eight days

December 26, 2018

The circumcision of Jesus (Lk 2:21-2:21)

“After eight days

Had passed,

It was time

To circumcise

The child.

He was called

Jesus.

This was the name

Given to him

By the angel

Before he was conceived

In the womb.”

 

Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ τοῦ περιτεμεῖν αὐτόν, καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦς, τὸ κληθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου πρὸ τοῦ συλλημφθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ.

 

Just as Luke had the circumcision and naming of John, so too he has the circumcision and naming of Jesus, his cousin.  Like John, it takes place on the 8th day after the birth in chapter 1:59.  So too, just like John, chapter 1:63, Jesus got his name at his circumcision.  Luke said that after eight days had been completed (Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ), it was time to circumcise the child (τοῦ περιτεμεῖν αὐτόν).  He was called Jesus (καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦς), the name given to him by the angel Gabriel (τὸ κληθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου) before Mary conceived him in the womb (πρὸ τοῦ συλλημφθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ) in chapter 1:31.  Luke continued these parallel stories of John and Jesus.  Both families clearly followed all the Jewish laws and customs about circumcision and naming a child, but John and Jesus were nevertheless special children.

December 19, 2014

The length of the dedication festival (2 Chr 7:8-7:10)

“At that time King Solomon held the festival for seven days. With him was all Israel, a very great congregation, from the Lebo-Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt.  On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly. They had observed the dedication of the altar seven days and the festival seven days. On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and in good spirits because of the goodness that Yahweh had shown to Kign David, King Solomon and his people Israel.”

Here there is a discrepancy with 1 Kings, chapter 8. There the feast lasted 7 days that corresponded to the feast of booths. After that, they all went home to their tents cheerful in their hearts. However, here there is a great celebration on the 8th day. They leave on the 23rd day of the month. People from all over Israel, came to this giant cook-out of oxen and sheep. They came from both the north near Lebanon and the south near Egypt. Everything seems to have gone well at this big dedication ceremony of the Temple.