the New Testament In the New Testament, the concept of the week continues to hold significance. The early Christians, many of whom were Jewish, initially observed the Sabbath. However, the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first day of the week, Sunday, led to the practice of gathering for worship on this day, which became known as the Lord's Day. Acts 20:7 notes, "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread." This shift highlights the importance of the resurrection in Christian worship and the new creation inaugurated by Christ. Symbolism and Eschatology The week also carries symbolic and eschatological meanings. The seven-day cycle is often seen as a symbol of completeness and perfection, reflecting God's perfect creation. In eschatological terms, the week can be viewed as a foreshadowing of the ultimate rest and fulfillment in God's eternal kingdom, where believers will enter into God's rest as described in Hebrews 4:9-10 : "So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His." In summary, the week is a divinely instituted cycle that structures time in the biblical narrative, emphasizing themes of creation, rest, worship, and redemption. It serves as a continual reminder of God's sovereignty and His plan for humanity. Smith's Bible Dictionary WeekThere can be no doubt about the great antiquity of measuring time by a period of seven days. (Genesis 8:10; 29:27) The origin of this division of time is a matter which has given birth to much speculation. Its antiquity is so great its observance so widespread, and it occupies so important a place in sacred things, that it must probably be thrown back as far as the creation of man. The week and the Sabbath are thus as old as man himself. A purely theological ground is thus established for the week. They who embrace this view support it by a reference to the six days' creation and the divine rest on the seventh. 1st. That the week rests on a theological ground may be cheerfully acknowledged by both sides; but nothing is determined by such acknowledgment as to the original cause of adopting this division of time. Whether the week gave its sacredness to the number seven, or whether the ascendancy of that number helped to determine the dimensions of the week, it is impossible to say. 2d. The weekly division was adopted by all the Shemitic races, and, in the later period of their history at least, by the Egyptians. On the other hand, there is no reason for thinking the week known till a late period to either Greeks or Romans. So far from the week being a division of time without ground in nature, there was much to recommend its adoption. And further, the week is a most natural and nearly an exact quadri-partition of the month, so that the quarters of the moon may easily have suggested it. It is clear that if not in Paul's time, yet very soon after, the whole Roman world had adopted the hebdomadal division. Weeks, Feast of. [PENTECOST] Easton's Bible Dictionary From the beginning, time was divided into weeks, each consisting of six days of working and one of rest (Genesis 2:2, 3; 7:10; 8:10, 12; 29:28). The references to this division of days becomes afterwards more frequent (Exodus 34:22; Leviticus 12:5; Numbers 28:26; Deuteronomy 16:16; 2 Chronicles 8:13; Jeremiah 5:24; Dan. 9:24-27; 10:2, 3). It has been found to exist among almost all nations. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (n.) A period of seven days, usually that reckoned from one Sabbath or Sunday to the next.International Standard Bible Encyclopedia WEEKwek (shebhua`, from shebha`, "seven"; sabbaton-ta, "from sabbath to sabbath"): The seven-day division of time common to the Hebrews and Babylonians (Genesis 29:27, 28 Luke 18:12). See ASTRONOMY; TIME. "Week" is used in the apocalyptic writings of Daniel for an unknown, prophetic period (Daniel 9:24-27). For the names of the days see ASTROLOGY, 12. Greek 4521. sabbaton -- the Sabbath, ie the seventh day (of the week) ... the Sabbath, ie the seventh day (of the week). Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: sabbaton Phonetic Spelling: (sab'-bat-on) Short Definition: the ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4521.htm - 7k 1207 -- second, after the first. 1145. dakruo -- to weep 106. azumos -- unleavened Strong's Hebrew 7620. shabua -- a period of seven (days, years), heptad, week... shabua. 7621 . a period of seven (days, years), heptad, week. Transliteration: shabua Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-boo'-ah) Short Definition: weeks. ... seven, week. ... /hebrew/7620.htm - 6k 7651. sheba -- seven Library His Last Week Easter Week A Busy Week Holy Week Through the Week A Sunday in the Week of the First Tone Tuesday in Passion Week. By the which Will we are Sanctified ... Passion Week in the Garden. Passion Week at the Sepulchre. How to Keep Passion Week Thesaurus Week (18 Occurrences)... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. WEEK. ... See ASTRONOMY; TIME. "Week" is used in the apocalyptic writings of Daniel for an unknown, prophetic period (Daniel 9:24-27). ... /w/week.htm - 13k Early (157 Occurrences) Lord's (548 Occurrences) Sepulcher (48 Occurrences) Sepulchre (57 Occurrences) Weeks (17 Occurrences) Morrow (113 Occurrences) Seventy (97 Occurrences) Easter (1 Occurrence) Dawn (70 Occurrences) Resources What is Passion Week / Holy Week? | GotQuestions.orgSubscribe to the Question of the Week | GotQuestions.org Unsubscribe from the Question of the Week | GotQuestions.org Week: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Week (18 Occurrences)Matthew 28:1 Mark 16:2 Mark 16:9 Luke 13:14 Luke 18:12 Luke 24:1 John 19:14 John 20:1 John 20:19 John 20:26 Acts 20:6 Acts 20:7 Acts 28:14 1 Corinthians 16:2 Genesis 24:55 Genesis 29:27 Genesis 29:28 Leviticus 23:16 Subtopics Related Terms Commandments (181 Occurrences) Voluntary-offering (2 Occurrences) Grain-cutting (19 Occurrences) Free-will-offering (9 Occurrences) |