Exodus 20:8
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Exodus 20:8
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The word "Remember" here isn't just a suggestion to recall an old rule; it highlights that the Sabbath was already an established practice, a sacred rhythm God intended from creation, not a brand-new regulation. It calls us to actively bring this holy rest into our lives, distinguishing it from the ordinary through intentional holy exercises, not just a lack of work.
This commandment comes right after the laws establishing Israel's exclusive devotion to Yahweh and before the detailed rules for their worship and community life. It's a foundational instruction, reminding them to set aside time to remember God's creative work and His act of redeeming them from Egypt by observing a weekly day of rest and worship. The text emphasizes this is a revival of an ancient command, not a new one, linking it back to creation itself.
The Sabbath commandment starts with a powerful word: 'Remember.' Why this emphasis? It suggests the Sabbath isn't just a new rule, but a reminder of something foundational.
A Primeval Institution
The word "remember" at the start of the Sabbath commandment in Exodus 20:8 signals that this wasn't a brand-new law. It points back to the very beginning of creation.
Purposeful Rest
The Sabbath wasn't merely a command to stop working. The Hebrew word for Sabbath, shabbath, fundamentally means "cessation" or "rest." But this rest was meant to be holy.
This shows the Sabbath is rooted in God's own example of rest after creation, and it calls us to a purposeful, holy cessation from our own endeavors to honor Him.
The command is clear: 'keep it holy.' But what does 'holy rest' actually look like in practice, especially when the Bible doesn't prescribe every detail?
A Negative and a Positive Command
Understand the original words
zakar · Hebrew Verb
To call to mind, keep in awareness, or take action based on remembrance; it implies not just passive thought but active obedience or observance.
shabbat · Hebrew Noun
The seventh day of the week, set apart by God for rest and worship, commemorating His completion of creation and His deliverance of His people.
qadash · Hebrew Adjective
Dedicated to God; set apart for a specific, sacred purpose; manifesting the character of God, who is inherently separate from the common or profane.
This passage describes God resting on the seventh day after creation and blessing it, laying the foundation for the Sabbath command given later at Sinai.
Exodus 16:23-30Before the Ten Commandments were given, God instructed the Israelites to gather double manna on the sixth day and rest on the seventh, demonstrating the Sabbath's importance even before its formal enactment.
Isaiah 58:13-14This prophecy highlights that true Sabbath observance is not just abstaining from work, but delighting in God and honoring Him, showing the spiritual purpose behind the commandment.
Mark 2:27Jesus states that 'the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,' emphasizing that the Sabbath is a gift for human well-being, not a burdensome rule.
Hebrews 4:4-10This passage draws a parallel between the creation Sabbath rest and a future, eternal rest that believers enter through Christ, suggesting the Sabbath's foreshadowing of ultimate rest in God.
bensonExodus 20:8: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
Exodus 20:8-11 . The fourth commandment concerns the time of worship; God is to be served and honoured daily; but one day in seven is to be particularly dedicated to his honour, and spent in his service. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy; in it thou shalt do no manner of work — It is taken for granted, that the sabbath was instituted before. We read of God’s blessing and sanctifying a seventh day from the beginning, ( Genesis 2:3…
calvinExodus 20:8-11: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Dies autem septimus Sabbathum Jehovae Dei tui est. Non facies ullum opus, tu, et filius tuus, et filia tua, servus tuus, et ancilla tua, et inquilinus tuus qui est in portis tuis:
For in six days the L…
The word "Remember" here isn't just a suggestion to recall an old rule; it highlights that the Sabbath was already an established practice, a sacred rhythm God intended from creation, not a brand-new regulation. It calls us to actively bring this holy rest into our lives, distinguishing it from the ordinary through intentional holy exercises, not just a lack of work.
This commandment comes right after the laws establishing Israel's exclusive devotion to Yahweh and before the detailed rules for their worship and community life. It's a foundational instruction, reminding them to set aside time to remember God's creative work and His act of redeeming them from Egypt by observing a weekly day of rest and worship. The text emphasizes this is a revival of an ancient command, not a new one, linking it back to creation itself.
This commandment comes right after the laws establishing Israel's exclusive devotion to Yahweh and before the detailed rules for their worship and community life. It's a foundational instruction, reminding them to set aside time to remember God's creative work and His act of redeeming them from Egypt by observing a weekly day of rest and worship. The text emphasizes this is a revival of an ancient command, not a new one, linking it back to creation itself.
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The Sabbath commandment has both a negative aspect (what not to do) and a positive one (what to do).
The Principle of Rest for Humanity
Jesus' statement, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27), is crucial. It highlights that the Sabbath serves a human need – a need for rest, restoration, and spiritual focus.
"“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." — The word "Remember" here isn't just a suggestion to recall an old rule; it highlights that the Sabbath was already an established practice, a sacred rhythm God intended from creation, not a brand-new…