Bible Lexicons

Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old TestamentGirdlestone's OT Synonyms

To Do

The word Asah (עשׂה ), to do, which usually allies itself in meaning with the words with which it stands connected, has amongst its extended significations an application to offerings. It is rendered offer in forty passages, most of which are in Leviticus and Numbers, e.g. Leviticus 5:10, 'He shall offer the second for a burnt-offering, according to the ordinance, and the priest shall make an atonement for him.' Sometimes it refers to the service of the priest, and sometimes to the action of him who brings the offering and appoints what particular animal he will offer. Naaman, the Syrian, is represented as using the word in 2 Kings 5:17; and it is used of Jehu's offering in the house of Baal, 2 Kings 10:24-25. We also find it in Psalms 66:15, 'I will offer bullocks with goats.'

The word first occurs in this sense in Exodus 10:25, where Moses says, 'Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt-offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God.' in Exodus 29:36 it is regularly introduced into the Levitical system: 'Thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin-offering for atonement;' verses 38, 39, 'Thou shalt offer . two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even.' See also Leviticus 14:19; Leviticus 14:30; Leviticus 15:15; Leviticus 15:30; Leviticus 23:12; Leviticus 23:19; Numbers 6:11; Numbers 6:16-17; Numbers 15:3; Numbers 15:14; Numbers 15:24; Numbers 28:4; Numbers 28:8; Numbers 28:20-21; Numbers 28:23-24; Numbers 28:31. The word is used of 'preparing' or arranging the animal or meat offering or drink-offering in Numbers 15:5-6; Numbers 15:8; Numbers 15:12; Judges 13:15-16; Ezekiel 43:25; Ezekiel 43:27; Ezekiel 45:17; Ezekiel 45:23-24; Ezekiel 46:7; Ezekiel 46:12-15. It may be added that Asah is used of the making or ordaining of feasts in Judges 14:10; 1 Kings 3:15; 1 Kings 12:32; Ezra 3:4; Ezra 6:19; Nehemiah 8:18; Esther 2:18; Esther 5:8.

The Greek rendering in these passages is invariably ποιει̂ν, to do, or make [This use of the word ποιέω must not be forgotten in the interpretation of such a passage as 2 Corinthians 5:21, 'He made him (to be) sin on our behalf.']; the Vulgate usually has facere, but sometimes offerre; and Luther usually has machen, but occasionally opfern.

It has been supposed by some commentators that our Lord used the word ποιέω in a sacrificial sense when He said 'Do this in remembrance of me' (Luke 22:19). It seems most reasonable to suppose that the word is to be taken here in that ceremonial sense in which it is frequently found in the O.T. The question, however, remains to be asked, to what special religious rite was the Lord referring? When He said 'Do this,' He must at least have meant 'Keep this rite'; but did He mean 'Offer this bread and wine as an offering'? or was there some special Mosaic rite to which the words would bear reference? in answering this question it must be remembered that our Lord was approaching his death, and was instituting an ordinance which bore a direct relationship to it, so that whenever it is duly observed we 'shew forth the Lord's death.' Also it must be granted that the giving up of the Saviour's life up on the cross was preeminently vicarious and redemptive, and that in it all the offerings of the old dispensation had their fulfilment. What objection, therefore, can lie against the conclusion that the Lord meant, 'Perform this sacrificial rite;' and that while the blood of bulls and goats, together with various meat and drink offerings, prefigured the Lord's death, the simple elements of bread and wine were to take their place for all time to come as memorials of the same? But even if we adopted the expression 'offer this' as a rendering, would this imply that the offerer was in any sense a priest? Certainly not; because the Hebrew and Greek words for 'do' are used of the people as well as of the priests; see, for examples of this usage, Leviticus 23:12; Leviticus 23:19; Deuteronomy 12:27; 1 Kings 8:64; 2 Kings 5:17; 2 Chronicles 7:7; Psalms 66:15. Again, would the expression 'offer this' give additional force to the arguments by which the theory of transubstantiation is upheld? Certainly not. on the contrary, though the offerings under the old dispensation foreshadowed the Lord's atoning offering in its various aspects, yet they were not identical with it, so that the Christian offering (if such an expression may be permitted for the sake of argument) would by analogy be at most a representation of the same - the breaking of the bread setting forth the laceration of the body, and the pouring out of the wine setting forth the shedding of the blood. [Wine is called 'the blood of grapes' in Genesis 49:11, al.]

