Exodus 34:21

Exodus 34:21 in Multiple Translations

Berean Standard Bible BSB

Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even in the seasons of plowing and harvesting, you must rest.

King James Version KJV

¶ Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

American Standard Version ASV

Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in plowing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

Bible in Basic English BBE

Six days let work be done, but on the seventh day take your rest: at ploughing time and at the grain-cutting you are to have a day for rest.

Free Bible Version FBV

You shall work for six days, but you shall rest on the seventh day. Even during the times of sowing and harvest you shall rest.

Geneva Bible 1599 GNV

Six dayes shalt thou worke, and in the seuenth day thou shalt rest: both in earing time, and in the haruest thou shalt rest.

Young's Literal Translation YLT

'Six days thou dost work, and on the seventh day thou dost rest; in ploughing-time and in harvest thou dost rest.

World English Bible WEB

“Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.

Noah Webster Bible WBS

Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in time of plowing and in harvest thou shalt rest.

Douay-Rheims 1899 DRV

Six days shalt thou work, the seventh day thou shalt cease to plough, and to reap.

Translation for Translators T4T

Each week you may work for six days, but on the seventh day you must rest. Even during the times when you plow the ground and harvest your crops, you must rest on the seventh day.

Study Highlights

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Berean Amplified Bible — Exodus 34:21

BAB

Word Study

Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.

Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.

Exodus 34:21 Interlinear (Deep Study)

BIB

HEB שֵׁ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ תַּעֲבֹ֔ד וּ/בַ/יּ֥וֹם הַ/שְּׁבִיעִ֖י תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת בֶּ/חָרִ֥ישׁ וּ/בַ/קָּצִ֖יר תִּשְׁבֹּֽת

שֵׁ֤שֶׁת shêsh H8337 six Adj

יָמִים֙ yôwm H3117 day N-mp

תַּעֲבֹ֔ד ʻâbad H5647 to serve V-Qal-Imperf-2ms

וּ/בַ/יּ֥וֹם yôwm H3117 day Conj | Prep | N-ms

הַ/שְּׁבִיעִ֖י shᵉbîyʻîy H7637 seventh Art | Adj

תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת shâbath H7673 to cease V-Qal-Imperf-2ms

בֶּ/חָרִ֥ישׁ chârîysh H2758 plowing Prep | N-ms

וּ/בַ/קָּצִ֖יר qâtsîyr H7105 harvest Conj | Prep | N-ms

תִּשְׁבֹּֽת shâbath H7673 to cease V-Qal-Imperf-2ms

Hebrew Word Study

Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.

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Hebrew Word Reference — Exodus 34:21

שֵׁ֤שֶׁת shêsh H8337 "six" Adj

This Hebrew word means the number six, and is often used in the Bible to describe measurements, like the six days of creation in Genesis 1.

Definition: 1) six 1a) six (cardinal number) 1b) sixth (ordinal number) 1c) in combination with other numbers Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)

Usage: Occurs in 202 OT verses. KJV: six(-teen, -teenth), sixth. See also: Genesis 7:6; 1 Kings 6:6; Proverbs 6:16.

יָמִים֙ yôwm H3117 "day" N-mp

The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.

Definition: : 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

Usage: Occurs in 1930 OT verses. KJV: age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. See also: Genesis 1:5; Genesis 33:13; Exodus 23:15.

תַּעֲבֹ֔ד ʻâbad H5647 "to serve" V-Qal-Imperf-2ms

To serve or work is the meaning of this verb, which can also imply slavery or bondage, as seen in the story of the Israelites in Egypt. It is used to describe various types of work or service, including serving God or other people. The word has different forms and meanings in different contexts.

Definition: : serve[someone] 1) to work, serve 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to labour, work, do work 1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour 1a3) to serve as subjects 1a4) to serve (God) 1a5) to serve (with Levitical service) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land) 1b2) to make oneself a servant 1c) (Pual) to be worked 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve 1d2) to cause to serve as subjects 1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve

Usage: Occurs in 262 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper, See also: Genesis 2:5; Deuteronomy 28:14; Psalms 2:11.

וּ/בַ/יּ֥וֹם yôwm H3117 "day" Conj | Prep | N-ms

הַ/שְּׁבִיעִ֖י shᵉbîyʻîy H7637 "seventh" Art | Adj

The Hebrew word for seventh, this term is an ordinal number used to describe something in the seventh position. It appears in the Bible as seventh time.

Definition: 1) seventh 1a) ordinal number

Usage: Occurs in 94 OT verses. KJV: seventh (time). See also: Genesis 2:2; Numbers 29:12; Jeremiah 28:17.

תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת shâbath H7673 "to cease" V-Qal-Imperf-2ms

To keep the Sabbath means to rest and stop working, as commanded by God in the book of Exodus. This Hebrew word is used to describe the act of observing the Sabbath day, and is an important part of Jewish tradition and worship.

Definition: 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

Usage: Occurs in 67 OT verses. KJV: (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. See also: Genesis 2:2; Isaiah 14:4; Psalms 8:3.

