SABBATH
by
the
Hebrews
in
the
desert,
and
that
the
transforma-tion
of
this
primitive
lunar
festival
into
the
Sabbath
as
we
find
it
in
the
OT
was
due
to
the
suppression
of
its
superstitious
associations
under
the
influence
of
the
national
religion
of
Israel.
2.
Religious
significance
of
the
Sabbath.
ā
The
dis-tinctive
characteristics
of
the
Hebrew
Sabbath
were
mainly
these
two:
it
was,
first,
a
day
sacred
to
Jahweh,
and
second,
a
day
of
rest.
In
the
earlier
period
cessa-tion
from
labour
may
have
been
merely
a
consequence
of
the
festal
character
of
the
day;
although
the
rein-forcement
of
the
ceremonial
sanction
by
humanitarian
motives
in
the
legislation
(Ex
23'2,
Dt
5")
shows
that
already
the
religious
mind
of
the
nation
had
grasped
the
final
justification
of
the
Sabbath
as
an
institution
piade
for
man,
and
not
one
for
which
man
was
made.
This
conception
of
the
Sabbath
underwent
a
radical
modification
in
the
age
of
the
Exile.
It
is
hardly
accurate
to
say
that
the
change
was
entirely
due
to
the
fact
that
the
Sabbath
was
one
of
the
few
religious
ordinances
by
which
the
Israelite
in
a
foreign
land
could
mark
his
separation
from
heathenism.
The
idea
of
the
Sabbath
as
a
covenant
between
Jahweh
and
Israel,
which
is
elaborated
in
Ezekiel
and
the
code
called
the
Law
of
Holiness,
is
foreshadowed
in
Dt
5";
and
even
the
more
imposing
conception
of
it
as
a
memorial
of
the
Creation
finds
expression
in
Ex
20",
which
is
quite
possibly
of
older
date
than
the
Priestly
account
of
Creation
in
Gn
1.
The
truth
is
that
in
this,
as
in
many
other
cases,
the
real
turning-point
was
not
the
deportation
of
the
people
but
the
suppression
of
the
popular
ritual
by
Josiah's
reformation.
None
the
less
it
is
important
to
observe
that,
for
whatever
reason,
a
profound
transformation
of
the
character
of
the
Sabbath
emerges
in
writings
of
the
Exilic
and
post-exilic
period.
The
obligation
of
rest,
from
being
a
necessary
concomitant
of
acts
of
worship,
or
a
means
to
a
higher
end,
becomes
an
end
in
itself,
a
form
of
self-
denial,
pleasing
to
the
Deity
as
an
act
of
implicit
obedience
to
His
positive
command.
The
whole
of
the
subsequent
legislation
proceeds
from
this
point
of
view.
In
Ezekiel
and
the
Law
of
Holiness
the
Sabbath
(as
has
just
been
observed)
is
conceived
as
an
arbitrary
sign
of
the
covenant
between
Jahweh
and
Israel,
and
of
the
individual's
fidelity
to
that
covenant.
The
Priestly
Code
not
only
exalts
the
Sabbath
by
basing
its
sanction
on
the
example
of
the
Creator
(Gn
2^-*,
Ex
31"),
but
seeks
to
enforce
its
observance
by
the
Imposition
of
the
death
penalty
(Ex
31",
Nu
IS^z-ss),
and
sets
the
example
of
guarding
its
sanctity
by
pro-hibitive
regulations
(Ex
35^)
.
The
memoirs
of
Nehemiah
reveal
at
once
the
importance
attached
to
the
Sabbath
as
a
mark
of
the
distinction
between
the
faithful
Jews
and
their
heathen
neighbours
(10^'
13'*),
and
the
stern
determination
which
was
necessary
to
compel
obedience
(13'ā¢).
In
post-exilic
prophecies
there
are
several
allusions
to
Sabbath
observance
as
a
supreme
religious
duty,
and
a
condition
of
the
fulfilment
of
the
Messianic
expectations
(Jer
IT's*-,
Is
56ā¢-
58'"-
es^s).
At
the
commencement
of
the
Maccabaean
revolt,
regard
for
the
Sabbath
was
so
ingrained
in
the
mind
of
the
people
that
strict
Jews
allowed
themselves
to
be
slaughtered
by
their
enemies
rather
than
use
arms
for
their
own
defence
(1
Mac
23'fl-);
though
after
one
incident
of
this
kind
the
maxim
was
laid
down
that
defensive
operations
in
war
were
legitimate
on
the
Sabbath
(v.").
3.
The
Sabbath
in
the
NT.ā
The
Gospels
show
that
by
the
time
of
Christ
the
casuistry
of
the
scribes
had
hedged
round
the
Sabbath
with
many
of
those
petty
and
vexatious
rules
which
are
preserved
in
the
Rabbinical
literature,
and
which
completely
eviscerated
the
in-stitution
of
any
large
principle
of
religion
or
humanity.
Accordingly
the
Sabbath
law
was
(next
to
His
own
Messianic
claims)
the
chief
subject
of
contention
between
our
Lord
and
the
Pharisees
(see
Mt
121^-
'"ā ,
Lk
13'Ā«s-
SABBATICAL
YEAR
14'Ā«-,
Jn
5^"-
T'
9'<Ā«'
etc.).
