WG: Sabbath — Day, Law, and Controversy¶
Overview¶
The NT sabbath vocabulary clusters around a handful of words that define the day, govern its observance, and frame the controversies Jesus provokes around it. Four words appear in 15% or more of σάββατον's verses.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Verses | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4521 | σάββατον | sábbaton | neuter noun | 62 | The day itself — the Sabbath institution | G4521 |
| G4520 | σαββατισμός | sabbatismós | masculine noun | 1 | The sabbath-rest as eschatological reality (Heb 4:9) | TODO(need G4520 study) |
| G4864 | συναγωγή | synagōgḗ | feminine noun | 57 | The place — where sabbath worship occurs | TODO(need G4864 study) |
| G1832 | ἔξεστι | éxesti | verb | 30 | The question — "Is it lawful?" | TODO(need G1832 study) |
| G2250 | ἡμέρα | hēméra | feminine noun | 365 | The unit — "day" (sabbath day; first day of the week) | G2250-hemera.md |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- G4521 (sábbaton) and G4520 (sabbatismós) share the same root — both from H7676 שַׁבָּת via the LXX transliteration. σαββατισμός adds the suffix -ismos (denoting a state or practice) to intensify the "rest" quality.
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | % of A | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4521 sabbaton | G4864 synagoge | 9 | 15% | Entering synagogue on sabbath to teach or worship |
| G4521 sabbaton | G1832 exesti | 9 | 15% | "Is it lawful to heal/pluck/carry on the sabbath?" |
| G4521 sabbaton | G2250 hemera | 9 | 15% | "sabbath day" (hemera explicit) or timing markers |
| G4521 sabbaton | G4520 sabbatismos | 0 | 0% | Appear in separate texts; conceptually linked, not co-textual |
Key verses with 3 members together: - Luke 4:16 — [G4521 + G4864 + G2250] "as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day" - Acts 13:14 — [G4521 + G4864 + G2250] "went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and sat down"
LXX Overlaps¶
| Hebrew | Greek Member | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| H7676 שַׁבָּת | G4521 σάββατον | Direct transliteration — the Sabbath |
| H7677 שַׁבָּתוֹן | G4520 σαββατισμός | Both mark intensified sabbath-rest; shabbâthôwn is the OT source, sabbatismós the NT reflex |
| H7677 שַׁבָּתוֹן | G372 ἀνάπαυσις | Primary LXX rendering of shabbâthôwn in most verses (9/10) |
| H3117 יוֹם + H7637 שְׁבִיעִי | G2250 ἡμέρα + G4521 | "seventh day" in both testaments — shared Hebrew bridge |
Roles in the Concept¶
- The Institution: σάββατον (G4521) — the day itself, whether kept, broken, or debated
- The Venue: συναγωγή (G4864) — where sabbath-keeping takes observable form; sabbath and synagogue appear together in 15% of all sabbath verses
- The Controversy: ἔξεστι (G1832) — the permission question that organizes Jesus' sabbath disputes; appears in 30% of all ἔξεστι uses
- The Eschatological Depth: σαββατισμός (G4520) — the sabbath reframed as a remaining rest for the people of God (Heb 4:9)
- The Temporal Frame: ἡμέρα (G2250) — "the sabbath day," "that day," "the first day of the week" — calibrates sabbath in relation to other days
Key Passages Where Multiple Members Appear¶
- Mark 3:1–4 — [G4521 + G1832] "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?"
- Luke 4:16 — [G4521 + G4864 + G2250] Jesus' custom: synagogue on the sabbath day
- John 9:14, 16 — [G4521 + G1832 implied] Jesus heals on sabbath; Pharisees: "this man keepeth not the sabbath day"
- Heb 4:9 — [G4520 alone] "There remaineth therefore a sabbath-rest (sabbatismos) to the people of God"
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py G4521 G4520 G4864 G1832 G2250 Last updated: 2026-04-01