Original Word: שָׁבַת
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: shabath
Pronunciation: shah-BAHTH
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-bath')
KJV: (cause to, let, make to) cease, celebrate, cause (make) to fail, keep (sabbath), suffer to be lacking, leave, put away (down), (make to) rest, rid, still, take away
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to repose, i.e. desist from exertion
2. used in many implied relations (causative, figurative or specific)

cause to, let, make to cease, celebrate, cause make to fail

A primitive root; to repose, i.e. Desist from exertion; used in many implied relations (causative, figurative or specific) -- (cause to, let, make to) cease, celebrate, cause (make) to fail, keep (sabbath), suffer to be lacking, leave, put away (down), (make to) rest, rid, still, take away.

שָׁבַת₇₁ verb cease, desist, rest (As šabâtu, probably cease, be completed Dl^WB Zim^{KAT 3. 593} (Jen^{ZA iv (1889), 277 f.} is sceptical); Arabic cut off, interrupt; Late Hebrew has שֶׁבֶת neglect, etc., Aramaic שִׁבְתָּא cost of nealect); —

Qal₂₇ Perfect3masculine singular ׳שׁ Genesis 2:3 +; 3 plural שָׁבָ֑תוּ Lamentations 5:14, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִשְׁבּוֺת Hosea 7:4; יִשְׁבֹּת Proverbs 22:10 2t.; 3 feminine singular תִּשְׁבֹּת Leviticus 26:35; תִּשְׁבַּת Leviticus 26:34; Nehemiah 6:3 +, etc.; —

1 cease: (absolute 13 t.) of seasons Genesis 8:22 (J); manna Joshua 5:12 (P), etc., Isaiah 14:4 (twice in verse); Nehemiah 6:3 +; with מִן Hosea 7:4 3t.

2 desist from labour, rest:

a. with מִן (of god) Genesis 2:2,3(P).

b. מִן omitted, ב temporal Exodus 23:12 (E), Exodus 16:30; Exodus 34:21 (J), Exodus 31:17 (P); ׳בֶּחָרִישׁ וּבַקָּצִיר שׁ Exodus 34:21 (J; i.e., even in these busy seasons).

c. land in 7th year Leviticus 26:34,35 (twice in verse) (H), 2Chronicles 36:21. — Leviticus 23:32; Leviticus 25:2 see [ שָׁבַת] verb denominative below

Niph`al Perfect3masculine singular נִשְׁבַּת Isaiah 17:3 2t.; plural נִשְׁבְּתוּ Ezekiel 6:6; — cease: absolute Ezekiel 6:6; Ezekiel 30:18; Ezekiel 33:28; with מִן Isaiah 17:3.

Hiph`il₄₀ Perfect3masculine singular הִשְׁבִּית Ruth 4:14 +; 2 masculine singular הִשְׁבַּתָּ Psalm 89:45; Psalm 119:119, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יַשְׁבִּיתּ Proverbs 18:18; Daniel 9:27; וַיַּשְׁבֵּת 2 Kings 23:11; 2Chronicles 16:5, etc.; Infinitive construct הַשְׁבִּית Psalm 8:3; לַשְׁבִּית Amos 8:4 (Ges^{§ 53q}); Imperative masculine plural הַשְׁבִּ֫יתוּ Isaiah 30:11; Participle מַשְׁבִּית Jeremiah 16:9; Psalm 46:10; —

1 cause to cease, put an end to: with accusative mirth Hosea 2:13, work 2Chronicles 16:5; Nehemiah 4:5; sacrifice Daniel 9:27; war Psalm 46:10, compare Isaiah 13:11; Ezekiel 7:24; Proverbs 18:18 6t., + קוֺל שָׂשׂוֺן מִן ׳הִשׁ Jeremiah 7:34; Jeremiah 16:9, compare Jeremiah 48:33.

2 = exterminate, destroy: with accusative 2 Kings 23:5,11; Amos 8:4 (Now conjectures העשׁקים), Hosea 1:4; Psalm 8:3; Psalm 119:119; with accusative + מִן, Jeremiah 36:29, מִן הָאָרֶץ Leviticus 26:6 (H), Ezekiel 34:25; אלילים Ezekiel 30:13; Deuteronomy 32:26.

3 cause to desist from: with מִן Ezekiel 16:41; Ezekiel 34:10; Exodus 5:5 (E = give rest from); לְבִלְתִּי infinitive Joshua 22:25 (P).

4 remove ( = מִן הֵסִיר): with מִן Ezekiel 23:27,48; Psalm 89:45 (text dubious: read הִשְׁבַּתּוֺ [

3] ᵐ5 Du; מַטֵּה הֹדוֺ Herz Che, see also below טֳהָר); leaven מבתים Exodus 12:15 (P); מִמָּנֵינוּ ׳ישׂר ׳אֶחקֿ ׳הַשׁ Isaiah 30:11.

5 cause to fail, let be lacking: salt מֵעַל מִנְחָתֶ֑ךָ Leviticus 2:12 (P); accusative pers + ל person Jeremiah 48:35; Ruth 4:14.

