“Remember
the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
Exodus 20:8-11
Exodus 20 [7.] “You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Exodus 20 [8.] “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
Exodus 20 [12.] “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
Meaning:
This is the fourth of the Ten Commandments that God spoke from Mount Sinai. It is the longest of the ten. The Sabbath was both a day for God and a gift to his people.
- “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”
The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word for rest or ceasing. Israel was told to “remember” it, that is, to keep it in mind and to set it apart. To keep it holy means to treat it as belonging to God, different from the other days of the week.
- “You shall labor six days, and do all your work”
The commandment honors work as well as rest. Six days were for ordinary labor: farming, building, trading and household tasks. Work is part of God’s good design for human life. But work is not the whole of life. On the seventh day God’s people were to stop and remember that their lives and their provision come from him.
- “You, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant…”
The command was remarkable for its time. Rest was not only for the head of the household. Children, servants, animals and foreigners living among the Israelites were all included. In a world where slaves and laborers could be worked without pause, God gave everyone a day of freedom. The Sabbath protected the weak and reminded the powerful that all people are equal before God.
- “For in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth… and rested the seventh day”
The reason for the Sabbath is found in creation. God did not rest because he was tired, but because his work was complete and good. By resting on the seventh day, his people share in his rhythm and his delight in what he has made. Through Isaiah, God promised blessing to those who “call the Sabbath a delight” (Isaiah 58:13).
- The Sabbath in the life of Jesus
Jesus kept the Sabbath. Luke tells us, “He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day” (Luke 4:16). Yet he often clashed with religious leaders who had surrounded the command with many extra rules. When they accused his hungry disciples of breaking the Sabbath by plucking grain, he reminded them of what Scripture really teaches (Matthew 12:1-6). He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). The day was a gift for people’s good, not a burden to crush them, and so it was right to heal and do good on it (Matthew 12:12).
The Significance of Exodus 20:8-11
- Rest as trust
Stopping work one day in seven is an act of faith. It says that our life depends on God, not on endless effort. In a busy world, the Sabbath principle still calls us to make time to rest and to worship.
- Rest for everyone
God’s concern that servants, foreigners and even animals should rest shows his care for the vulnerable. Those who follow him should care about fair treatment and rest for others too.
- Rest fulfilled in Christ
Jesus invites, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The weekly Sabbath points to the deeper rest of peace with God that he gives.
Cross-References:
Mark 2:27: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." The purpose of the Sabbath.
Isaiah 58:13: "and call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy of Yahweh honorable;" The Sabbath as a delight.
Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest." The rest Jesus gives.
Conclusion: The fourth commandment told Israel to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days were for work, but on the seventh everyone, including servants, foreigners and animals, was to rest, because God rested after creating the world. Jesus kept the Sabbath and showed its true purpose: a gift for people’s good that points to the rest he gives.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible