Remember the Sabbath
Remember See Comment to 2:24. It is fitting that the law of the seventh day commences with the seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The narrative about the manna in Exodus 16:5, 22–30 presupposes the institution of the Sabbath prior to the Sinaitic revelation.
The Sabbath is wholly an Israelite innovation. There is nothing analogous to it in the entire ancient Near Eastern world. This is surprising since seven-day units of time are well known throughout the region. Yet the Sabbath is the sole exception to the otherwise universal practice of basing all the major units of time—months and seasons, as well as years—on the phases of the moon and solar cycle. The Sabbath, in other words, is completely dissociated from the movement of celestial bodies. This singularity, together with Creation as the basis for the institution, expresses the quintessential idea of Israel’s monotheism: God is entirely outside of and sovereign over nature.
10. work The definition of prohibited labor (melaʾkhah) is not given here. Elsewhere in the Bible certain types of work are specified: “leaving one’s place,” that is, walking beyond certain limits, agricultural activities, kindling fire, gathering wood, conducting business, carrying burdens, treading the winepress, and loading asses.
10. work The definition of prohibited labor (melaʾkhah) is not given here. Elsewhere in the Bible certain types of work are specified: “leaving one’s place,” that is, walking beyond certain limits, agricultural activities, kindling fire, gathering wood, conducting business, carrying burdens, treading the winepress, and loading asses.
The Sabbath is wholly an Israelite innovation. There is nothing analogous to it in the entire ancient Near Eastern world. This is surprising since seven-day units of time are well known throughout the region. Yet the Sabbath is the sole exception to the otherwise universal practice of basing all the major units of time—months and seasons, as well as years—on the phases of the moon and solar cycle. The Sabbath, in other words, is completely dissociated from the movement of celestial bodies. This singularity, together with Creation as the basis for the institution, expresses the quintessential idea of Israel’s monotheism: God is entirely outside of and sovereign over nature.
The change the Sabbath brings about in one’s weekly routine makes it a refreshing day rather than the absence of activity therein. Indeed, one whose weekly work was essentially sedentary (a “desk job”) might be more active physically on the Sabbath than at any other time and still completely fulfill its obligations regarding the cessation of “labor.” This does not mean that any activity on the Sabbath, as long as it would not be one’s regular “work” activity, would be “holy.” But if one were physically active in pursuit of service to God and/or godly service to others, it would be entirely consistent with the Sabbath law to work hard at such sorts of activities and be reasonably worn out by them at the end of the day. To love God is not to have a lazy day one day a week; rather it is to focus on doing his will specially on one day a week—to worship, learn, study, care, and strengthen the spirit.
The change the Sabbath brings about in one’s weekly routine makes it a refreshing day rather than the absence of activity therein. Indeed, one whose weekly work was essentially sedentary (a “desk job”) might be more active physically on the Sabbath than at any other time and still completely fulfill its obligations regarding the cessation of “labor.” This does not mean that any activity on the Sabbath, as long as it would not be one’s regular “work” activity, would be “holy.” But if one were physically active in pursuit of service to God and/or godly service to others, it would be entirely consistent with the Sabbath law to work hard at such sorts of activities and be reasonably worn out by them at the end of the day. To love God is not to have a lazy day one day a week; rather it is to focus on doing his will specially on one day a week—to worship, learn, study, care, and strengthen the spirit.
20:11 There could hardly be a stronger model for keeping the Sabbath than that of God himself. And there could hardly be a more impressive precedent within history (and soon enough, within the Scripture itself) than the creation account of Gen 1, which purposely describes creation in terms of six days of labor and one day of rest. God’s model in this matter obviates all objections from anyone that he or she “doesn’t need to take a day off” since God could hardly wear himself out. The Sabbath is not portrayed as a day of recuperation from those too weak to keep working day after day without rest. It is portrayed rather as a stoppage good for everyone, for the purpose of refocusing on holiness (all concerns that stem from belonging to God, which is what holiness is) in order to enjoy God’s blessings of that day and its potential (“Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy”). The Sabbath, in other words, is designed to help people become spiritually stronger and closer to God; whatever it does by way of helping people recuperate from being physically tired (and it certainly can do this) is an incidental, rather than a primary, benefit.
