Galatians 4:10

Ye observe [π α ρ α τ η ρ ε ι σ θ ε]. See on Mark 3:2, and John 18:12, and comp. Joseph. Ant 3:5, 5, parathrein tav eJbdomadav to watch the weeks. The word denotes careful, scrupulous observance, an intent watching lest any of the prescribed seasons should be overlooked. A merely legal or ritual religion always develops such scrupulousness. Days. Sabbaths, fast - days, feast - days, new moons. Comp. Romans 14:5; Romans 14:6; Colossians 2:16.

Months. Sacred months. Comp. Isaiah 66:23. In the preexilic time the months were mostly not named but numbered first, second, third, etc., and this usage appears also in the post - exilic writings of the O. T. Only four months had special names : the first, Abib, the ear month, which marked the beginning of harvest (Exodus 13:4; Exodus 23:15; Exodus 34:18) : the second, Sif or Z? the flower month (1 Kings 6:1; 1 Kings 6:37) : the seventh, Ethanum, the month of streaming rivers fed by the autumnal rains (1 Kings 8:2) : the eighth, Bul, the month of rain (1 Kings 6:38). In the post - exilic time names for all the months came into use, the most of which appear in the Palmyrene inscriptions and among the Syrians. According to the Talmud, the returning Jews brought these names from Babylon. The names of all are found in a month table discovered at Nineveh. N?n corresponds to Abib (Nehemiah 2:1; Esther 3:7), answering to the latter part of March and April. Jjar answered to Ziv (Targ. 2 Chronicles 30:2), our May. Tisri to Ethanim, the seventh month of the ecclesiastical, and the first of the civil year, corresponding to October. Marcheschwan (see Joseph. Ant 1:3, 3) answered to Bul and November. Tisri, being the seventh or sabbatical month, was peculiarly sacred, and the fourth [σ ι ς α ν, υ ν ε], fifth (Ab, August), and tenth (Tebeth, January) were distinguished by special fasts. Times [κ α ι ρ ο υ ς]. Better, seasons. See on Matthew 12:1; Ephesians 1:10, and comp. Leviticus 23:4. The holy, festal seasons, as Passover Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles. See 2 Chronicles 8:13.

Years [ε ν ι α υ τ ο υ ς]. Sabbatical years, occurring every seventh year. Not years of Jubilee, which had ceased to be celebrated after the time of Solomon.