It has been observed, however, that wherever the word do is used in a sacrificial sense in the O.T., there lies in the context some noun substantive which indicates the nature of the rite. This, then, we must look for in the N.T. when investigating the ceremonial significance of the expression before us.

Our Lord was at a Passover Supper; and at the table were the lamb, also the bread and wine, which were the regular adjuncts of the feast. It was not the lamb, however, which He took as the basis of his new rite; if it had been so, then there might have been a clearer connection between the Lord's Supper and the O.T. animal sacrifices. It was the unleavened bread and the wine which He took in his hands, calling the one his body and the other his blood. [Our Lord did not say του̂το γίγνεται, 'This has become or is turned into,' but του̂το ἐστι, which in ritual connection can only mean 'This represents or stands for.' The Roman Church, in advocating the doctrine of transubstantiation, departs from the literal sense of Scripture.] We may hence gather that it was the nutritions efficacy of his sacrifice to which the Lord was specially referring when He instituted his Supper: 'The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are (strengthened and refreshed) by the bread and wine.' It may therefore be inferred that when the Saviour said 'Do this,' He did not mean 'Offer this atoning victim,' but 'Keep this memorial Communion Feast.'

That this is a just view of our Lord's words will be seen more clearly when it is considered that the keeping of the Passover Feast was constantly spoken of in the O.T. as a doing, the words Asah and ποιέω being almost invariably used with respect to it instances are as follows: - Exodus 12:48, 'Will keep the passover to the Lord.' Numbers 9:2, 'Let the children of Israel also keep the passover.' Numbers 9:3, 'Ye shall keep it in his appointed season.' Numbers 9:4, 'That they should keep the passover.' Numbers 9:5, ' and they kept the passover.' Numbers 9:6, 'That they could not keep the passover.' Numbers 9:10, 'Yet shall he keep the passover.' Numbers 9:11, 'At even they shall keep it.' Numbers 9:12, 'According to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.' Numbers 9:13, 'Forbeareth to keep the passover.' Numbers 9:11, 'If a stranger shall sojourn . and will keep the passover.' Numbers 9:14, 'According to the ordinance of the passover . so shall we do.' 2 Chronicles 30:1-2; 2 Chronicles 30:5, 'To keep the passover.' 2 Chronicles 30:3, 'They could not keep it.' 2 Chronicles 30:13, 'To keep the feast of unleavened bread.' 2 Chronicles 35:18, 'Neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept.' Ezra 6:19, ' and kept the passover.'

In all these passages the word do or keep answers to that which our Lord used when He said 'Do this.' Compare Matthew 26:18, where our Lord definitely uses it of the Passover. It can hardly be doubted, then, that his words had direct reference to the Passover Feast. The institution was necessarily proleptic, and anticipated his death. The Passover Lamb was to be slain; the sacrifice up on the cross fulfilled this part of the paschal celebration. Thenceforward the death of Christ up on the cross was to be not only the means of atonement and pardon, but also the source of spiritual sustenance.

The faithful realisation and the personal appropriation of what is meant by 'Christ crucified' is the appointed means for sustaining and stimulating in the heart that Divine life which flows from God to the believer and enables him to walk even as Christ walked. Thus the memorial is a real feast and the ordinance furnishes a special opportunity for feeding up on Christ in the heart by faith, as a means of renewing spiritual life in all its aspects.