ἑορτάζω (heortazō)
heortazō
to keep a festival
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb heortazō means to celebrate a festival or keep a feast day. It is a rare word in the New Testament, appearing only once, in First Corinthians 5:8. In this context, Paul uses it to urge believers to live with sincerity and truth, transforming their daily existence into a continuous spiritual celebration.
Its root lies in heorte, the common Greek word for festival or feast. The sources note that the Septuagint often used this verb to translate the Hebrew chagag, linking Christian practice to the ancient Jewish tradition of holy convocations. By employing this term, Paul connects the early church’s life to the deep historical rhythm of religious observance.
This single usage carries significant theological weight. Rather than pointing to a specific calendar event, the command to "keep the feast" becomes an ethical imperative. It suggests that the community’s entire conduct should reflect the joy and purity associated with a sacred gathering, making their shared life itself the object of celebration.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word heortazō appears only once in the New Testament, yet it carries a profound invitation for your daily life. In First Corinthians 5:8, Paul urges believers to keep the feast not with old yeast, but with sincerity and truth. This command transforms the concept of celebration from a single calendar event into a continuous posture of heart and conduct.
For you, this means that Christian living is meant to be a joyful observance. It invites you to examine your relationships and actions, removing bitterness or deceit so that your everyday interactions reflect purity. Your life together becomes the sacred gathering itself, marked by honesty and grace rather than ritual alone.
This perspective offers hope when routine feels heavy. By choosing sincerity over malice, you participate in a spiritual rhythm that connects you to the wider history of God’s people. It is an encouragement to find joy not in external festivities, but in the integrity of your shared faith and love for one another.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- we may celebrate the feast1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἑορτάζωμεν1×
Key Verses
-
I Corinthians 5:8
Therefore let’s keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
This verse uniquely applies the command to keep a feast as an ethical instruction to live with sincerity and truth, rather than referring to a specific calendar date.