### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek noun νουμηνία (noumēnía, `{{G3561}}`) is a compound word derived from νέος (neos, `{{G3560}}`), meaning "new," and μήν (mēn, `{{G3376}}`), meaning "month." Literally, it signifies "new month" or "new moon." By implication, particularly within a religious context, it refers to the "new moon day," which marked the beginning of each lunar month in the ancient Israelite calendar. Its semantic range is thus tightly bound to this specific calendrical point and the religious observances associated with it. In the Septuagint (LXX), νουμηνία consistently translates the Hebrew term `{{H2320}}` (chodesh), which carries the dual meaning of "new moon" and "month."
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
While νουμηνία is abundant in the Septuagint, reflecting the prominence of new moon observances in the Old Testament, it appears only once in the Greek New Testament.
In the Old Testament, the "new moon" (LXX: νουμηνία) was a significant religious day, often associated with specific sacrifices, trumpet blasts, and cessation from work.
* [[Numbers 10:10]] commands the blowing of trumpets over burnt offerings and peace offerings on the new moons.
* [[Numbers 28:11-15]] specifies the elaborate sacrifices required for the new moon offerings.
* [[1 Samuel 20:5]], [[1 Samuel 20:18]], and [[1 Samuel 20:24]] illustrate its importance as a fixed day for communal feasting, where David's absence was notable.
* Prophetic condemnations in [[Isaiah 1:13]] and [[Amos 8:5]] highlight God's rejection of new moon celebrations when they were devoid of justice and sincerity, revealing the spiritual emptiness of mere ritual.
* [[Ezekiel 45:17]] and [[Ezekiel 46:1-6]] detail the regulations for the prince's offerings on new moons in the visionary temple.
In the New Testament, νουμηνία is found in [[Colossians 2:16]]: "Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath." Here, Paul lists the new moon alongside other Jewish ceremonial observances (festivals and Sabbaths) that were part of the Mosaic Law. His argument is that these are "a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ" ([[Colossians 2:17]]). The context implies that Gentile believers, in particular, should not be judged or compelled to observe these Old Covenant rituals, as their fulfillment and true meaning are found in Christ. This verse marks a crucial theological shift regarding the binding nature of such observances for the New Covenant believer.
### Related Words & Concepts
* **Hebrew Counterpart:** The primary Hebrew word translated by νουμηνία in the Septuagint is `{{H2320}}` (chodesh), which means both "new moon" and "month." This highlights the dual significance of the new moon as both a calendrical marker and a religious observance.
* **Greek Roots:** νουμηνία is composed of `{{G3560}}` (neos, "new") and `{{G3376}}` (mēn, "month"), underscoring its literal meaning.
* **Associated Observances:** νουμηνία is frequently grouped with `{{G1859}}` (heortē, "festival") and `{{G4521}}` (sabbaton, "Sabbath"). This grouping in both Old Testament prescriptions and New Testament discussions (e.g., [[Colossians 2:16]]) indicates that the new moon was part of the broader system of sacred times and appointed feasts in Israel's worship calendar.
* **Thematic Concepts:** The word is intrinsically linked to concepts of sacred time, calendrical regulation, corporate worship, sacrificial atonement, and, in the New Testament, the fulfillment of shadows in Christ.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of νουμηνία evolves from the Old to the New Covenant. In the Old Testament, the new moon observance was a divinely ordained institution, integral to Israel's covenantal relationship with Yahweh. It served multiple purposes:
1. **Ordering of Time:** It established a sacred rhythm for the nation, setting apart time for special devotion and worship, demonstrating God's sovereignty over creation and time.
2. **Covenant Obedience:** Participation in new moon sacrifices and feasts was an act of obedience to God's commands, a tangible expression of Israel's covenant fidelity.
3. **Anticipation of Messiah:** Like all aspects of the Mosaic Law, the new moon observances, with their sacrifices and rituals, pointed forward to the ultimate perfect sacrifice and reality found in the Messiah.
In the New Testament, particularly in [[Colossians 2:16-17]], the theological understanding of νουμηνία undergoes a profound reinterpretation. Paul argues that these Old Covenant observances, including the new moon, were "a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." This signifies that the ceremonial requirements of the Law, while holy and good in their time, were preparatory and typological. With the advent of Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of all types and shadows, the binding nature of these external rituals is superseded. Believers in Christ are no longer obligated to observe the new moon, as the spiritual reality to which it pointed has been fully manifested in Christ's person and saving work. The focus shifts from adherence to external ordinances to internal transformation and freedom in Christ.
### Summary
The Greek term νουμηνία (noumēnía, `{{G3561}}`) literally signifies "new moon" or "new month," referring to the day marking the beginning of each lunar month and its associated religious observance. In the Old Testament (Septuagint), it frequently translates the Hebrew `{{H2320}}` (chodesh) and designates a significant day of worship, sacrifice, and communal feasting within Israel's covenant with God. Its singular appearance in the New Testament, in [[Colossians 2:16]], is pivotal. Here, the Apostle Paul lists νουμηνία alongside other Jewish festivals and Sabbaths as examples of "shadows" that find their ultimate "substance" and fulfillment in Jesus Christ ([[Colossians 2:17]]). The theological trajectory of νουμηνία therefore moves from a divinely mandated Old Covenant ritual, symbolizing God's ordering of time and Israel's obedience, to a superseded type in the New Covenant, where its true meaning is realized in the person and work of Christ, freeing believers from legalistic adherence to such external observances.
TRV