New Living Translation
Exodus 23:12
12“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.
Exodus 23:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
- New International Version (NIV)“Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.
Context of Exodus 23:12
10“Plant and harvest your crops for six years, 11but let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest whatever grows on its own. Leave the rest for wild animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves. “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed. 13“Pay close attention to all my instructions. You must not call on the name of any other gods. Do not even speak their names. 14“Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor.
Read all of Exodus 23Exodus 23:12 word by word
שֵׁ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה מַעֲשֶׂ֔יךָ וּבַיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת לְמַ֣עַן יָנ֗וּחַ שֽׁוֹרְךָ֙ וַחֲמֹרֶ֔ךָ וְיִנָּפֵ֥שׁ בֶּן־אֲמָתְךָ֖ וְהַגֵּֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- thou shalt doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- thy workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
- and on the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
- thou shalt restשָׁבַתshâbath · to ceaseH7673
- that thine oxשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
- and thine assחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543
- may restנוּחַnûach · to restH5117
- and the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of thy handmaidאָמָה'âmâh · maidservantH519
- and the strangerגֵּרgêr gêyr · sojournerH1616
- may be refreshedנָפַשׁnâphash · be refreshedH5314
Cross-references for Exodus 23:12
- Exodus 20:8“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
- Exodus 31:15You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.
- Luke 13:14But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.”
- Deuteronomy 5:13You have six days each week for your ordinary work,
- Isaiah 58:3‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.
Commentaries on Exodus 23:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Six days thou shalt do thy work - Though they were thus bound to keep the sabbatical year, yet they must not neglect the seventh day's rest or weekly Sabbath; for that was of perpetual obligation, and was paramount to all others. That the sanctification of the Sabbath was of great consequence in the sight of God, we may learn from the various repetitions of this law; and we may observe that it has still for its object, not only the benefit of the soul…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-12Verses 10-12 This is the first mention of the Sabbatical year; the law for it is given at length in Leviticus 25:2. Both the Sabbatical year and the weekly Sabbath are here spoken of exclusively in their relation to the poor, as bearing testimony to the equality of the people in their covenant with Yahweh. In the first of these institutions, the proprietor of the soil gave up his rights for the year to the whole community of living creatures, not…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-19Verses 10-19 Every seventh year the land was to rest. They must not plough or sow it; what the earth produced of itself, should be eaten, and not laid up. This law seems to have been intended to teach dependence on Providence, and God's faithfulness in sending the larger increase while they kept his appointments. It was also typical of the heavenly rest, when all earthly labours, cares, and interests shall cease for ever. All respect to the gods of the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-12Renewal, rest, and refreshment are important (23:12). Just as humans and animals are to enjoy these in the weekly Sabbath, so the land is to be given rest every seven years (23:10–11; see study note on 20:8–11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest--This law is repeated [Ex 20:9] lest any might suppose there was a relaxation of its observance during the sabbatical year.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 23:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 23
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries