### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **heortázō**, represented by `{{G1858}}`, means **to observe a festival** or **keep the feast**. Derived from `ἑορτή`, it appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible, making its single usage highly significant.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{G1858}}` is in [[1 Corinthians 5:8]]. Here, the apostle commands believers to "**keep the feast**" not in a traditional sense, but in a new, spiritual manner. This observance is explicitly contrasted with the "old **leaven**" `{{G2219}}` of **malice** `{{G2549}}` and **wickedness** `{{G4189}}`. Instead, the feast is to be kept with the **unleavened** `{{G106}}` bread of **sincerity** `{{G1505}}` and **truth** `{{G225}}`. This verse reframes the act of celebration as a continuous state of moral and spiritual purity.
### Related Words & Concepts
The meaning of `{{G1858}}` in its context is defined by several key contrasting terms:
* `{{G2219}}` **zýmē** (leaven): Defined as `ferment`, this word represents the corrupting influence of sin that must be purged. In the context of keeping the feast, it symbolizes the old ways of **malice** and **wickedness** that are incompatible with a life in Christ [[1 Corinthians 5:8]].
* `{{G106}}` **ázymos** (unleavened): This term, meaning `uncorrupted`, represents the state of purity required to properly **keep the feast**. It is directly associated with Christ, our passover [[1 Corinthians 5:7]], and is the spiritual "bread" of **sincerity** and **truth** believers are to partake in.
* `{{G2549}}` **kakía** (malice): Defined as `badness` or `depravity`, this word specifies the type of "leaven" to be avoided. Its presence is contrary to the nature of the spiritual feast [[1 Corinthians 5:8]].
* `{{G225}}` **alḗtheia** (truth): As the opposite of leaven, this word is a foundational element of the feast. To **keep the feast** is to live a life aligned with **truth**, which is embodied in Christ [[John 14:6]] and His word [[John 17:17]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G1858}}` is concentrated in its single, powerful use.
* **The Continuous Feast:** The command to "**keep the feast**" is not a call to observe a specific holiday, but an instruction for the ongoing Christian life. Because Christ our passover has been sacrificed, the believer's entire existence is a festival of remembrance and holiness [[1 Corinthians 5:7-8]].
* **Purity as Celebration:** The verse transforms the idea of celebration from an external act to an internal state. The joy of the feast is found in being free from the "old **leaven**" of sin and living a life characterized by what is **unleavened** `{{G106}}`.
* **Ethical Foundation:** To **keep the feast** is to live a life founded on **sincerity** `{{G1505}}` and **truth** `{{G225}}`, rejecting **malice** `{{G2549}}` and **wickedness** `{{G4189}}`. It establishes a clear ethical framework for the community of believers.
### Summary
In summary, while `{{G1858}}` is one of the rarest words in the New Testament, its singular context in [[1 Corinthians 5:8]] gives it profound meaning. It elevates the concept of "keeping a feast" beyond a literal observance to a metaphor for the entire Christian walk. This walk is to be a continuous celebration, marked not by ritual, but by the absence of the corrupting **leaven** of sin and the presence of **sincerity** and **truth**.
TRV