Sabbath

Definition

The term “Sabbath” refers to the seventh day of the week, which God commanded the Israelites to set apart as a day of rest and doing no work.

• After God finished creating the world in six days, he rested on the seventh day. In the same way, God commanded the Israelites to set aside the seventh day as a special day to rest and worship him.
• The command to “keep the Sabbath holy” is one of the ten commandments that God wrote on the stone tablets that he gave Moses for the Israelites.
• Following the Jewish system of counting days, the Sabbath begins on Friday at sundown and lasts until Saturday at sundown.
• Sometimes in the Bible the Sabbath is called “Sabbath day” rather than only the Sabbath.

Translation Suggestions

• This could also be translated as “resting day” or “day for resting” or “day of not working” or “God’s day of rest.”
• Some translations capitalize this term to show that it is a special day, as in “Sabbath Day” or “Resting Day.”
• Consider how this term is translated in a local or national language.

(See also: How to Translate Unknowns)

(See also: rest)

Bible References

• 2 Chronicles 31:2-3
• Acts 13:26-27
• Exodus 31:14
• Isaiah 56:6-7
• Lamentations 2:6
• Leviticus 19:3
• Luke 13:14
• Mark 2:27
• Matthew 12:2
• Nehemiah 10:32-33

Examples from the Bible stories

• __13:5 “Always be sure to keep the Sabbath day__ holy. That is, do all your work in six days, for the seventh day is a day for you to rest and to honor me.”
• __26:2 Jesus went to the town of Nazareth where he had lived during his childhood. On the Sabbath__, he went to the place of worship.
• __41:3 The day after Jesus was buried was a Sabbath__ day, and the Jews were not permitted to go to the tomb on that day.

Word Data

• Strong’s: H4868, H7676, H7677, G43150, G45210