20:11 There could hardly be a stronger model for keeping the Sabbath than that of God himself. And there could hardly be a more impressive precedent within history (and soon enough, within the Scripture itself) than the creation account of Gen 1, which purposely describes creation in terms of six days of labor and one day of rest. God’s model in this matter obviates all objections from anyone that he or she “doesn’t need to take a day off” since God could hardly wear himself out. The Sabbath is not portrayed as a day of recuperation from those too weak to keep working day after day without rest. It is portrayed rather as a stoppage good for everyone, for the purpose of refocusing on holiness (all concerns that stem from belonging to God, which is what holiness is) in order to enjoy God’s blessings of that day and its potential (“Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy”). The Sabbath, in other words, is designed to help people become spiritually stronger and closer to God; whatever it does by way of helping people recuperate from being physically tired (and it certainly can do this) is an incidental, rather than a primary, benefit.
The commandment specifically prohibits any Sabbath day shifting of laboring away from native Israelites to foreign workers (“nor the alien within your gates”) or from free Israelites to hired workers or servants (“nor your manservant or maidservant”) or from adults to children (“nor your son or daughter”). Envisioned instead is an egalitarian work stoppage that benefits everyone and leaves everyone free and ready for worship and spiritual emphases.
The commandment specifically prohibits any Sabbath day shifting of laboring away from native Israelites to foreign workers (“nor the alien within your gates”) or from free Israelites to hired workers or servants (“nor your manservant or maidservant”) or from adults to children (“nor your son or daughter”). Envisioned instead is an egalitarian work stoppage that benefits everyone and leaves everyone free and ready for worship and spiritual emphases.
What this explanation portion of the word/commandment prohibits is not any sort of exertion, or the preparing of food, or the feeding or watering of animals, or anything else necessary to get through the day in an agrarian culture. Rather, it prohibits duplicating on the Sabbath any of the usual labors of the other six days that can possibly be stopped without actually causing someone or something harm. People and animals would still need to be fed; lactating animals would still need to be milked; priests would still work within the sanctuary. But to the extent possible, all workers were to receive a day of rest.
What this explanation portion of the word/commandment prohibits is not any sort of exertion, or the preparing of food, or the feeding or watering of animals, or anything else necessary to get through the day in an agrarian culture. Rather, it prohibits duplicating on the Sabbath any of the usual labors of the other six days that can possibly be stopped without actually causing someone or something harm. People and animals would still need to be fed; lactating animals would still need to be milked; priests would still work within the sanctuary. But to the extent possible, all workers were to receive a day of rest.
Many ancient covenants had some sort of sign—something visible that would remind people of the covenant, lest they forget it. The Sabbath functions as such a sign for the Mosaic or Sinai covenant, as 31:13, 17 will specify. It provides a regular weekly reminder for everyone: as people keep the Sabbath, stopping their work and devoting themselves to worship, they demonstrate openly that they are keeping the covenant.
“Sabbath” is the English reflex of a common Hebrew word (šabbāṭ) meaning “stopping/stoppage/cessation.” The Sabbath is the “stopping [day]”, the day on which one’s regular work ceases both for the sake of giving laborers a break from their daily routine and for the sake of providing a focus on God that is periodically (weekly) heightened
“Sabbath” is the English reflex of a common Hebrew word (šabbāṭ) meaning “stopping/stoppage/cessation.” The Sabbath is the “stopping [day]”, the day on which one’s regular work ceases both for the sake of giving laborers a break from their daily routine and for the sake of providing a focus on God that is periodically (weekly) heightened
Many ancient covenants had some sort of sign—something visible that would remind people of the covenant, lest they forget it. The Sabbath functions as such a sign for the Mosaic or Sinai covenant, as 31:13, 17 will specify. It provides a regular weekly reminder for everyone: as people keep the Sabbath, stopping their work and devoting themselves to worship, they demonstrate openly that they are keeping the covenant.
There has long been controversy between those who maintain that the Sabbath commandment is of universal application, one of “the laws of nature”, so to speak, and those who maintain that it was a gift to Israel (as in Neh. 9:14). The failure to find a parallel elsewhere in the ancient world supports the latter view. The one apparent exception is Exod. 16:22–30, which seems to suggest that the Sabbath was known before the Sinai lawgiving. A careful reading of the passage, however, will suggest that it was an introduction to the Sabbath concept. After all the meaning of shabbat will have been clear to them, even if it had not yet obtained a technical meaning.
