What does sabbaton deuteroproton in Luke 6:1 refer to?

Question

According to the KJV Luke 6:1 states:

And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing [them] in [their] hands.

In the Greek "the second sabbath after the first" is sabbaton deuteroproton, which I understand has proved problematic for translators since the majority of English versions omit literally translating this to simply read: "On a sabbath" or "One sabbath."

So how should the Greek best be translated? And what does this "second sabbath after the first" refer to?

NOTE: The KJV is based on the Textus Receptus, the word in question only exists in the TR later text, not in the earlier manuscripts or the critical versions.

RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ τῶν σπορίμων· καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας, καὶ ἤσθιον, ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

Answer 1

English translations don't necessarily render this as "On a Sabbath" or "One Sabbath" because the meaning of the term is uncertain, but because there are textual difficulties here as well. While the term appears in a number of manuscripts (A, C, D, L, Δ, Θ, Ψ, Byz, many Itala), it is also missing from many as well (P4, P75, א, B, L, W, family 1, many Itala, Syriac). That said, part of the reason some textual scholars believe it to be the error of a later copyist is that it is a unique term, appearing only here in the extant literature.

For instance, Bruce Metzger proposes the following scenario:

The word δευτεροπρῶτος occurs nowhere else, and appears to be a vox nulla that arose accidentally through a transcriptional blunder. Perhaps some copyist introduced πρώτῳ as a correlative to ἐν ἑτέρῳ σαββάτῳ in ver. 6, and a second copyist, in view of 4:31, wrote δευτέρῳ, deleting πρώτῳ by using dots over the letters—which was the customary way of cancelling a word. A subsequent transcriber, not noticing the dots, mistakenly combined the two words into one, which he introduced into the text.

^{Metzger, B. M., United Bible Societies. (1994). A textual commentary on the Greek New Testament, second edition a companion volume to the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament (4th rev. ed.) (p. 116). London: United Bible Societies.}

As you can see, Metzger's proposal includes the possibility that δευτεροπρῶτος was not a word at all, but the result of a copyist's mistake. BDAG similarly suggests, "it may owe its origin solely to a scribal error." And it's not just modern translators who have struggled with it; Jerome wrote about it (Letter LII, 2):

My teacher, Gregory of Nazianzus, when I once asked him to explain Luke’s phrase σάββατον δευτερόπρωτον, that is "the second-first Sabbath," playfully evaded my request saying: "I will tell you about it in church, and there, when all the people applaud me, you will be forced against your will to know what you do not know at all. For, if you alone remain silent, every one will put you down for a fool."

While there is significant agreement that the meaning of the word is difficult to ascertain, there are a number of proposals. BDAG, for instance, suggests that "it might correspond (but s. M-M.) to δευτερέσχατος (=next to the last) and mean first but one." It's hard to see why Luke wouldn't just opt for δευτέρῳ, though.

Darrell Bock (BECNT) offers four more (with comments), citing Plummer (ICC) and Fitzmyer (AB):

1. It is the first Sabbath in the second year of the seven-year cycle. But if this had been meant, why would Luke introduce it without explanation?
2. It is the first Sabbath of the second month of the year. Again, such a reference is very cryptic.
3. The notation links the Sabbaths in Luke chronologically and is a scribal gloss: 4:31 is the first Sabbath, 6:1 is the second Sabbath, and 6:6 is a third Sabbath (though the term ἑτέρῳ [another] is used in 6:6, not the ordinal “third”; Metzger 1975: 139; Fitzmyer 1981: 608; Bovon 1989: 266). However, the events that fall between Luke 4 and Luke 6 are problematic to this solution.
4. The phrase alludes to the first Sabbath of Nisan after Passover, which would be the first major Sabbath in the year after Passover and yet would be the second Sabbath of the year. Allusions to this approach are seen in Lev. 23:10–11, 15–16 and at Qumran in 11QTemplea 18.10–19.9. Also, the time of year—harvest time—would be right for such an event. The question is whether such a technical term existed at this time.

