Lexical Summary
shabbath: Sabbath
Original Word:שַׁבָּת
Part of Speech:Noun
Transliteration:shabbath
Pronunciation:shah-BAHTH
Phonetic Spelling:(shab-bawth')
KJV: (+ every) sabbath
NASB:sabbath, sabbaths, every sabbath
Word Origin:[intensive fromH7673 (שָׁבַת - To cease)]
1. intermission, i.e (specifically) the Sabbath
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
every Sabbath
Intensive fromshabath; intermission, i.e (specifically) the Sabbath -- (+ every) sabbath.
see HEBREWshabath
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
shabathDefinitionsabbath
NASB Translationevery sabbath (2), sabbath (73), sabbaths (32).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
111Ex 31:41+ and
Isaiah 66:2,6 (under influence of in frequent , Albr
ZAW xvi (1896), 47) ( = + ; Late Hebrew , Aramaic ,
; perhaps Assyrian
šabattum (""
um nu— libbi,
day of rest of heart (i.e. propitiation) [of deity]: only in lexical Tablets); compare Lotz
Quaest. de hist. Sabbati, 1883 Jen
ZA iv (1889), 274 ff. (doubts connection of Assyrian word with Hebrew Sabbath) Id
S. S. Times, Jan. 16, 1892, 35 f. Muss-Arn
JBL xi (1892), 93 Schw
Idioticon 127; see (more recently) Jastr
Amos. J. Theol. ii (1898), 332 ff. Toy
TBL xviii (1899), 190 ff. Dr
Hast. DB SABBATH (1902) Zim
KAT 3. 592 ff.; ZMG 1904, 199 ff. [15th day of month so called]
458ff.); — absolute
Exodus 16:25 64t.; construct
Exodus 16:23 10t.; suffix
Numbers 28:10 3t. suffix; plural
Leviticus 23:15 7t.; construct
Leviticus 23:38;
Leviticus 25:3,8; suffix
Isaiah 56:4 +, etc.; —
sabbath:
Exodus 16:25 (J),Exodus 20:10 =Deuteronomy 5:14 (ten words)Leviticus 23:3 (P);Exodus 16:29 (J);Exodus 16:26 (J); on seventh dayExodus 20:8,11 =Deuteronomy 5:12,15 (ten words), so throughout;Exodus 31:15 3t. P,Jeremiah 17:21;Ezekiel 46:4;Nehemiah 10:32 9t., + ("" new moon)Isaiah 1:13;Ezekiel 46:1;2 Kings 4:23;Amos 8:5, compareIsaiah 66:23 (twice in verse), also andHosea 2:13; time of change of watch in temple2 Kings 11:5,7,9 (twice in verse) = 2Chronicles 23:4,8 (twice in verse); (in temple)2 Kings 16:18; originally observed simply byabstinence from labourExodus 20:9,10 =Deuteronomy 5:12-14;Exodus 23:12 (E),Exodus 34:21 (J; BrHex. 181-195).
Deuteronomic reason for day is deliverance from EgyptDeuteronomy 5:15, hence its consecration,Deuteronomy 5:12 =Exodus 20:8;Jeremiah 17:22,24,27 (especially no load carried),Ezekiel 20:20;Ezekiel 44:24.
Ezekiel 20:13 5t. Ezekiel; compareNehemiah 13:18. Phrases in H:Leviticus 19:3,10;Leviticus 26:2, then PExodus 31:13,14,16; compareIsaiah 56:2,4,6; , :Isaiah 58:13 (twice in verse) (with ). H alsoLeviticus 26:35;Leviticus 23:11,15,16;Leviticus 19:3,30;Leviticus 26:2;Isaiah 56:4;Ezekiel 20:12;Ezekiel 22:26, +8 t. Ezekiel; ""Lamentations 2:6.
Exodus 20:11;Exodus 31:17;Leviticus 23:38;Exodus 16:23, compareNehemiah 9:14,Exodus 31:15;Exodus 35:2;Leviticus 23:3;Exodus 31:16,Numbers 28:10, compareIsaiah 66:23;Leviticus 24:8on every sabbath, abbreviation1 Chronicles 9:32; "" +1 Chronicles 23:31 3t. Chronicles,Nehemiah 10:34 ( omitted by error); work punished by stoningNumbers 15:32,36; trade prohibitedNehemiah 10:32;Nehemiah 13:15-21.
day of atonement is aLeviticus 16:31;Leviticus 23:32 (P), compareLeviticus 23:32 (P).
sabbath year,Leviticus 25:4 (H);Leviticus 25:2;Leviticus 25:4 (H),Leviticus 26:34 (twice in verse);Leviticus 26:43 (H), 2 Chronicles 36:21.
