Exodus 16:30 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּשְׁבְּת֥וּ הָעָ֖ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִעִֽי׃
BSASo the peopleʻam [a nation, Amaw] restedshâbath▸ [to cease, stopped working] on the seventhshᵉbîyʻîy [a day of rest] dayyôwm [a 24-hour period, a figurative space of time]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁבְּת֥וּ | and they rested | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| הָעָ֖ם | the people | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| בַּיּ֥וֹם | on the day | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| הַשְּׁבִעִֽי׃ | seventh | Particle |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | So the people rested on the seventh day. |
| KJV | So the people rested on the seventh day. |
| ASV | So the people rested on the seventh day. |
| YLT | And the people rest on the seventh day, |
| WEB | So the people rested on the seventh day. |
| BBE | So the people took their rest on the seventh day. |
Where they part company is in the choice of the word for 'rested' — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is straightforward, with one main action followed by a temporal phrase indicating when it occurred.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁבַת
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 16:30
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Sabbath Commandgenerated
Exodus 16:30 describes how the people of Israel rested on the seventh day, fulfilling God's command regarding the Sabbath. This practice is foundational in Jewish tradition, emphasizing the importance of rest and worship. The context includes earlier instructions about gathering manna and preparation for the Sabbath, highlighting God's provision and care for His people.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 23:3 | For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, a day of sacred assembly. You must not do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 5:12–14 | Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. |
| 3 | Hebrews 4:9 | There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שָׁבַת, vai.yish.be.Tugenerated
The verb שָׁבַת (shabath) means to cease or rest, particularly in the context of stopping work. It is used here to indicate the observance of the Sabbath, a significant aspect of Jewish law and tradition.
This form is the sequential imperfect, indicating an ongoing action in the past, specifically that the people actively engaged in resting on that day. The command to rest is a central theme in the Torah, symbolizing both physical and spiritual renewal.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וַיִּשְׁבְּת֥וּ (vai.yish.be.Tu), and they rested, governs the sentence, with the subject הָעָ֖ם (ha.'Am) following it. The structure emphasizes the action taken by the people on the specified day.
The phrase בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִעִֽי (bai.Yom ha.she.vi.'I) provides the temporal context, indicating that this rest occurred on the seventh day, which is central to the commandment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שָׁבַת as ἐσαββάτισεν (esabbatisen), which means 'to observe the Sabbath.' This choice highlights the observance aspect of the rest commanded by God.
The use of this Greek term aligns with the Jewish understanding of the Sabbath as a day set apart for rest and worship, reinforcing the continuity of this practice in both Hebrew and Greek traditions.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 16:30 tells us that the people of Israel rested on the seventh day, following God's command. This practice of resting is a key part of their tradition, emphasizing the importance of taking time to stop work and worship.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To 'rest' means to cease from work and dedicate the day to spiritual reflection and worship, as commanded by God.
The seventh day is significant because it is designated as a day of rest, reflecting God's rest after creation.
Observing the Sabbath today can involve refraining from work, spending time in worship, and focusing on family and community.
The Sabbath command was given to the Israelites as part of the covenant with God, emphasizing their identity as His chosen people.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I incorporate rest into my weekly routine, as God commands?
- What activities help me to spiritually recharge on my day of rest?
- In what ways can I encourage others to observe the Sabbath?
- How does resting on the Sabbath help me to connect with God and my community?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 16:30 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleSo the people rested on the seventh day. Did not attempt to go out of their tents in quest of manna, as on other days, and observed it as a day of rest from labour, and so they continued to do in successive generations.
Read John Gill on Exodus 16 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentarySo the people rested on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day. 'This case is of importance, as showing the way and manner in which the law of the Sabbath was delivered in general.
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 16 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleOr ceased, to wit, from gathering manna, by comparing this with , and consequently from all works of that nature.
Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 16 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsExodus 16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.Ver. 30. So the people rested.] According to their custom, though probably intermitted for a season in Egypt, during their hard servitude. Sed rationem reddat qui potest, aith a learned doctor; are, ante legem promulgatam, in die septimo cessavit manna, nisi quia, ad exemplum Domini, ab ipsius mundi primordi invaluisset sabbati obserratio. This ceasing of manna on the seventh day shows that the Sabbath was kept from the beginning. Dr Prideaux.
Read John Trapp on Exodus 16 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges30. rested] desisted (from work), or, kept sabbath. See on Exodus 20:8.
Read Cambridge on Exodus 16 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
So the people rested on the seventh day.
So the people rested on the seventh day.
So the people rested on the seventh day.
So the people rested on the seventh day.
Tyndale line
So the people rested on the seventh day.
So the people rested on the seventh day.
So the people rested on the seventh day.
So the people rested on the seventh day.