Throughout the expression of this commandment, a balance between “stopping” and “keeping holy” is struck: clearly the purpose of the Sabbath cannot be limited either to a break from work one day a week or to the setting aside of one day a week for special attention to godliness. Rather, both are to be done on every Sabbath.
Throughout the expression of this commandment, a balance between “stopping” and “keeping holy” is struck: clearly the purpose of the Sabbath cannot be limited either to a break from work one day a week or to the setting aside of one day a week for special attention to godliness. Rather, both are to be done on every Sabbath.
There has long been controversy between those who maintain that the Sabbath commandment is of universal application, one of “the laws of nature”, so to speak, and those who maintain that it was a gift to Israel (as in Neh. 9:14). The failure to find a parallel elsewhere in the ancient world supports the latter view. The one apparent exception is Exod. 16:22–30, which seems to suggest that the Sabbath was known before the Sinai lawgiving. A careful reading of the passage, however, will suggest that it was an introduction to the Sabbath concept. After all the meaning of shabbat will have been clear to them, even if it had not yet obtained a technical meaning.
Unfortunately, the exaggerated antinomianism of many sections of the Church today has caused many to lose all understanding of the truth of Isa. 58:13–14 and of Christ’s statement that “the Sabbath was made for man”. This does not mean that we should force Sunday observance on those who have no respect for the Lord of the Sabbath, but we should defend the rights of those who treasure their day of rest and not allow the selfishness of others to rob them of it.
Unfortunately, the exaggerated antinomianism of many sections of the Church today has caused many to lose all understanding of the truth of Isa. 58:13–14 and of Christ’s statement that “the Sabbath was made for man”. This does not mean that we should force Sunday observance on those who have no respect for the Lord of the Sabbath, but we should defend the rights of those who treasure their day of rest and not allow the selfishness of others to rob them of it.
That the Sabbath was, to some extent unwillingly, observed in Israel from an early date is shown by Amos 8:5–6. After the return from the Babylonian Exile, its observance grew steadily stricter, and by the end of the second century A.D. a list of thirty-nine kinds of work had been drawn up, which were prohibited on the Sabbath, a list which can to a great extent be paralleled in Puritan legislation and practice. In spite of all this rigorism and legalism the Sabbath remained until very recently a day of joy and light in Israel, and was largely responsible for the people’s preservation down the centuries. Thanks to the rabbinic principle that the Law was given that man might live by it, various means were found for relaxing or circumventing the strictness of the rabbinic code.
That the Sabbath was, to some extent unwillingly, observed in Israel from an early date is shown by Amos 8:5–6. After the return from the Babylonian Exile, its observance grew steadily stricter, and by the end of the second century A.D. a list of thirty-nine kinds of work had been drawn up, which were prohibited on the Sabbath, a list which can to a great extent be paralleled in Puritan legislation and practice. In spite of all this rigorism and legalism the Sabbath remained until very recently a day of joy and light in Israel, and was largely responsible for the people’s preservation down the centuries. Thanks to the rabbinic principle that the Law was given that man might live by it, various means were found for relaxing or circumventing the strictness of the rabbinic code.
By its very nature the Sabbath-command creates an inescapable tension. It presupposes that the preceding six days will have sufficed for the work that had to be done, something implicit in Christ’s invitation in Matt. 11:25–30, namely, that anyone accepting it will be able to drop all normal occupations to do Christ’s work.
By its very nature the Sabbath-command creates an inescapable tension. It presupposes that the preceding six days will have sufficed for the work that had to be done, something implicit in Christ’s invitation in Matt. 11:25–30, namely, that anyone accepting it will be able to drop all normal occupations to do Christ’s work.
Those whom God has set free should not become enslaved by the demands of this life, and that is as valid a motive today as it was for Israel then. Here in Exodus it is linked with the story of creation in Gen. 2:2–3. There it is said that “on the seventh day … God kept shabbat from all his work”. Sabbath (Heb. shabbat) comes from a verb meaning to desist, not to rest, although the latter is the verb used in Exod. 20:11. This gives the clue to the deeper meaning of this commandment, which is indicated in Heb. 4:9–10; by writing of “ceasing from his labours” he picks up the basic meaning of shabbat. The Christian’s sabbath-rest is ceasing from his own labours to become a fellow-labourer with God. This should, of course, extend to every day.
