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G4315 · Greek · New Testament
προσάββατον
prosabbaton
Noun Neuter
Preparation Day / eve of Sabbath

Definition

Prosabbaton (G4315) is the day before the Sabbath — what we call Friday, the Preparation Day. It appears in Mark 15:42 in the account of Jesus' burial: Joseph of Arimathea took down the body because it was the prosabbaton, and the Sabbath was about to begin at sunset.

Usage & Theological Significance

The prosabbaton — Preparation Day — is the day the Lamb was slain. The theological resonance is staggering: every Sabbath was preceded by a day of preparation, and the ultimate Sabbath rest of God (Heb 4:9-10) was preceded by the ultimate act of preparation — the cross. The Passover lambs were slain on the preparation day (Jn 19:14); Jesus, the Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7), died when they were being killed. The urgency of Joseph of Arimathea becomes a liturgical act: the body must be in the tomb before Sabbath begins, and so the greatest Rest in history — three days in the tomb — begins on the holy seventh day. Creation's rest becomes redemption's rest.

Key Bible Verses

Mark 15:42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation (prosabbaton), that is, the day before the Sabbath.
John 19:14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour.
John 19:31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath.
1 Corinthians 5:7 For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Hebrews 4:9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

Related Words

External Resources

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