So the people rested the seuenth day.
Strictly literal
And the people rested on the seventh day.
And the people rest on the seventh day,
And the people rest on the seventh day,
So the people rested on the seventh day.
So the people rested on the seventh day.
From the Latin
And the people kept the sabbath on the seventh day.
Simplified
So the people did no work on the seventh day.
So the people took their rest on the seventh day.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads וַיִּשְׁבְּת֥וּ הָעָ֖ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִעִֽי׃, which is closely matched by the Septuagint. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly, using ישׁבת for 'rested' and שׁביעי for 'seventh.' The Dead Sea Scrolls provide a reconstructed text that aligns with the Masoretic reading.
וַיִּשְׁבְּת֥וּ הָעָ֖ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִעִֽי׃
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
וישׁבת העם ביום השׁביעי
2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: ישׁבת (cease), שׁביעי (seventh)
[וישבתו] [העם] [ביום] [השביעי]
nothing on the leather here — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 16:30
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שָׁבַת (shabath) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cease or rest, often in the context of stopping work. It can also imply causing something to cease or fail, and is associated with observing the Sabbath. The entries indicate its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, covering a range of meanings from simple cessation to destruction.
שָׁבַת 71 vb. cease, desist, rest
Qal 27
cease
desist from labour, rest
Niph. cease
Hiph.
40 cause to cease, put an end to
= exterminate, destroy
cause to desist from
remove
cause to fail, let be lacking
base
[שָׁבַת] vb. denom. keep, observe (sabbath)
base
H7673a שָׁבַת cease, desist, rest .. cease
. desist from labour, rest
. cease
. . cause to cease, put an end to
. = exterminate, destroy
. cause to desist from
. remove
. cause to fail, let be lacking
H7673b שָׁבַת vb. denom. keep, observe (sabbath)
7673 shabath shaw-bath'
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.
שָׁבַת (sha.vat) — to cease.
1) to cease, desist, rest
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to cease
1a2) to rest, desist (from labour)
1b) (Niphal) to cease
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to cease, put an end to
1c2) to exterminate, destroy
1c3) to cause to desist from
1c4) to remove
1c5) to cause to fail
שָׁבַת (sha.vat) — to keep.
(Qal) to keep or observe the sabbath
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp
עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.
עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people
a people, nation
= smaller units
= common people
people in gen., persons
phrases
base
[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)
base
H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)
5971 `am am
from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a
tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or
attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,
people.
see HEBREW for 06004
עַם (am) — people.
: people/nation
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
עַם (am) — kinsman.
kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — Ammi.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — People's (Gate).
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.
Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — Amaw.
This name means nation, people
עַם (am) — people: soldiers.
: soldiers/army
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
עַם (am) — people: creatures.
: creatures
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
pe'-p'-l: In English Versions of the Bible represents something over a dozen Hebrew and Greek words. Of these, in the Old Testament, `am, is overwhelmingly the most common (about 2,000 times), with le'om, and goy, next in order; but the various Hebrew words are used with very little or no difference in force (e.g. Pr 14:28; but, on the other hand, in Ps 44 contrast verses 12 and 14). Of the changes introduced by the Revised Version (British and American) the only one of significance (cited explicitly in the Preface to the English Revised Version) is the frequent use of the plural "peoples" (strangely avoided in the King James Version except Re 10:11; 17:15), where other nations than Israel are in question. So, for instance, in Ps…
יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
day, opp. night
Day as division of time
יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
Pl. days of anyone
Days
יוֹם = time
Phrases
base
H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night
. Day as division of time
. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
. Pl. days of anyone
. Days
. יוֹם = time
. Phrases
3117 yowm yome
from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm
hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one
sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by
an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +
chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)
day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +
(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as
(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,
presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,
then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,
weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole
(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
יוֹם (yom) — day.
: day/when/time/period
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: old.
: old/(full/many)[days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: year.
: year[of_days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:
(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see
Day
The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…
The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…
The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.
שְׁבִיעִי (shbiy`iy) is an ordinal adjective meaning 'seventh.' It has masculine and feminine forms, שְׁבִיעִי for masculine and שְׁבִיעִית for feminine. The word is derived from the root meaning associated with the number seven, covering its use as a numerical order.
שְׁבִיעִי m. שְׁבִיעִית f. 97 adj.num.ord. seventh
base
H7637 שְׁבִיעִי m. שְׁבִיעִית f. adj. num. ord. seventh
7637 shbiy`iy sheb-ee-ee'
or shbi iy {sheb-ee-ee'}; ordinal from 7657;
seventh:--seventh (time).
see HEBREW for 07657
שְׁבִיעִי (she.vi.i) — seventh.
1) seventh
1a) ordinal number
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aomsa