[שָׁבַת] verb denominative keep, observe (sabbath); —

Qal, with accusative of congnate meaning with verb; Perfect3feminine singular וְשָֽׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ ׳שַׁבָּת לי Leviticus 25:2; 2masculine plural מֵעֶרֶב עַדעֶֿרֶב תִּשְׁבְּתוּ שַׁבַּתְּכֶ֑ם Leviticus 23:32 (P).

Root Concept: Ceasing and Rest

שָׁבַת is the verb that gives rise to the noun “Sabbath”; at its heart lies the simple yet profound idea of stopping ordinary activity so that God-ordained purposes may prevail. The word appears in settings that range from the grandeur of creation (Genesis 2:2-3) to the mundane rhythm of farming (Leviticus 25:2-4) and even to the cessation of manna (Joshua 5:12). Whether God, land, beasts, nations, or speech are in view, the verb always carries the nuance of deliberate disengagement from what is common in order to honor what is holy or to herald a divinely appointed change.

Ceasing in Creation

The first occurrence frames all later uses. “On the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done” (Genesis 2:2). God’s own cessation bestows dignity on rest and embeds a weekly rhythm into the created order long before Sinai. Because humanity is made in the image of God, imitating His pattern of ceasing becomes both privilege and mandate.

Sabbath as Covenant Sign

At Sinai the verb forms the backbone of the fourth commandment. “The seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on it you shall do no work” (Exodus 20:10). Shabath appears in the Deuteronomic restatement as well (Deuteronomy 5:14), connecting the command to redemption from Egypt: liberated people are to liberate one day each week from labor. The Sabbath thus becomes a visible covenant sign (Exodus 31:13-17). Refusing to cease is treated as covenant treachery (Numbers 15:32-36).

Rhythms of Rest for Land and People

The verb extends beyond the weekly cycle to sabbatical years and Jubilee. “When you enter the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the Lord” (Leviticus 25:2). Every seventh year Israel was to let the soil “rest” (shabath), acknowledging divine ownership and providence. After seven cycles the fiftieth year announced liberty, debt release, and property restoration (Leviticus 25:10-12). When Israel ignored these statutes, the land finally “enjoyed its Sabbaths” during the exile (Leviticus 26:34-35, 2 Chronicles 36:21), underscoring the seriousness with which God regards ordained cessation.

Social Justice and Compassion

Cessation in Scripture is never mere inactivity; it is purposeful space for refreshment. “Six days you are to carry out your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant and the foreign resident may be refreshed” (Exodus 23:12). The command democratizes rest, extending dignity to servants, immigrants, and even animals. In an agrarian economy this principle countered exploitative tendencies and modeled God’s concern for the vulnerable.

Prophetic Calls to Cease

Prophets employed shabath to announce divine judgment and restoration. “He makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth” (Psalm 46:9). Isaiah celebrated the day when “the oppressor has ceased” (Isaiah 14:4) and Babylon’s idolatrous revelry would “come to an end” (Isaiah 13:22). Jeremiah warned that if the fixed order of creation could cease, only then would Israel’s offspring “cease from being a nation” (Jeremiah 31:36). The cessation theme thus becomes eschatological, envisioning a world where oppression, warfare, and sorrow are brought to a full stop by the Lord of history.

Failure to Cease

Several narratives highlight the peril of refusing to stop. King Josiah “did away with” (shabath) idolatrous priests (2 Kings 23:5), demonstrating that false worship must be forcibly ceased when voluntary surrender is lacking. Conversely, when the people persisted in disobedience, God Himself caused supply lines to cease, as when manna stopped upon entering Canaan (Joshua 5:12). The exile functions as the ultimate enforced Sabbath, a national timeout that both punished and purified.

Spiritual Fulfillment in Christ

While shabath appears only in the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament develops its theology. Jesus declares Himself “Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5), asserting authority over the very idea of cessation. Hebrews 4:9-10 points to a “Sabbath rest” that remains for the people of God, where believers cease from their own works as God did from His. The verb’s canonical trajectory moves from literal rest to spiritual repose in the finished work of Christ. Weekly cessation thus becomes both a memorial of creation and redemption and a foretaste of eternal communion.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Worship: Intentional ceasing facilitates undistracted adoration. Corporate gatherings, private devotions, and family worship flourish when space is protected from vocational and digital noise.

2. Justice and Mercy: Ministries advocating humane work conditions, debt relief, and ecological stewardship stand on Sabbatical foundations. The principle of rest champions the marginalized.

3. Discipleship: Teaching believers to “cease striving and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) cultivates trust. Spiritual disciplines such as silence, solitude, and Sabbath-keeping embody shabath.

4. Eschatology: Proclaiming the gospel includes heralding the ultimate cessation of sin, sorrow, and death (Revelation 21:4). Hope fuels perseverance as the church awaits universal rest.