=week(?):Leviticus 23:15 (H), sevensabbaths orweeks;Leviticus 25:8; Lev 28:8 (H) seven sabbaths or weeks (of years), uncertain (see Mark 16:2,9; Luke 18:12; Matthew 28:1, compare Jewish-Aramaic usage); possiblyIsaiah 66:23 =week (Du).
Leviticus 25:6 (H) =produce in sabbath year (growing of itself).
Topical Lexicon
Overview of UsageThe term שַׁבָּת (Shabbat) appears about 111 times in the Old Testament, spanning the Torah, Historical Books, Prophets, and Writings. It is used almost exclusively to designate the seventh-day rest instituted by God, expanded to festival “Sabbaths,” land rests, and ultimately to eschatological hope. Wherever it occurs, the word carries the intertwined ideas of cessation from labor, sanctification, covenant sign, and joyful worship.
Institution at Creation
Genesis 2:2-3 records the first Sabbath when “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all the work of creation that He had done”. The pattern predates the Fall and is therefore creational, universal, and good. Later commands do not create the Sabbath; they recall and codify a principle embedded in the very order of time.
Covenant Sign with Israel
Exodus 31:13-17 presents the Sabbath as a perpetual “sign” between the LORD and Israel. “You must surely observe My Sabbaths. For this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (31:13). As circumcision marked the people in their bodies, Sabbath marked them in their weekly calendar—testifying that their God both created and redeemed them (Deuteronomy 5:12-15).
Weekly Rhythm of Rest and Worship
The Decalogue command, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8-11), anchors the weekly cycle. The ban on work is extended to family, servants, livestock, and sojourners, revealing God’s concern for universal human dignity.Numbers 15:32-36 underscores the seriousness of violation;Nehemiah 13:15-22 andJeremiah 17:21-27 link Sabbath keeping with national wellbeing. Prophetic critiques show that neglect of Shabbat accompanies idolatry and social injustice.
Sacred Assemblies and Offerings
Leviticus 23:3 calls the Sabbath “a day of sacred assembly.” Regular burnt offerings doubled on this day (Numbers 28:9-10). Temple liturgy therefore reflected heightened worship, anticipating the fullness of rest in God’s presence. Even when Israel was landless in exile, Ezekiel envisions renewed Sabbaths (Ezekiel 46:1-12), stressing their ongoing centrality.
Festival and High Sabbaths
Several feast days are termed “Sabbaths”:
• First and seventh days of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:7-8)
• Feast of Trumpets (23:24)
• Day of Atonement, “a Sabbath of complete rest” (23:32)
• First and eighth days of Booths (23:39)
These “high Sabbaths” extend the principle of holy rest beyond the weekly cycle, punctuating Israel’s calendar with redemptive remembrance.
Land Sabbath and Jubilee
Exodus 23:10-11 andLeviticus 25:2-7 apply the concept to agriculture: the land rests every seventh year, symbolizing trust in divine provision and allowing relief for the poor and the beasts. After seven cycles, the fiftieth year, or Jubilee, proclaims liberty (Leviticus 25:10-12). Israel’s failure to observe these Sabbaths contributes to exile (2 Chronicles 36:21).
Ethical and Spiritual Dimensions
Isaiah 58:13-14 calls for delight, not drudgery: “If you turn your foot from breaking the Sabbath…then you will delight yourself in the LORD”. True observance combines cessation from commerce with mercy toward the oppressed (compareMatthew 12:7 where Jesus cites Hosea). Thus Sabbath embodies both vertical worship and horizontal compassion.
Prophetic and Eschatological Hope
Isaiah 66:22-23 anticipates universal worship: “From one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me, says the LORD”.Ezekiel 20 looks forward to a restored people walking in Sabbath holiness. The weekly rest thereby foreshadows the consummate rest of the new creation.
Christological Fulfillment
While שַׁבָּת belongs to the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament reveals its telos. Jesus declares, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5).Hebrews 4:9 affirms, “There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God,” grounding believers’ hope in the finished work of Christ. The day itself points beyond itself to the rest secured at Calvary and entered by faith.
Contemporary Ministry Significance
1. Worship: A weekly rhythm of gathered praise reinforces dependence on God’s grace.
2. Rest: Sabbath teaches believers to cease striving, embodying the gospel’s call to rest in Christ.
3. Justice: Extending rest to servants, migrants, and creation models holistic stewardship.
4. Discipleship: Practicing Sabbath disciplines believers in trust, gratitude, and anticipation of eternal rest.
Summary
Shabbat in Scripture is creational in origin, covenantal in function, ethical in practice, liturgical in expression, prophetic in warning, and eschatological in promise. From Genesis to Isaiah—and ultimately to the finished work of Christ—it testifies that true rest is found in the LORD who both creates and redeems.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּשַׁבְּתֹתֵיכֶ֖ם בְּשַׁבַּתּ֑וֹ בַּשַּׁבָּ֖ת בַּשַּׁבָּ֛ת בַּשַּׁבָּ֡ת בַּשַּׁבָּֽת׃ בַּשַּׁבָּת֖וֹת בשבת בשבת׃ בשבתו בשבתות בשבתתיכם הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת הַשַּׁבָּ֖֜ת הַשַּׁבָּ֖֨ת הַשַּׁבָּ֖ת הַשַּׁבָּ֗ת הַשַּׁבָּ֛ת הַשַּׁבָּ֜ת הַשַּׁבָּֽת׃ הַשַּׁבָּת֒ הַשַּׁבָּת֙ הַשַּׁבָּת֨וֹת השבת השבת׃ השבתות וְהַשַּׁבָּ֖ת וְשַׁבַּתָּ֑הּ וְשַׁבָּ֔ת וְשַׁבָּת֙ וּבַשַּׁבָּת֔וֹת וּמִשַׁבְּתוֹתַי֙ ובשבתות והשבת ומשבתותי ושבת ושבתה לַשַּׁבָּ֜ת לַשַּׁבָּת֔וֹת לַשַּׁבָּת֖וֹת לַשַּׁבָּתוֹת֙ לשבת לשבתות מִשַּׁבָּת֙ משבת שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת שַׁבְּתֹתֶ֗יהָ שַׁבְּתֹתֶֽיהָ׃ שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י שַׁבְּתֹתַ֣י שַׁבְּתוֹתֶ֑יהָ שַׁבְּתוֹתַ֔י שַׁבְּתוֹתַ֖י שַׁבְּתוֹתַי֙ שַׁבַּ֖ת שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבַּ֥ת שַׁבַּ֧ת שַׁבַּ֨ת שַׁבַּתְּכֶֽם׃ שַׁבַּת־ שַׁבָּ֑ת שַׁבָּ֖֣ת ׀ שַׁבָּ֖ת שַׁבָּ֥ת שַׁבָּֽת׃ שַׁבָּת֖וֹת שַׁבָּת֙ שבת שבת־ שבת׃ שבתות שבתותי שבתותיה שבתכם׃ שבתת שבתתי שבתתיה שבתתיה׃ baš·šab·bā·ṯō·wṯ baš·šab·bāṯ bashshabBat bashshabbaTot baššabbāṯ baššabbāṯōwṯ bə·šab·bat·tōw bə·šab·bə·ṯō·ṯê·ḵem bəšabbattōw bəšabbəṯōṯêḵem beshabbatTo beshabbetoteiChem haš·šab·bā·ṯō·wṯ haš·šab·bāṯ hashshabBat hashshabbaTot haššabbāṯ haššabbāṯōwṯ laš·šab·bā·ṯō·wṯ laš·šab·bāṯ lashshabBat lashshabbaTot laššabbāṯ laššabbāṯōwṯ miš·šab·bāṯ mishshabBat miššabbāṯ šab·bā·ṯō·wṯ šab·baṯ šab·bāṯ šab·baṯ- šab·bat·tə·ḵem šab·bə·ṯō·ṯay šab·bə·ṯō·ṯe·hā šab·bə·ṯō·w·ṯay šab·bə·ṯō·w·ṯe·hā šab·bə·ṯōṯ šabbaṯ šabbāṯ šabbaṯ- šabbāṯōwṯ šabbattəḵem šabbəṯōṯ šabbəṯōṯay šabbəṯōṯehā šabbəṯōwṯay šabbəṯōwṯehā shabbat shabbaTot shabbatteChem shabbeTot shabbetoTai shabbetoTeiha ū·ḇaš·šab·bā·ṯō·wṯ ū·mi·šab·bə·ṯō·w·ṯay ūḇaššabbāṯōwṯ ūmišabbəṯōwṯay umishabbetoTai uvashshabbaTot vehashshabBat veshabBat veshabbatTah wə·haš·šab·bāṯ wə·šab·bāṯ wə·šab·bat·tāh wəhaššabbāṯ wəšabbāṯ wəšabbattāh
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