In another category are those cases where one Gospel uses a Plural where another uses a Singular, e.g., Matthew 12:2, “Your disciples do what is not proper to do on a Sabbath”, ‘en sabbátohi’ // Mark 2:24, “do on the Sabbath, ‘tois sábbasin’, that which is not proper”. So does Luke in 6:1 use the Singular, – “on the Sabbath through the cornfields” – where Matthew 12:1 has a Plural, – “on the Sabbaths through the cornfields”. In these cases the Plural has a Singular, meaning.
In any instance the Dative depends on Context. One must be specific, is the moral of the story. And Dr Walter is totally negligent. One cannot rely on what he so easily states categorically.
Therefore, is it correct what Dr Walter warrants us, “"sabbatou = singular and only used of the fourth commandment Sabbath”? Generally speaking, ‘sabbath’, ‘sábbaton’, yes. 58 times in the Gospels, 10 instances in Acts, and two in Paul’s Letters. But there are in fact exceptions.
Most obvious exception is where it is said the Pharisee fasted “twice a week”, ‘dis tou sabbátou’— twice on a ‘sabbath’, Singular, making no sense.
Then there are all the passages containing references to one certain ‘day-of-the-week’. These are the stories of the visits to the tomb and first appearances.
Visits to the tomb:
The two Marys “intended to go have a look at the tomb, towards, the-First-Day-of-the-week”, ‘eis mian sabbátohn’, Matthew 28:1;
Mary Magdalene comes, sees the stone, runs back, “on-the-First-Day-of-the-week, ‘tehi miai tohn sabbátohn’, while being early darkness still”, John 20:1;
The women “come to the tomb with spices prepared deepest of early morning on-the-first-day-of-the-week, ‘tehi miai tohn sabbátohn’”, Luke 24:1;
“They very early sunrising on-the-First-Day-of-the-week, ‘tehi miai tohn sabbátohn’, re-inspect the stone”, Mark16:2;
Jesus “early on-the-First-Day-of-the-week, ‘proh-i prohtehi sabbátou’, appeared to Mary Magdalene first”, Mark 16:9;
Paul:
The disciples “on-the-First-Day-of-the-week, ‘en tehi miai sabbátohn’, having been assembling still”, Acts 20:7;
“On-the-First-Day-of-the-week, ‘kata mian sabbátou’, each of you put aside by himself”, 1Corinthians 16:2.
What problem can there be with interpreting ‘sabbath’, for ‘week’ in EVERY instance of these combinations of ‘time-structures’ or ‘time-phrases’? Dr Walter has a problem though with his ‘ordinals’ and ‘numerals’. Reckons he, “"Mia" is simply the regular ordinal number "first" but "prote" refers to the first in a series.” No; “"prote"”— ‘protos’> ‘prohtehi’, “first”, in Mark 16:9, is simply the regular ordinal number "first"— not, “"Mia"” > ‘miai’> ‘heis’ in “Mark 16:2”, which “gives the normal reading for the "first day of the week"”… “normal”, in Hellenistic, New Testament Greek, yes. Because here we have to do with Greek idiom.
