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What is Sabbath in the Bible?

The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, set apart by God as a holy day for rest and worship. Sabbath appears in 114 verses across 19 books of the Bible.

What does the Bible say about Sabbath?

The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, set apart by God as a holy day for rest and worship. The word "Sabbath" comes from the Hebrew word "shabbat," meaning "to cease" or "to rest." The observance of the Sabbath was instituted by God at creation (Genesis 2:2-3) and later codified in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11). On the Sabbath, the Israelites were to refrain from all work and dedicate the day to God (Exodus 31:14-15; Leviticus 23:3). The Sabbath was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, reminding them of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Deu.5.15). Specific regulations governed Sabbath observance, such as the prohibition of kindling a fire (Exodus 35:3) and the requirement to prepare food in advance (Exodus 16:23). In the New Testament, Jesus affirmed the Sabbath as a day for doing good and ministering to others (Matthew 12:1-13; Luke 13:10-17). He declared Himself the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8) and taught that the Sabbath was made for man's benefit (Mrk.2.27). After Jesus' resurrection, the early church began to gather on the first day of the week, Sunday, to commemorate His resurrection (Act.20.7; 1Co.16.2). The Sabbath remains an important concept in Christian theology, with some denominations continuing to observe the seventh-day Sabbath, while others view Sunday as a day of rest and worship. The principle of setting apart time for rest and devotion to God continues to be an essential aspect of Christian faith and practice.

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Sabbath appear in the Bible?

Sabbath is referenced in 114 verses across 19 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

Luke 17Exodus 12Leviticus 10Mark 10Nehemiah 10John 9Matthew 9Acts 82 Kings 5Isaiah 4Jeremiah 42 Chronicles 3

Showing the first 24 of 114.

Open all 114 references in Protos

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Sabbath.

JerusalemJesusPhariseesMosesSynagogueJews

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Sabbath?

Sabbath appears in 114 verses across 19 books, most often in Luke, which accounts for 17 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Sabbath?

Luke, Exodus, Leviticus, Mark, Nehemiah, John, Matthew, Acts, and 11 more.

Where can I read every verse about Sabbath?

This page lists 24 of them. Protos carries all 114, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

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Read Luke with Sabbath explained on the verse.

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