1. the paschal sacrifice (which was accustomed to be offered for the people's deliverance of old from Egypt), or

2. the paschal lamb, i. e. the lamb which the Israelites were accustomed to slay and eat on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan (the first month of their year) in memory of that day on which their fathers, preparing to depart from Egypt, were bidden by God to slay and eat a lamb, and to sprinkle their door-posts with its blood, that the destroying angel, seeing the blood, might pass over their dwellings (Exodus 12; Numbers 9; Deuteronomy 16): θύειν τό πάσχα (הַפֶסַח שָׁחַט), Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7, (Exodus 12:21); Christ crucified is likened to the slain paschal lamb, 1 Corinthians 5:7; φαγεῖν τό πάσχα, Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12, 14; Luke 22:11, 15; John 18:28; הָפֶסַח אָכַל, 2 Chronicles 30:17f.

3. the paschal supper: ἑτοιμάζειν τό πάσχα, Matthew 26:19; Mark 14:16; Luke 22:8, 13; ποιεῖν τό πάσχα to celebrate the paschal meal, Matthew 26:18.

4. the paschal festival, the feast of Passover, extending from the fourteenth to the twentieth day of the month Nisan: Matthew 26:2; Mark 14:1; Luke 2:41; Luke 22:1; John 2:13, 23; John 6:4; John 11:55; John 12:1; John 13:1; John 18:39; John 19:14; Acts 12:4; πεποίηκε τό πάσχα he instituted the Passover (of Moses), Hebrews 11:28 (cf. Winers Grammar, 272 (256); Buttmann, 197 (170)); γίνεται τό πάσχα the Passover is celebrated (R. V. cometh), Matthew 26:2. (See BB. DD. under the word ; Dillmann in Schenkel iv., p. 392ff; and on the question of the relation of the Last Supper to the Jewish Passover, see (in addition to references in BB. DD. as above) Kirchner, die Jüdische Passahfeier u. Jesu letztes Mahl. Gotha, 1870; Keil, Com. über Matth., pp. 513-528; J. B. McClellan, The N. T. etc. i., pp. 473-494; but especially Schürer, Ueber φαγεῖν τό πάσχα, akademische Festschrift (Giessen, 1883).)

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • פֶּסַח (pesach) • Strong's Hebrew 6453: Refers to the Passover festival and the sacrificial lamb.

This entry provides a comprehensive understanding of the term "πάσχα" within its biblical and theological contexts, illustrating its significance in both Jewish tradition and Christian belief.

Usage: The word "πάσχα" is used in the New Testament to refer to the Jewish Passover festival and the Passover meal. It is also used metaphorically to refer to Christ as the Passover lamb in Christian theology.

Context: The term "πάσχα" is central to both Jewish and Christian traditions. In the Jewish context, Passover is one of the most important feasts, instituted by God as a perpetual ordinance (Exodus 12:14). It commemorates the night when the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, sparing them from the plague of the firstborn, as described in Exodus 12. The festival involves the sacrifice of a lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs.

In the New Testament, "πάσχα" is mentioned in the context of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem. The Gospels record that Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, an event known as the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-15). This meal is significant in Christian theology as it institutes the Lord's Supper or Communion, symbolizing the new covenant through Jesus' sacrifice.

The Apostle Paul explicitly connects Jesus to the Passover lamb, stating, "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:7, BSB). This connection highlights the belief that Jesus' death and resurrection fulfill the typology of the Passover, offering deliverance from sin and death.