Exodus 20:8-11
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 You shall labor six days, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to YHWH 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; 11 for in six days YHWH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore YHWH blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11WEB
Classification
The Command
This passage contains a positive command, directed toward Israel: "Keep the Sabbath day Holy".
The command is followed by an explanation of the command, containing positive and negative requirements:
- "For six days you shall work"
- "On the seventh day you shall do no work, but you shall rest."
The command includes qualification to emphasize that it applies to all people and animals. Nobody should do any work, neither male nor female, child nor adult, slave or free, foreigner or native, and not even the livestock.
The command ends (in verse 11) with an explanation of the justification for this law: God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. This is a reference to Genesis 2:2-3.
Categories
This command is subject to some debate as to its place in the law. Inasmuch as all law has a moral component, there is broad agreement to the effect that this command belongs in the Moral Law. However, there is a significant population which places it in the Typological/Ceremonial Law, saying that we do not need to religiously observe rest on the seventh day any more.
The command also fits in with commands related to Loving God.
This command contributes to an understanding of the Sabbath.
Fulfillment
The sabbath finds its ultimate fulfillment in the rest which God provides to all the saints Heaven, given to us because of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whether the law continues to oblige believers and civil government is the subject of some controversy. See the Sabbath topic for details.
Notes on Interpretation/Application
Ten Commandments
This is the fourth in what is called the "Ten Commandments".
Interpretation 2
