πάσχα G3957
Passover: the Jewish festival, its sacrificial meal, or the paschal lamb itself
An indeclinable loanword from Hebrew פֶּסַח (pesaḥ, 'to pass over'), πάσχα carries a triple reference in the NT: the annual festival commemorating Israel's deliverance from Egypt, the paschal supper eaten on the evening of Nisan 14-15, and the lamb slaughtered for that meal. All three senses overlap in the Passion narratives (Matt 26:2, 17-19; Mark 14:1, 12-16; Luke 22:1-15; John 18:28). Paul's declaration 'Christ our Passover has been sacrificed' (1 Cor 5:7) crystallizes the typological transfer. The uniform rendering across languages—Spanish 'Pascua,' French 'Pâque,' German 'Passah'—reflects this term's deep liturgical embedding.
Senses
1. passover — The Passover in its comprehensive sense: the annual Jewish festival of deliverance (Exod 12), the paschal supper, and the sacrificial lamb. The Synoptic Passion narratives interweave all three referents as Jesus instructs his disciples to prepare the Passover meal (Matt 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-13), while John's chronology positions the crucifixion at the hour of lamb-slaughter (John 18:28, 19:14). 29×
AR["الْفِصْحَ", "الْفِصْحُ", "الْفِصْحِ", "فِصْحًا", "فِصْحَ", "فِصْحُ", "فِصْحِ"]·ben["নিস্তারপর্ব", "নিস্তারপর্বের", "নিস্তারপর্বের-মেষ", "নিস্তারের"]·DE["Passah"]·EN["Passover", "passover"]·FR["Pâque"]·heb["הַ-פֶּסַח", "פֶּסַח"]·HI["फसह", "फसह,"]·ID["Paskah", "itu"]·IT["Pasqua"]·jav["Paskah", "Paskah,", "Paskah.", "paskah", "paskah,", "paskah."]·KO["유월절", "유월절-식사를", "유월절-양을", "유월절-양이", "유월절-을", "유월절-의", "유월절-이", "유월절과", "유월절을", "유월절이"]·PT["Páscoa", "páscoa"]·RU["Пасха", "Пасхи", "Пасхой", "Пасху", "пасху"]·ES["Pascua", "pascua"]·SW["Pasaka", "pasaka"]·TR["Fisıh", "Fisıh-kurbanının", "Fisıh-yemeğini", "Fisıh’ı", "Fısıh", "Fısıh'ı", "Fısıh'ın"]·urd["فسح", "فسح-سے", "فسح-کی"]
Matt 26:2, Matt 26:17, Matt 26:18, Matt 26:19, Mark 14:1, Mark 14:12, Mark 14:12, Mark 14:14, Mark 14:16, Luke 2:41, Luke 22:1, Luke 22:7 (+17 more)
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πάσχα, τό, indeclinable, the Hebrew “Passover” (from pāsa[hudot] 'pass over') or Paschal feast, LXX __2 paschal supper, NT __3 paschal lamb, θύειν τὸ π. LXX+NT