Given that the uniqueness of the term in Greek literature, the manuscripts omitting the term, and given that Jerome and his contemporaries did not know what the word meant either, my own tentative view is to see the term as a mistake.

Answer 2

From the Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (at Biblestudytools.com):

"second sabbath after the first"--an obscure expression, occurring here only, generally understood to mean, the first sabbath after the second day of unleavened bread. The reasons cannot be stated here, nor is the opinion itself quite free from difficulty.

From Matthew Henry's Commentary (also at Biblestudytools.com):

"This story here has a date, which we had not in the other evangelists; it was on the second sabbath after the first (v. 1), that is, as Dr. Whitby thinks is pretty clear, the first sabbath after the second day of unleavened bread, from which day they reckoned the seven weeks to the feast of pentecost; the first of which they called Sabbaton deuteroproton , the second deuterodeuteron , and so on. Blessed be God we need not be critical in this matter. Whether this circumstance be mentioned to intimate that this sabbath was thought to have some peculiar honour upon it, which aggravated the offence of the disciples, or only to intimate that, being the first sabbath after the offering of the first fruits, it was the time of the year when the corn was nearly ripe, is not material."

Answer 3

This may provide an elegant solution to the problem. I have not confirmed it yet but it makes the best sense to me. Namely, sabbaton deuteroproton is literally a "second first sabbath." This article equates it to the "Sabbath after the first Sabbath during the week of Pesach."

The second first Sabbath is the first Sabbath after the first Sabbath of Passover. The first Sabbath of Passover is used as a starting point for counting the seven weeks (and seven Sabbaths) until the Feast of Weeks. The day after the first Sabbath of Passover is day one in that count... [There is also] the first Sabbath in the count of seven Sabbaths to the Feast of Weeks (which is held on the day after that 7th Sabbath, i.e. the fiftieth day, or Pentecost). So there are two first Sabbaths: the first Sabbath during Passover... and the first Sabbath after Passover, which is the second first Sabbath.

The theory fits very well with the timing of the barley harvest, which would have begun a week or so before the sabbaton deuteroproton.

Pesach is also called Hag Aviv (Spring Holiday), which marked the beginning of the barley harvest. The practice was to cut the first sheaves of barley the day before Pesach, and to bring an offering from this early harvest on the second day of the festival. Until this was brought, it was forbidden to eat from this new crop.

If this is correct, then what Luke referred to was the Sabbath immediately following the first Sabbath of Passover. It would also tell us that the grain in question is barley.

Answer 4

It is simply: On the Sabbath after the Sabbath of 1st magnitude. There is a Sabbath each week (2nd magnitude). There are 7 annual Sabbaths (1st magnitude).

Ex. (for that Sabbath was a high day) from John 19:31: This was not a weekly Sabbath (i.e. the coming Sabbath at sunset). At sunset would begin the 15th of Abib which is the first annual sabbath (1st day of "Unleavened Bread"). In this particular example, the high day Sabbath would have begun Wednesday evening at sunset and ended Thursday at sunset. The next day was another preparation day, and at sunset would begin the weekly Sabbath (or, the Sabbath of second magnitude after the Sabbath of first magnitude, a "high day").

Answer 5

What does sabbaton deuteroproton in Luke 6:1 refer to?

1 This is a very good question but no one seems to know for sure. Some argue that the"second first" Sabbath is the first weekly Sabbath after the annual Passover Sabbath. They argue that there are two different "first sabbaths", one first Sabbath is Nisan 15, the so-called annual Sabbath during Passover week. The second first Sabbath is the weekly Sabbath that follows the Nisan 15 Sabbath. However, some have pointed out that the Greek word for "second first" in Luke 6:1 is missing from some of the early manuscripts and is likely a mistake of copyists.

