According to the Pentateuch, what day is the Sabbath Day?

The Sabbath Day is a day of rest and worship that is observed by Jews and many Christians. According to the Pentateuch, which is the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, the Sabbath Day is the seventh day of the week. Here is what the Pentateuch has to say about the Sabbath Day.

The Sabbath Day is first mentioned in Genesis 2:1-3, which describes how God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. This day of rest was blessed and sanctified by God, and it became a model for the Sabbath Day that would be observed by the Israelites.

The fourth commandment in the book of Exodus (20:8-11) reinforces the importance of the Sabbath Day. It says, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

This commandment establishes the Sabbath Day as a day of rest and worship, to be observed by all members of the household and even animals. It also connects the Sabbath Day to the creation story in Genesis, emphasizing the importance of rest and the sanctity of the day.

In Leviticus 23:3, the Sabbath Day is referred to as a “holy convocation,” which means a sacred gathering or assembly. This passage emphasizes the communal aspect of the Sabbath Day and the importance of coming together as a community to worship and rest.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 repeats the fourth commandment, emphasizing again the importance of the Sabbath Day and its connection to the creation story. It also adds a note of social justice, reminding the Israelites to allow their slaves and servants to rest on the Sabbath Day, as they too are God’s people.

In the Pentateuch, the Sabbath Day is consistently portrayed as a day of rest and worship, to be observed on the seventh day of the week. This day is blessed and sanctified by God, and it is connected to the creation story in Genesis. The Sabbath Day is also emphasized as a communal gathering, where all members of the household are expected to rest and worship together. Finally, the Sabbath Day is linked to social justice, reminding us that all people, including slaves and servants, are deserving of rest and worship.