You know that after two days shall be the Pasch; [1] or the feast of the Pasch. The Protestants translate, of the Passover. The French all retain the same word in their language, Paque; as the author of the Latin Vulgate and all other Greek versions have done. It is indeed an evident mistake, (as St. Augustine observed) to take Pascha for a Greek word, as Mr. N... has done, who in his note on this place says, Pascha, in Greek, is a passion or suffering. It is certain that the word Pascha, or Pasche, is from a Hebrew derivation, signifying a passing by or passing over. Yet it must also be observed, that this same word Pascha, has different significations; sometimes it is put for the Paschal Lamb, that was sacrificed; as Luke xxii. 7, elsewhere for the first day of the Paschal feast and solemnity, which lasted seven days; as in this place, and Ezechiel xlv. 21. Again it is taken for the sabbath-day, that happened within the seven days of the solemnity. (John xix. 14.) And it is also used to signify all the sacrifices, that were made during the seven days' feast; as John xviii. 28. (Witham) --- And the Son of man. Jesus Christ informed his disciples of the bloody transactions, which were soon to be perpetrated at Jerusalem, lest they might be disheartened, when they saw their Master condemned to die on a cross. Christ was delivered up to death by his heavenly Father out of love for man; he is betrayed by Judas for base lucre, condemned by the priests out of envy, and persecuted by the common enemy of mankind, who feared that his empire and reign might be destroyed among men by the preaching of our Redeemer; not perceiving, that man would be freed from his empire more by his death, than by his preaching. (Origen)

[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Pascha fiet. Greek: to pascha ginetai fit. St. Jerome on this place, (p. 125.) Pascha, quod Hebraice dicitur Phase: non a Passione, ut plerique arbitrantur, sed a transitu nominatur. So also St. Augustine, tract 55. in Joan.

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