Those whom God has set free should not become enslaved by the demands of this life, and that is as valid a motive today as it was for Israel then. Here in Exodus it is linked with the story of creation in Gen. 2:2–3. There it is said that “on the seventh day … God kept shabbat from all his work”. Sabbath (Heb. shabbat) comes from a verb meaning to desist, not to rest, although the latter is the verb used in Exod. 20:11. This gives the clue to the deeper meaning of this commandment, which is indicated in Heb. 4:9–10; by writing of “ceasing from his labours” he picks up the basic meaning of shabbat. The Christian’s sabbath-rest is ceasing from his own labours to become a fellow-labourer with God. This should, of course, extend to every day.
The reason for memorializing this day rested on two works of God: one retrospective (v.11 links it with the Creation), which pointed to the new Rest of God in the end times; the other prospective in the plan of redemptive history (Deut 5:15 links it with the Exodus from Egypt), which pointed to a new Exodus in the final day. This interpretation is borne out by the fact that the Sabbath was another “sign” of the covenant (see comment on 31:12–17). As Childs points out (Exodus p. 417), in neither case did Israel’s memory of either the Creation or the Exodus act as the motivation for observing the Sabbath. Rather, it was the reverse: Israel observed the Sabbath to remember God’s work of Creation and the Exodus.
The reason for memorializing this day rested on two works of God: one retrospective (v.11 links it with the Creation), which pointed to the new Rest of God in the end times; the other prospective in the plan of redemptive history (Deut 5:15 links it with the Exodus from Egypt), which pointed to a new Exodus in the final day. This interpretation is borne out by the fact that the Sabbath was another “sign” of the covenant (see comment on 31:12–17). As Childs points out (Exodus p. 417), in neither case did Israel’s memory of either the Creation or the Exodus act as the motivation for observing the Sabbath. Rather, it was the reverse: Israel observed the Sabbath to remember God’s work of Creation and the Exodus.
The command to remember the Sabbath is moral insofar as it requires of a person a due portion of his or her time dedicated to the worship and service of God, but it is ceremonial in that it prescribes the seventh day. The Christian church is required to observe the morality of time by setting aside one day in seven to the LORD but it has chosen to change that ceremonialization of that day from the seventh to the first (cf. the early church’s use of “the Lord’s Day,” i.e., a day belonging to the Lord [Rev 1:10] or “On the first day of every week” [1 Cor 16:2]). The sanctity of the first day in honor of God’s new deliverance, which the Lord Jesus accomplished in his death and finally in his resurrection, was already signaled in the symbolism of the feasts in Leviticus 23—“the day after the Sabbath” (v.15); “on the first day hold a sacred assembly” (v.7); “the first day is a sacred assembly … on the eighth” (vv.35–36). Indeed, these were the very feasts that pointed forward to the very same events that Christians now celebrate on Sunday!
The command to remember the Sabbath is moral insofar as it requires of a person a due portion of his or her time dedicated to the worship and service of God, but it is ceremonial in that it prescribes the seventh day. The Christian church is required to observe the morality of time by setting aside one day in seven to the LORD but it has chosen to change that ceremonialization of that day from the seventh to the first (cf. the early church’s use of “the Lord’s Day,” i.e., a day belonging to the Lord [Rev 1:10] or “On the first day of every week” [1 Cor 16:2]). The sanctity of the first day in honor of God’s new deliverance, which the Lord Jesus accomplished in his death and finally in his resurrection, was already signaled in the symbolism of the feasts in Leviticus 23—“the day after the Sabbath” (v.15); “on the first day hold a sacred assembly” (v.7); “the first day is a sacred assembly … on the eighth” (vv.35–36). Indeed, these were the very feasts that pointed forward to the very same events that Christians now celebrate on Sunday!
The term “Sabbath” is derived from the Hebrew verb “to rest or cease from work
The term “Sabbath” is derived from the Hebrew verb “to rest or cease from work
The rabbis of the talmudic period formulated the rules governing the Sabbath in systematic fashion. They were guided by the close proximity in the Torah of the prohibition of work on the Sabbath and the instructions for building the Tabernacle. Acts that were essential in the construction of the Tabernacle are termed “principal” categories (ʾavot); thirty-nine such acts are listed in Mishnah Shabbat 7:2. Other subcategories, analogous but not essential in the construction of the Tabernacle, are called “derivatives” (toladot). Of course, all Sabbath prohibitions are suspended when human life is deemed to be in danger (pikkuaḥ nefesh)—in such a situation it is a religious duty to violate them if that is what is required to save a life. This principle is grounded in Leviticus 18:5: “You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live; I am the LORD.”
you … the stranger The order of Creation is translated into a social pattern and woven into the fabric of society. By proscribing work and creativity on that day, and by enjoining the inviolability of nature one day a week, the Torah delimits human autonomy and restores nature to its original state of pristine freedom. Human liberty is immeasurably enhanced, human equality is strengthened, and the cause of social justice is promoted by legislating the inalienable right of every human being, irrespective of social class, and of draft animals as well, to twenty-four hours of complete rest every seven days. Exodus 23:12 emphasizes the social function of the Sabbath—“in order that your ox and your ass may rest, and that your bondman and the stranger may be refreshed.”
This humanitarian approach is the only one given in the Deuteronomic version of the Decalogue: “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God freed you from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the sabbath day.” Appropriately, the list in the present verse comprises seven categories of God’s creatures who benefit from the rest on the seventh day.
the stranger In the ancient world strangers were often without rights and were outside the protection of the law. The Torah is particularly sensitive to their feelings and solicitous of their needs and welfare. Numerous injunctions and obligations are set forth to ensure their humane treatment.
The generative categories of acts of labor [prohibited on the Sabbath] are forty less one:
B (1) he who sews, (2) ploughs, (3) reaps, (4) binds sheaves, (5) threshes, (6) winnows, (7) selects [fit from unfit produce or crops], (8) grinds, (9) sifts, (10) kneads, (11) bakes;
C (12) he who shears wool, (13) washes it, (14) beats it, (15) dyes it;
D (16) spins, (17) weaves,
E (18) makes two loops, (19) weaves two threads, (20) separates two threads;
F (21) ties, (22) unties,
G (23) sews two stitches, (24) tears in order to sew two stitches;
H (25) he who traps a deer, (26) slaughters it, (27) flays it, (28) salts it, (29) cures its hide, (30) scrapes it, and (31) cuts it up;
I (32) he who writes two letters, (33) erases two letters in order to write two letters;
J (34) he who builds, (35) tears down;
K (36) he who puts out a fire, (37) kindles a fire;
L (38) he who hits with a hammer; (39) he who transports an object from one domain to another—
M lo, these are the forty generative acts of labor less one.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.
5 “On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”
Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses,
23 then he said to them, “This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.”
24 So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it.
25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field.
26 “Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.”
It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.
28 Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions?
29 “See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.”
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
double the amount of food Hebrew leḥem mishneh occurs in the Bible only here. Verse 22 is the source of the Jewish custom of having two loaves of bread (referred to in later Hebrew as leḥem mishneh) on the table at the kiddush, the benedictory ceremony consecrating the Sabbath and festivals.
“This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you;
30 for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
31 “It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute.
‘For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.
4 ‘These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them.
5 ‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD’S Passover.
6 ‘Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
7 ‘On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.
8 ‘But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’ ”
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
27 “On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD.
28 “You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God.
29 “If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people.
30 “As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.
31 “You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.
32 “It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.”
a day of rest Hebrew shabbaton is an abstract form meaning “restfulness.” It is also applied to the holy day later known as Rosh Hashanah, and to Tabernacles (sukkot). However, the weekly Sabbath and the Day of Atonement are designated shabbat shabbaton, a superlative signifying the highest degree of rest. Hence, “all manner of work” (Heb. melaʾkhah) is proscribed on the shabbat shabbaton but only “laborious work” (Heb. meleʾkhet ʿavodah) on the ordinary shabbaton.
bake … boil A fuller description of the way the manna was prepared is given in Numbers 11:8. “The people would go about and gather it, grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, boil it in a pot, and make it into cakes.” The present passage is the biblical source for the prohibition against cooking on the Sabbath.
