The Greek word pascha (πασχα) is where we get the word “paschal”—as in the paschal lamb that would be sacrificed on the Jewish holiday known as Passover. In the King James Bible, the word pascha is translated 28 times as “passover” and only one time as “Easter.” Mainstream biblical studies have heralded Acts 12:4 as one of the critical errors of the KJV, and the implication has been enormous: If the KJV can’t even translate a simple Greek word properly, then it must be a seriously flawed translation. Most newer versions of the Bible in English have “Passover.” But could the KJV translators have been that careless with such a familiar Greek word as pascha?
Interestingly enough, the KJV translators weren’t alone. The majority of English Bibles predating 1611 also supplied “Easter.” No doubt, these English Bibles had their attention.
- The Tyndale Bible 1534. “And when he had caught him he put him in preson and delyvered him to .iiii. quaternios of soudiers to be kepte entendynge after ester to brynge him forth to the people.”
- The Coverdale Bible 1535. “Now whan he had taken him, he put him in preson, and delyuered him vnto foure quaternions of soudyers, to kepe him: and thought after Easter to bringe him forth to the people.”
- The Great Bible 1539. "And when he had caught him he put him in preson and delyvered him to iiii. quaternios of soudiers to be kepte entendynge after ester to brynge him forth to the people.”
- The Matthew’s Bible 1537. “And when he had caught hym, he put hym in pryson, & deliuered hym to .iiij. quaternions of soudyers to be kept, entendynge after Easter to bryng hym forth to the people.”
- The Bishop’s Bible 1568. “And when he had caught hym, he put hym in pryson also, and delyuered hym to foure quaternions of souldiers to be kept, intendyng after Easter to bryng hym foorth to the people.”
As it turns out, there might be more to the story. The first thing to consider is that pascha was a Greek word used for both Passover and Easter in the first century. While the word pascha was originally a Jewish concept, the word was adopted by non-Jewish people to refer to Easter as well. Both holidays are close together, and both are tied to the lunar cycle in the spring. Even today, “Pascha” is still used in many languages in reference to Easter.
- “Pascua” in Spanish is most often used for Easter. ¡Felices Pascuas! (Happy Easter!). Otherwise “Pascua judía” is the phrase for “Jewish Easter” (Passover).
- “Pasqua” in Italian is most often used for Easter. Buona Pasqua! (Happy Easter!). Otherwise pasqua ebraica is the phrase for “Jewish Easter” (Passover).
The scholarly community will admit the polysemantic aspect of pascha, yet it will still insist that the context of Acts 12:4 involves the Jewish holiday. But let’s take a look at the text itself:
“And [Herod] killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people” (Acts 12:2-4).
There happens to be a parenthetical statement in the middle of the passage: “Then were the days of unleavened bread.” This statement provides a clue. When Herod arrested Peter, it was during “the days of unleavened bread.” This was the week-long Jewish festival that immediately followed a single day called Passover (Leviticus 23:5-6; Numbers 28:16-17). If Peter was arrested during the days of unleavened bread, that means Passover already took place. So Herod wasn’t waiting for the Jewish Pascha. He was waiting for the following Pascha. We have a word for that in English: Easter.
Some may argue that “Passover” can refer to the entire eight-day festival—the day of passover and the feast of unleavened bread. Luke wrote, “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover” (Luke 22:1). Luke is a Gentile physician writing to a Greek or Roman official named Theophilus (Luke 1:3). While the Jews were known to refer to the collective eight-day festival as the feast of unleavened bread (Mark 14:12), there is no instance of the Jews ever calling the entire festival “Passover.” Yet even here, “Passover” points to the first day: “Then came the day [singular] of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed” (Luke 22:7). In all, Passover was a single day that had already taken place by the time Peter was arrested.
Recommended Reading
“Easter” or “Passover” in Acts 12:4? (KJVtoday.net)
