God’s Word Translation
Genesis 2:3
3Then God blessed the seventh day and set it apart as holy, because on that day he stopped all his work of creation.
Genesis 2:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
- New International Version (NIV)Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
Context of Genesis 2:3
1Heaven and earth and everything in them were finished. 2By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing. On the seventh day he stopped the work he had been doing. Then God blessed the seventh day and set it apart as holy, because on that day he stopped all his work of creation. 4This is the account of heaven and earth when they were created, at the time when the Lord God made earth and heaven. 5Wild bushes and plants were not on the earth yet because the Lord God hadn’t sent rain on the earth. Also, there was no one to farm the land.
Read all of Genesis 2Genesis 2:3 word by word
וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י ב֤וֹ שָׁבַת֙ מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- blessedבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
- the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
- dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- and sanctifiedקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: consecateH6942
- it: becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
- that in it he had restedשָׁבַתshâbath · to ceaseH7673
- from all his workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
- createdבָּרָאbârâ' · to createH1254
- and madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
Cross-references for Genesis 2:3
- Exodus 16:22But on the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts per person. All the leaders of the community came to Moses and told him about it.
- Exodus 20:8“Remember the day of rest by observing it as a holy day.
- Exodus 23:12“For six days you will do your work, but on the seventh day you must not work. Then your ox and donkey can rest. The slaves born in your household and foreigners will also be refreshed.
- Exodus 31:13“Say to the Israelites, ‘Be sure to observe my days of rest as holy days. This will be a sign between me and you for generations to come so that you will know that I am the Lord who makes you holy.
- Exodus 34:21“You may work six days, but on the seventh day you must not work. Even during the time of plowing or harvesting you must not work ⌞on this day⌟.
- Exodus 35:2You may work for six days, but the seventh day is a holy day of rest, a day when you don’t work. It is dedicated to the Lord. Whoever does any work on this day should be put to death.
- Leviticus 23:3You may work for six days. But the seventh day is a day of rest, a day when you don’t work, a holy assembly. Don’t do any work. It is the Lord’s day of rest—a holy day wherever you live.
- Leviticus 25:2“Tell the Israelites: When you come into the land I’m giving you, the land will celebrate a year to honor the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 5:12“Observe the day of rest as a holy day. This is what the Lord your God has commanded you.
- Nehemiah 9:14You taught them about your holy day of rest. You gave them commandments, laws, and teachings through your servant Moses.
- Nehemiah 13:15In those days I saw people in Judah stomping grapes in the winepresses on the day of rest—a holy day. I saw them bringing in loads of wine, grapes, figs, and every other kind of load. They piled the loads on donkeys and brought them into Jerusalem on the day of rest. I warned them about selling food on that day.
- Proverbs 10:22It is the Lord’s blessing that makes a person rich, and hard work adds nothing to it.
- Isaiah 56:2Blessed is the one who does these things and the person who holds on to them. Blessed is the one who keeps the day of rest—a holy day, from becoming unholy and his hands from doing anything wrong.
- Isaiah 58:13If you stop trampling on the day of rest and doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the day of rest a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, if you honor it by not going your own way, by not going out when you want, and by not talking idly,
- Jeremiah 17:21This is what the Lord says: Watch out! If you value your lives, do not carry anything on the day of rest—a holy day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.
- Ezekiel 20:12I also gave them certain days to worship me as a sign between us so that they would know that I, the Lord, made them holy.
Commentaries on Genesis 2:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3And God blessed the seventh day - The original word ברך barach, which is generally rendered to bless, has a very extensive meaning. It is frequently used in Scripture in the sense of speaking good of or to a person; and hence literally and properly rendered by the Septuagint , from , good or well, and , I speak. So God has spoken well of the Sabbath, and good to them who conscientiously observe it. Blessing is applied both to God and man: when God is said…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-3Verses 1-3 - The Seventh Day 1. צבא tsābā' “a host in marching order,” a company of persons or things in the order of their nature and the progressive discharge of their functions. Hence, it is applied to the starry host Deuteronomy 4:19, to the angelic host 1 Kings 22:19, to the host of Israel Exodus 12:41, and to the ministering Levites Numbers 4:23. ́ kosmos חשׁביעי chashebı̂y‛ı̂y Here השׁשׁי hashshı̂y is read by the Samaritan Pentateuch, the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3During the first six days of creation, God separated light from darkness, day from night, and water from dry land. The final act of creation separated the ordinary from the holy. This was the basis for Israel’s worship. It also anticipated a future time of rest (Hebrews 4:1–11; 12:2; 13:14). The lack of the usual "evening … morning" phrase shows the creator's desire for endless fellowship with humans.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. blessed and sanctified the seventh day--a peculiar distinction put upon it above the other six days, and showing it was devoted to sacred purposes. The institution of the Sabbath is as old as creation, giving rise to that weekly division of time which prevailed in the earliest ages. It is a wise and beneficent law, affording that regular interval of rest which the physical nature of man and the animals employed in his service requires, and the neglect…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 2:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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