from ἑορτή; to observe a festival:--keep the feast.
Transliteration:heortázō
Pronunciation:heh-or-tad'-zo
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek verb ἑορτάζω (heortázō), Strong's number `{{G1858}}`, is derived directly from the noun ἑορτή (heortē) `{{G1859}}`, which signifies "a feast," "a festival," or "a holiday." Therefore, the core meaning of ἑορτάζω is "to observe a feast," "to celebrate a festival," or "to keep a holiday." It denotes the active participation in a communal or religious celebration, often marked by specific rites, gatherings, and a sense of solemnity, joy, or remembrance. The semantic range is quite narrow, primarily focusing on the act of observing a set festive occasion.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The verb ἑορτάζω appears only once in the New Testament, specifically in Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians:
* **[[1 Corinthians 5:8]]**: "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
In this passage, Paul is addressing a severe case of immorality within the Corinthian church, likening the presence of sin to leaven that corrupts the whole batch of dough. He draws a profound analogy from the Jewish Passover and the subsequent Feast of Unleavened Bread. In the Old Testament, before Passover, all leaven was to be removed from Israelite homes (e.g., [[Exodus 12:15]], [[Deuteronomy 16:3]]). Paul states in [[1 Corinthians 5:7]], "For Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed." Building on this, he then exhorts the Corinthians to "keep the feast" (ἑορτάζω).
Crucially, Paul is not commanding the Gentile Christians in Corinth to literally observe the Jewish Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread. Instead, he spiritualizes the concept. The "feast" they are to keep is not a periodic ritual but an ongoing, continuous reality for believers. It is a life lived in purity and truth, having been cleansed by the sacrifice of Christ. The "old leaven" represents sin, malice, and wickedness, which must be purged from the community, while the "unleavened bread" symbolizes sincerity and truth—the characteristics of a life lived in Christ.
### Related Words & Concepts
* **ἑορτή (heortē) `{{G1859}}`**: The noun form, meaning "a feast" or "festival," from which ἑορτάζω is derived. It frequently appears in the New Testament referring to Jewish festivals (e.g., [[John 2:23]], [[Acts 18:21]]).
* **πάσχα (pascha) `{{G3957}}`**: Passover. This is the specific feast in view in [[1 Corinthians 5:7-8]], where Christ is identified as the ultimate Passover sacrifice.
* **ἄζυμος (azymos) `{{G106}}`**: Unleavened (bread). Directly related to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately followed Passover and required the removal of all leaven.
* **ζύμη (zymē) `{{G2219}}`**: Leaven. Paul's analogy hinges on the symbolic meaning of leaven as a pervasive corrupting influence.
* **Old Testament Feasts**: The concept of "keeping a feast" is deeply rooted in the Old Testament Law, where various annual festivals (Passover, Weeks, Booths, etc.) were commanded by God as times of worship, remembrance, and communal celebration (e.g., [[Leviticus 23]], [[Numbers 28-29]], [[Deuteronomy 16]]). The Septuagint (LXX) frequently uses verbs like ποιεῖν ἑορτὴν (to make a feast) or ἄγειν ἑορτὴν (to lead a feast) to express the idea of observing these festivals, providing the conceptual background for Paul's usage.
### Theological Significance
The singular New Testament use of ἑορτάζω in [[1 Corinthians 5:8]] carries profound theological weight, transforming an Old Covenant ritual into a New Covenant reality:
1. **Christ as the True Passover:** The passage unequivocally declares Christ as "our Passover" (`{{G3957}}`), sacrificed for us. This establishes the foundational truth that the Old Testament Passover, with its sacrifice of a lamb, was a prophetic shadow pointing to the ultimate atoning work of Jesus Christ. His death cleanses believers from sin, just as the Passover sacrifice brought deliverance to Israel.
2. **Spiritualized Observance:** Paul's command to "keep the feast" moves beyond a literal, annual observance of a Jewish festival. For the Christian, the "feast" is a continuous, spiritual reality. It is a life lived in light of Christ's redemptive work, characterized by moral purity ("unleavened bread of sincerity and truth") and the rejection of sin ("old leaven of malice and wickedness"). This signifies a shift from external ritual to internal transformation and ongoing ethical conduct.
3. **Corporate Purity and Holiness:** The exhortation is addressed to the church as a whole ("let *us* keep the feast"). The purging of leaven (sin) is not merely an individual responsibility but a communal one. The health, witness, and integrity of the entire body of Christ depend on the collective commitment to holiness and the removal of corrupting influences from within.
4. **New Covenant Celebration:** The "feast" for believers is the joyful celebration of salvation, redemption, and new life in Christ. It is a continuous state of gratitude and worship, lived out daily through sincerity, truth, and moral uprightness, rather than confined to specific calendar dates or ceremonial rituals. It underscores the fulfillment of Old Covenant types in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
### Summary
The Greek verb ἑορτάζω (heortázō) `{{G1858}}`, meaning "to observe a feast" or "to celebrate a festival," appears only once in the New Testament in [[1 Corinthians 5:8]]. In this pivotal passage, Paul employs the concept of the Jewish Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread metaphorically. He declares that Christ is the ultimate Passover sacrifice, and therefore, believers are to "keep the feast" not through literal adherence to Old Testament rituals, but by living a continuous life of spiritual purity and truth. This "feast" signifies an ongoing celebration of Christ's redemptive work, marked by the purging of sin ("old leaven") and the cultivation of sincerity and truth ("unleavened bread"). Thus, ἑορτάζω in this context points to the profound theological shift from Old Covenant shadows to New Covenant realities, where the Christian life itself becomes a perpetual feast of holiness and joy in Christ.
TRV