2 However, no one really knows for sure. Some translations ignore the "second first" word and simply say "On a Sabbath" followed by the account of the disciples and Jesus foraging for grain. According to the Torah, fresh grain could not be harvested until after the Omer. The Omer fell on the day after the weekly Sabbath in ancient Israel. At the time of Jesus, the Pharisees reckoned this Sabbath to be the annual Nisan 15 Sabbath (hence the Omer fell would fall on Nisan 16 every year) and the Sadducees reckoned it to be the day after the weekly Sabbath. This means the date of the Omer would fall on a different day every year. The Jews would then count fifty days from the Omer to Pentecost.

3 There is a dispute over which group controlled Temple worship at the time Jesus had his earthly ministry. Some argue the Pharisees controlled temple worship during this time because there is evidence, written by Pharisees after the destruction of the Temple, that the Pharisees had power over the Sadducees and that the Sadducees were "afraid" of the Pharisees. Furthermore, it was written after the destruction of the Temple that when the Omer was waved on Nisan 16 the Sadducees dutifully followed the Pharisees to wave the sheaf. At the time these things were written the Sadducees had already ceased to exist. The Sadducees ceased to exist after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. None of their writings have survived. So all we have available on this issue are the writings of the Pharisees themselves. The Sadducees are not around to give their views on this issue. The Pharisees were the "winners" of this dispute and it is their view that prevailed after the destruction of the Temple. Prior to the times of Jesus, the control of the temple worship would sometimes be under the control of the Pharisees and sometimes under the control of the Sadducees.

https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=morrison&book=romanjew&story=pharisees

4 Josephus, a Pharisee, writing after the destruction of the Temple, recorded that the Jews ate the fresh grain on the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 16). See Antiquities Book III, Chapter 10, Verse 5.

“But in the month of Xanthicus; which is by us called Nisan, and is the beginning of our year; on the fourteenth day of the Lunar month, when the sun is in Aries; for on this month it was that we were delivered from bondage under the Egyptians: the law ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice which I before told you we slew when we came out of Egypt: and which was called the Passover. And so we do celebrate this Passover in companies, and leave nothing of what we sacrifice till the day following. The feast of unleavened bread succeeds that of the Passover, and falls on the fifteenth day of the month, and continues seven days: wherein they feed on unleavened bread. On every one of which days two bulls are killed, and one ram, and seven lambs. Now these lambs are entirely burnt, besides the kid of the goats, which is added to all the rest, for sins: for it is intended as a feast for the Priest on every one of those days. BUT ON THE SECOND DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, WHICH IS THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH, THEY FIRST PARTAKE OF THE FRUITS OF THE EARTH: FOR BEFORE THAT DAY THEY DO NOT TOUCH THEM (Capitals mine).

5 However, three things we do know are the Romans supported the Sadducees during the time of Christ, the two high priests were Sadducees and the early Christians adopted the Sadducean method of reckoning Pentecost.

Answer 6

In addition to "the Sabbath" (Saturday) there were lesser "rest-days" (which is what "sabbath" means in Hebrew). These are, for all intents and purposes, analogous to the Christian "holy day" (read: holiday) or "feast day." For example:

Leviticus 23:27 And the Lord spoke to Moses saying,

Thefore shall the tenth day of the month be a day of appeasement, and a holy convocation for you. You shall do penance on that day, and bring forth burnt offerings. You shall do no work on this day, for it is a day of appeasement, that you may appease the Lord your God. Anyone who will not do penance on this day shall be cut off from his people. Anyone who does work on this day, I will destroy him from among his people. You shall do no work on it: this shall be a perpetual ordinance for your progeny in all your houses. For it is a sabbath of rest for you: you shall do penance on the ninth day of the month: from that evening until the next you shall observe your sabbath.

The most holy sabbath is "the Sabbath," namely Saturday. But there was also other "lesser," or "secondary" sabbaths. Inasmuch as holy days call for a setting apart of the normal order—rest therefrom—they are rightly called "sabbaths," just as the Sabbath proper is.