Summary

Through approximately seventy-one occurrences, שָׁבַת weaves a tapestry of holy cessation that touches creation, covenant, compassion, and consummation. It commands labor to pause, tongues to still, wars to end, and hearts to find refuge in God. Far from advocating idleness, shabath invites God’s people to restful allegiance, anticipating the day when all striving shall finally cease in the unveiled presence of the Lord.

אַשְׁבִּ֥יתָה אשביתה הִשְׁבִּ֥ית הִשְׁבַּ֔תִּי הִשְׁבַּ֙תִּי֙ הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ הִשְׁבַּֽתִּי׃ הַשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ השבית השביתו השבת השבתי השבתי׃ וְ֝יִשְׁבֹּ֗ת וְהִ֨שְׁבַּתִּ֔י וְהִשְׁבִּ֣ית וְהִשְׁבִּ֤יתוּ וְהִשְׁבִּ֥ית וְהִשְׁבִּ֨ית וְהִשְׁבַּ֖תְנוּ וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֖י וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֞י וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֣י ׀ וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֤י וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֥י וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ וְהִשְׁבַּתִּיךְ֙ וְהִשְׁבַּתִּים֙ וְהִשְׁבַּתֶּ֥ם וְלַשְׁבִּ֖ית וְנִשְׁבְּתוּ֙ וְנִשְׁבַּ֖ת וְנִשְׁבַּ֤ת וְנִשְׁבַּת־ וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה וַֽיִּשְׁבְּת֡וּ וַיִּשְׁבְּת֥וּ וַיִּשְׁבֹּ֨ת וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ וַיַּשְׁבֵּ֖ת וַיַּשְׁבֵּ֣ת והשבית והשביתו והשבתי והשבתיך והשבתים והשבתם והשבתנו וישבת וישבתו ולשבית ונשבת ונשבת־ ונשבתו ושבתה יִשְׁבְּת֗וּ יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ׃ יִשְׁבּ֣וֹת יַשְׁבִּ֣ית יַשְׁבִּ֣ית ׀ ישבות ישבית ישבתו ישבתו׃ לְהַשְׁבִּ֥ית להשבית מַשְׁבִּ֜ית מַשְׁבִּ֥ית משבית שָׁבְתָ֖ה שָׁבְתָ֛ה שָׁבַ֖ת שָׁבַ֣ת שָׁבַת֙ שָׁבָ֔תָה שָׁבָ֔תוּ שבת שבתה שבתו תִּשְׁבְּת֖וּ תִּשְׁבַּ֣ת תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת תִּשְׁבֹּֽת׃ תִשְׁבַּ֤ת תַּשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ תַשְׁבִּ֗ית תשבית תשביתו תשבת תשבת׃ תשבתו ’aš·bî·ṯāh ’ašbîṯāh ashBitah haš·bî·ṯū hašbîṯū hashBitu hiš·ba·tā hiš·bat·tî hiš·bîṯ hišbatā hišbattî hišbîṯ hishBata hishBatti hishBit lə·haš·bîṯ ləhašbîṯ lehashBit maš·bîṯ mašbîṯ mashBit šā·ḇā·ṯāh šā·ḇā·ṯū šā·ḇaṯ šā·ḇə·ṯāh šāḇaṯ šāḇāṯāh šāḇāṯū šāḇəṯāh shaVat shaVatah shaVatu shaveTah shavTah taš·bî·ṯū ṯaš·bîṯ ṯašbîṯ tašbîṯū tashBit tashBitu tiš·baṯ ṯiš·baṯ tiš·bə·ṯū tiš·bōṯ tišbaṯ ṯišbaṯ tišbəṯū tišbōṯ tishBat tishbeTu tishBot vaiyashBet vaiyishbeTu vaiyishBot vehishBatnu vehishbatTem vehishbatTi vehishbattiCh vehishbatTim vehishBit vehishBitu velashBit venishBat venishbeTu veshavTah veyishBot way·yaš·bêṯ way·yiš·bə·ṯū way·yiš·bōṯ wayyašbêṯ wayyišbəṯū wayyišbōṯ wə·hiš·baṯ·nū wə·hiš·bat·tem wə·hiš·bat·tî wə·hiš·bat·tîḵ wə·hiš·bat·tîm wə·hiš·bî·ṯū wə·hiš·bîṯ wə·laš·bîṯ wə·niš·baṯ wə·niš·baṯ- wə·niš·bə·ṯū wə·šā·ḇə·ṯāh wə·yiš·bōṯ wəhišbaṯnū wəhišbattem wəhišbattî wəhišbattîḵ wəhišbattîm wəhišbîṯ wəhišbîṯū wəlašbîṯ wənišbaṯ wənišbaṯ- wənišbəṯū wəšāḇəṯāh wəyišbōṯ yaš·bîṯ yašbîṯ yashBit yiš·bə·ṯū yiš·bō·ṯū yiš·bō·wṯ yišbəṯū yišbōṯū yišbōwṯ yishbeTu yishBot yishBotuInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts