The term "Sabbatic" is derived from the concept of the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship observed by the Israelites as commanded by God. The Sabbath is rooted in the creation narrative, where God rested on the seventh day after creating the heavens and the earth (Genesis 2:2-3). The Sabbatic principle extends beyond the weekly Sabbath to include Sabbatical years and the Year of Jubilee, which are significant in the biblical understanding of rest, release, and restoration.

Sabbath Day

The Sabbath day is the seventh day of the week, set apart by God as a day of rest and holiness. In Exodus 20:8-11 , the fourth commandment instructs the Israelites: "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." This commandment emphasizes the importance of ceasing from labor and dedicating the day to the Lord, reflecting God's own rest after creation.

Sabbatical Year

The Sabbatical year, or "Shemitah," occurs every seventh year and is a time when the land is to lie fallow, debts are to be forgiven, and Hebrew slaves are to be released. Leviticus 25:3-4 states, "For six years you may sow your fields and prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land—a Sabbath to the LORD." This practice underscores the principles of trust in God's provision, social justice, and care for creation.

Year of Jubilee

The Year of Jubilee is an extension of the Sabbatical year, occurring every fiftieth year, after seven cycles of Sabbatical years. Leviticus 25:10 declares, "And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan." The Jubilee year is marked by the restoration of property, freedom for slaves, and a reset of economic disparities, reflecting God's desire for equality and redemption.

Theological Significance

The Sabbatic principles are deeply woven into the fabric of Israelite society and theology. They serve as a reminder of God's sovereignty, the sanctity of rest, and the call to justice and mercy. The Sabbath and its extensions are not merely ritualistic observances but are imbued with spiritual significance, pointing to the ultimate rest found in God. Hebrews 4:9-10 speaks to this spiritual rest: "So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His."

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ redefines the understanding of the Sabbath. He emphasizes the spirit of the law over the letter, teaching that "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). Jesus' ministry highlights the Sabbath as a time for doing good and bringing healing, reflecting God's compassion and mercy.

The Sabbatic concept, therefore, is not only a historical or cultural practice but a profound theological truth that points to the rest and redemption offered through faith in Christ.(a.) Alt. of Sabbatical.

Concerning the Sabbatic River which Titus Saw as He was Journeying ...
... CHAPTER V. Concerning The Sabbatic River Which Titus Saw As He Was Journeying Through
Syria; And How The People Of Antioch Came With A Petition To Titus ...
/.../chapter v concerning the sabbatic.htm

The Fourth Day in Passion-Week - Jesus in his Last Sabbatic Rest ...
... THE FOURTH DAY IN PASSION-WEEK - JESUS IN HIS LAST SABBATIC REST BEFORE HIS AGONY,
AND THE SANHEDRISTS IN THEIR UNREST - THE BETRAYAL - JUDAS: HIS CHARACTER ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter viii the fourth day.htm

The Honors that were Paid the Jews; and the Leagues that were Made ...
... it in the manner he himself pleases; and that the Jews be allowed to deduct out
of their tribute, every second year the land is let [in the Sabbatic period], a ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 the honors that.htm

Commerce
... 23:20). Again, the law of the Sabbatic and of the Jubilee year would have
brought all extended commerce to a standstill. Nor was ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 12 commerce.htm

Book 13 Footnotes
... Rec. Part I. p.206, 207, 208. [19] Hence we learn, that in the days of this excellent
high priest, John Hyrcanus, the observation of the Sabbatic year, as ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 13 footnotes.htm

The Pharisees' Sabbath and Christ's
... The present lesson includes two Sabbath incidents, in the first of which the disciples
are the transgressors of the sabbatic tradition; in the second, Christ's ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the pharisees sabbath and christs.htm

Appendix x. On the Supposed Temple-Synagogue.
... vii.8) that on every Sabbatic year lection of certain portions was made to the people
in the Court,' and that a service was conducted there during public fasts ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix x on the supposed.htm

In the Last, the Great Day of the Feast'
... Only during the first two, and on the last festive day (as also on the
Octave of the Feast), was strict Sabbatic rest enjoined. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter vii in the last.htm

Significance of the Names of John and of his Parents.
... Thus was he born to make ready for the Lord a people fit for Him, at the end of
the Covenant now grown old, which is the end of the Sabbatic period. ...
/.../origens commentary on the gospel of john/27 significance of the names.htm

Concerning Pollio and Sameas. Herod Slays the Principal Of
... them; and this distress was in part occasioned by the covetousness of the prince
regent, who was still in want of more, and in part by the Sabbatic year, which ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 concerning pollio and.htm

Sabbatic (1 Occurrence)
... (a.) Alt. of Sabbatical. Multi-Version Concordance Sabbatic (1 Occurrence). Hebrews
4:9 there doth remain, then, a sabbatic rest to the people of God, (YLT). ...
/s/sabbatic.htm - 6k

Year (4027 Occurrences)
... In addition to this, the Jubilee Year was to be observed after the manner of the
sabbatic year, ie there should be neither sowing nor reaping nor pruning of ...
/y/year.htm - 26k

Jubilee (25 Occurrences)
... In addition to this, the Jubilee Year was to be observed after the manner of the
sabbatic year, ie there should be neither sowing nor reaping nor pruning of ...
/j/jubilee.htm - 27k

Sabbatical (1 Occurrence)
... It would be wrong, however, to deny its Sabbatic character, for the text says expressly,
"But in the 7th year thou shalt let it rest" (literally, "thou shalt ...
/s/sabbatical.htm - 16k

Years (5873 Occurrences)
... SABBATHS, OF YEARS. sab'-aths, (shabbethoth shanim; anapauseis eton (Leviticus
25:8)): The seven sabbatic years preceding the Year of Jubilee. ...
/y/years.htm - 8k

Debtor (7 Occurrences)
... night (Exodus 22:26, 27). (3.) A debt could not be exacted during the Sabbatic
year (Deuteronomy 15:1-15). For other laws bearing ...
/d/debtor.htm - 16k

Cease (138 Occurrences)
... the early disciples, "ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ" (Acts
5:42); the eternity and blessedness of the believer's sabbatic rest (apoleipo ...
/c/cease.htm - 40k

After (10866 Occurrences)
... (1) It was the first Sabbath in the second year of a 7-year cycle comprising the
period from one Sabbatic year to the other; (2) the first Sabbath after the ...
/a/after.htm - 12k

Sabbath-rest (1 Occurrence)
... Sabbath-rest (1 Occurrence). Hebrews 4:9 there doth remain, then, a sabbatic rest
to the people of God, (See NIV). Sabbath-produce, Sabbath-rest. Sabbaths ...
/s/sabbath-rest.htm - 6k

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