Answer 7

There are early Greek texts that omit this troublesome "second-first" word. Other scholars think a scribe made an error with this word.

In any case, it appears in some later manuscripts. Here are some of these manuscripts available online.

Some Greek Texts deal with Luke 6:1 and the "second-first" Sabbath. Some early manuscripts do not have the troublesome verse.

Nestle 1904

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it happened on the sabbath that he was going through the seedbeds, and his disciples were gathering the ears of corn in their hands.

Westcott and Hort 1881

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it happened on the sabbath that he was going through the seedbeds, and his disciples were gathering the ears of corn in their hands.

Westcott and Hort / [NA27 and UBS4 variants]

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it happened on the sabbath that he was going through the seedbeds, and his disciples were gathering the ears of corn in their hands.

Byzantine Byzantine Majority Text 2005

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ** δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ τῶν σπορίμων· καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας, καὶ ἤσθιον, ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he journeyed through the seedbeds: and his disciples cast out the ears of grain, and the flesh, washing them with their hands.

Greek Orthodox Church

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων· καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας καὶ ἤσθιον ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσί.

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he went about sowing seeds;

Tischendorf 8th Edition

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας καὶ ἤσθιον ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he journeyed through the seedbeds, and his disciples gathered the ears of grain and flesh into their hands.

Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ τῶν σπορίμων· καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας, καὶ ἤσθιον, ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσί.

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he went forth through the seedbeds: and his disciples cast out the ears of grain, and the flesh, and dried them.

Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ τῶν σπορίμων καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας καὶ ἤσθιον ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he went forth through the seedbeds, and his disciples plucked the ears of grain, and, gathering flesh in their hands

Greek Study Bible (Apostolic / Interlinear)**

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it came to pass on the sabbath day, that he went about sowing seeds, and his disciples gathered the ears of grain in their hands.

---

Here are some more Greek Tezts of Luke 6:1. Some omit the word entirely and others have the "second" Sabbath translated and not the second-first.

Berean Greek New Testament 2016

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it happened on the sabbath that he was traveling through the fields, and his disciples were gathering the ears of corn in their hands.

SBL Greek New Testament 2010

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it happened on the sabbath that he was traveling through the fields, and his disciples were gathering the ears of corn in their hands.

Nestle Greek New Testament 1904

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it happened on the sabbath that he was traveling through the fields, and his disciples were gathering the ears of corn in their hands.

Westcott and Hort 1881

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it happened on the sabbath that he was traveling through the fields, and his disciples were gathering the ears of corn in their hands.

Westcott and Hort / [NA27 variants]

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it happened on the sabbath that he was traveling through the fields, and his disciples were gathering the ears of corn in their hands.

Westcott and Hort / {NA28 variants}

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it happened on the sabbath that he was traveling through the fields, and his disciples were gathering the ears of corn in their hands.

RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ τῶν σπορίμων· καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας, καὶ ἤσθιον, ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he journeyed through the seedbeds: and his disciples cast out the ears of grain, and the grain, washing them with their hands.

Greek Orthodox Church 1904

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων· καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας καὶ ἤσθιον ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσί.

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he went about sowing seeds;

Tischendorf 8th Edition 1872

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας καὶ ἤσθιον ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν.

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he journeyed through the seedbeds, and his disciples gathered the ears of grain and flesh into their hands.

Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ τῶν σπορίμων· καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας, καὶ ἤσθιον, ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσί.

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he went forth through the seedbeds: and his disciples cast out the ears of grain, and the grain, and dried them.

Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ τῶν σπορίμων καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας καὶ ἤσθιον ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he went forth through the seedbeds, and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and gathered flesh into their hands.

Beza Greek New Testament 1598

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ τῶν σπορίμων· καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς στάχυας, καὶ ἤσθιον, ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσί.

And it came to pass on the second sabbath, that he went forth through the seedbeds: and his disciples cast out the ears of grain, and the grain, and dried them.