As
regards
our
Lord's
own
attitude,
it
is
enough
to
say
that
it
combined
reverence
for
the
ordinance,
in
so
far
as
it
served
religious
ends
(Lk
4'Ā«
etc.),
with
a
resolute
vindication
of
the
principle
that
'tlie
Sabbath
was
made
for
man
and
not
man
for
the
Sabbath'
(Mk
22').
Similarly,
in
the
Pauline
Epistles
the
Sabbath
is
relegated,
either
inferen-tially
(Ro
14"-,
Gal
4>Ā«)
or
expressly
(Col
2i"-),
to
the
category
of
things
morally
indifferent,
with
regard
to
which
each
man
must
follow
the
dictates
of
his
con-science.
It
is
significant
also
that
the
decree
of
the
Council
of
Jerusalem
does
not
impose
the
observance
of
the
Sabbath
on
the
Gentile
Churches
(Ac
IS'").
On
the
later
Christian
observance
of
the
first
day
of
the
week,
and
its
assimilation
to
the
Jewish
Sabbath,
see
Lord's
Day.
J.
Skinner.
SABBATH
DAY'S
JOURNEY.ā
See
Weights
and
Measures,
I,
SABBATICAL
YEAR
(including
year
of
Jubilee).ā
1.
OT
references.
ā
In
a
consideration
of
the
regulations
connected
with
the
Sabbatical
and
Jubilee
years,
it
is
of
the
greatest
importance
to
keep
distinct
the
various
stages
of
the
Jewish
legislation
on
the
subject.
The
various
ordinances
differ
greatly
in
character
and
detail;
and
in
order
to
comprehend
this
diversity
it
is
necessary
to
assume
as
granted
the
main
conclusions
of
OT
criticism,
and
to
admit
at
any
rate
that
a
separation
in
time
and
difference
in
spirit
characterize
the
several
parts
of
the
'
Mosaic
Law.'
Exodus.
In
23'"-
"
an
entire
cessation
of
all
field-work
is
ordered
to
take
place
in
every
7th
year.
This
is
said
to
be
dictated
by
a
regard
for
the
poor
and
the
beasts
of
the
field.
In
effect
the
gift
of
one
year's
produce
to
the
poor
is
prescribed,
that
the
landless
may
receive
the
usufruct
of
the
soil.
In
212-6
it
is
laid
down
that
a
Hebrew
slave
can
be
kept
in
bondage
only
for
six
years.
After
this
period
he
was
automatically
eman-cipated,
though
his
wife
and
children
must
remain
in
servitude,
if
he
had
married
after
his
term
of
service
began.
But
provision
was
made
for
cases
where
a
slave
might
desire
to
remain
in
this
condition.
A
public
ceremony
took
place
which
signified
his
accept-ance
of
the
position
in
perpetuity.
Nothing
is
here
said
which
leads
us
to
suppose
that
there
was
one
simultaneous
period
of
emancipation
all
over
the
country,
and
no
reference
is
made
to
redemption
of
land
or
remission
of
debts.
Deuteronomy.
In
IS'-'
the
7th
year
is
assigned
as
the
period
at
which
all
the
liabilities
of
a
Jew
were
suspended
(or
possibly,
as
Josephus
supposes,
entirely
cancelled);
this
provision
was
to
be
of
universal
operation.
IS'"-"
repeats
the
ordinances
of
Ex
21
with
regard
to
the
emancipation
of
slaves;
here
again
no
simultaneity
of
redemption
can
be
inferred.
3l'o-iĀ»
prescribes
that
the
Law
is
to
be
read
every
7th
year
(the
'year
of
release')
at
the
Feast
of
Tabernacles
(cf.
Neh
813-18).
Nothing
is
said
in
Deuteronomy
about
a
possible
redemption
of
land.
Leviticus.
In
25'
-'s
provision
is
made
for
a
seventh-
year
fallow;
but
there
is
no
mention
of
the
poor.
The
reason
assigned
is
that
the
land,
being
Jehovah's
land,
must
keep
Sabbath,
i.e.
the
Sabbath
principle
is
extended
to
cover
nature
as
well
as
man.
We
also
find
here
the
jubilee
ordinances.
After
49
years
had
elapsed,
every
SOth
year
was
to
be
inaugurated
as
a
jubilee
by
the
blow-ing
of
the
trumpet
on
the
Day
of
Atonement.
All
slaves
were
to
be
emancipated
(this
may
be
a
modified
substi-tute
for
the
earlier
provisions
with
regard
to
emancipation
after
7
years);
no
mention
is
made
of
the
possibility
of
perpetual
slavery,
but
it
is
ordained
that
the
Hebrew
slave
of
a
foreigner
may
be
redeemed
by
a
relative,
all
Jews
being
essentially
Jehovah's
servants.
The
land
was
to
lie
fallow,
and
providential
aid
is
promised
to
ensure
sufficiency
of
produce
during
the
period
of
three
years
when
no
harvest
could
be
gathered,
viz.
the
49th
