# 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](rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown))

(See also: [rest](../other/rest.md))

## Bible References:

* [2 Chronicles 31:2-3](rc://en/tn/help/2ch/31/02)
* [Acts 13:26-27](rc://en/tn/help/act/13/26)
* [Exodus 31:14](rc://en/tn/help/exo/31/14)
* [Isaiah 56:6-7](rc://en/tn/help/isa/56/06)
* [Lamentations 2:6](rc://en/tn/help/lam/02/06)
* [Leviticus 19:3](rc://en/tn/help/lev/19/03)
* [Luke 13:14](rc://en/tn/help/luk/13/14)
* [Mark 2:27](rc://en/tn/help/mrk/02/27)
* [Matthew 12:2](rc://en/tn/help/mat/12/02)
* [Nehemiah 10:32-33](rc://en/tn/help/neh/10/32)

## Examples from the Bible stories:

* __[13:5](rc://en/tn/help/obs/13/05)__ “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](rc://en/tn/help/obs/26/02)__ 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](rc://en/tn/help/obs/41/03)__ 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
