sabbaton · Sabbath

What it means

sabbaton (σάββατον) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “Sabbath”.

The seventh day, a day of rest set apart for God; also the week.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. The seventh day, a rest for God.
2. Literally "the Sabbath": the seven-day cycle.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

The Sabbath: the seventh day, on which one ceased from work. It is the Hebrew word שַׁבָּת (H7676) put into Greek. In the plural, and with a number, it also names the week.

• “The Sabbath was made for man” Mark 2:27Mark 2:28
• Healing on the Sabbath Luke 13:14Matthew 12:12
• Reading in the synagogue on the Sabbath day Luke 4:16Acts 13:27
• Resting on the Sabbath according to the commandment Luke 23:56
• The week: “the first {day} of the week” Mark 16:2Luke 18:12

Historical and cultural background

The text shows how it was kept: Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day “according to his custom” and stood up to read (Luke 4:16); the synagogue leader reminded the crowd that “There are six days in which one must work” (Luke 13:14).

How we translate it

“Sabbath” 57 times and “Sabbaths” 2; “week” 9 when the word counts the days (Mark 16:2). This edition's glossary sets sabbaton = “Sabbath”, as for the Hebrew שַׁבָּת, so the reader sees that it is the same day as in the Old Testament.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• Sabbath ×57
• week ×9
• Sabbaths ×2

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×11
• Mark×12
• Luke×20
• John×13
• Acts×10
• 1 Corinthians×1
• Colossians×1

• Matthew 12:1

  At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pick heads of grain and to eat.

• Matthew 12:2

  But the Pharisees, seeing it, said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.”

• Matthew 12:5

  Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are innocent?

• Matthew 12:8

  For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

• Matthew 12:10

  And look, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” so that they might accuse him.

• Matthew 12:11

  But he said to them, “What man will there be among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?

• Matthew 12:12

  How much more valuable, then, is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

• Matthew 24:20

  And pray that your flight may not happen in winter or on a Sabbath.

• Matthew 28:1

  Now after the Sabbath, as it was dawning toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the grave.

• Mark 1:21

  And they go into Capernaum. And at once on the Sabbath he was teaching in the synagogue.

• Mark 2:23

  And it happened that on the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, plucking the heads of grain.

• Mark 2:24

  And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing on the Sabbath what is not lawful?”

• Mark 2:27

  And he was saying to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath;

• Mark 2:28

  so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

• Mark 3:2

  And they were watching him to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

• Mark 3:4

  And he says to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?” But they were silent.

• Mark 6:2

  And when the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue; and the many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? And what is the wisdom given to him, and such miracles done by his hands?

• Mark 16:1

  And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.

• Mark 16:2

  And very early on the first day of the week, they come to the tomb when the sun had risen.

• Mark 16:9

  Longer ending: Now having risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.

• Luke 4:16

  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and according to his custom he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.

• Luke 4:31

  And he went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath.

• Luke 6:1

  Now it happened on a Sabbath that he was going through grainfields, and his disciples were picking and eating the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands.

• Luke 6:2

  But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

• Luke 6:5

  And he was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

• Luke 6:6

  And it happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there and his right hand was withered.

• Luke 6:7

  And the scribes and the Pharisees were watching him closely to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a way to accuse him.

• Luke 6:9

  And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?”

• Luke 13:10

  Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

• Luke 13:14

  But the synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus had cured her on the Sabbath, answered and was saying to the crowd, “There are six days in which one must work; so come on them and be cured, and not on the day of the Sabbath.”

• Luke 13:15

  But the Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away and give it water?

• Luke 13:16

  And this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound, look, for eighteen years, ought she not to be released from this bond on the day of the Sabbath?”

• Luke 14:1

  And it happened, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him closely.

• Luke 14:3

  And Jesus answered and spoke to the experts in the law and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath or not?”

• Luke 14:5

  And to them he said, “Whose son or ox among you will fall into a well, and he will not at once pull him out on the day of the Sabbath?”

• Luke 18:12

  I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.’

• Luke 23:54

  And it was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.

• Luke 23:56

  And they returned and prepared spices and ointments. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

• Luke 24:1

  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices that they had prepared.

• John 5:9

  And at once the man became well, and he picked up his mat and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

And 28 more times.