בֶּ/חָרִ֥ישׁ chârîysh H2758 "plowing" Prep | N-ms

Charish means plowing or the season of plowing. It is related to the time of year when the ground is prepared for planting.

Definition: ploughing, ploughing time

Usage: Occurs in 3 OT verses. KJV: earing (time), ground. See also: Genesis 45:6; Exodus 34:21; 1 Samuel 8:12.

וּ/בַ/קָּצִ֖יר qâtsîyr H7105 "harvest" Conj | Prep | N-ms

This word refers to the harvest or the time of harvest, as well as the reaper or the crop itself. It can also mean a limb or foliage of a tree, emphasizing the idea of growth and abundance. The concept of harvest is central to the biblical narrative, particularly in the book of Ruth.

Definition: 1) harvest, harvesting 1a) process of harvesting 1b) crop, what is harvested or reaped 1c) time of harvest

Usage: Occurs in 49 OT verses. KJV: bough, branch, harvest (man). See also: Genesis 8:22; Job 18:16; Psalms 80:12.

תִּשְׁבֹּֽת shâbath H7673 "to cease" V-Qal-Imperf-2ms

Study Notes — Exodus 34:21

Show Verse Quote Highlights

Context
Cross References
Exodus 34:21 Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Reflection Questions
Gill's Exposition on Exodus 34:21
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 34:21
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Exodus 34:21
Trapp's Commentary on Exodus 34:21
Ellicott's Commentary on Exodus 34:21
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Exodus 34:21
Cambridge Bible on Exodus 34:21
Whedon's Commentary on Exodus 34:21
Sermons on Exodus 34:21

Context — The LORD Renews the Covenant

19The first offspring of every womb belongs to Me, including all the firstborn males among your livestock, whether cattle or sheep. 20You must redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb; but if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons. No one shall appear before Me empty-handed.

21Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even in the seasons of plowing and harvesting, you must rest.

22And you are to celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. 23Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.

Cross References

	Reference	Text (BSB)
1	Exodus 23:12	For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be refreshed, as well as the foreign resident.
2	Deuteronomy 21:4	bring the heifer to a valley with running water that has not been plowed or sown, and break its neck there by the stream.
3	Luke 13:14	But the synagogue leader was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work,” he told the crowd. “So come and be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath.”
4	1 Samuel 8:12	He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his weapons of war, and to equip his chariots.
5	Exodus 35:2	For six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on that day must be put to death.
6	Deuteronomy 5:12–15	Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
7	Isaiah 30:24	The oxen and donkeys that work the ground will eat salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and pitchfork.
8	Luke 23:56	Then they returned to prepare spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.
9	Genesis 45:6	For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.
10	Exodus 20:9–11	Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

Exodus 34:21 Summary

This verse reminds us that God wants us to work hard for six days, but then take a day to rest and trust in His provision. Just like the Israelites were to trust God during the Sabbath year, we can trust Him to provide for us when we take time to rest (Exodus 23:10-12, Leviticus 25:1-7). By resting, we can focus on God and rejuvenate our spirits, just as Jesus taught in Matthew 11:28-30. Remember, rest is not just a suggestion, but a command from God to trust in His goodness and care for us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the significance of resting on the seventh day, even during plowing and harvesting?

The seventh day rest is a command from God to trust in His provision and remember His creation and redemption, as seen in Exodus 20:11 and Deuteronomy 5:15.

How does this command to rest apply to our lives today?

While our work and rest patterns may differ, the principle of trusting God and finding rest in Him remains, as Jesus taught in Matthew 11:28-30 and Hebrews 4:9-11.

Is this command only for farmers or does it apply to all people?

The command to rest is for all people, as it is a part of the covenant between God and His people, and is reinforced in other passages like Exodus 23:12 and Isaiah 58:13-14.

What happens if we do not obey this command to rest?

Disobedience to God's command to rest can lead to burnout, neglect of our relationship with God, and missing out on the blessings of rest, as warned in Proverbs 10:5 and Jeremiah 17:21-27.

Reflection Questions

What are some ways I can apply the principle of resting on the seventh day in my own life, even if my work schedule does not follow a traditional Monday-to-Saturday pattern?
How can I trust God to provide for my needs when I take time to rest, just as the Israelites were to trust Him during the Sabbath year?
What are some things that I can do on my day of rest to focus on God and rejuvenate my spirit, such as reading Scripture, praying, or spending time in nature?
In what ways can I prioritize rest and trust in God's provision, just as the Israelites were to prioritize the Sabbath and trust in God's promise to provide for them?

Gill's Exposition on Exodus 34:21

Six days shalt thou work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest,.... This is the law of the seventh day sabbath, which is after repeated, to fix it in the minds and memories of the people, see

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 34:21

Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on Exodus 34:21

Which times are expressed, because the great profit and seeming necessity of working at that time was likely to be a powerful temptation to make men break the sabbath.

Trapp's Commentary on Exodus 34:21

Exodus 34:21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.Ver. 21. In earing time and in harvest.] Though most busy times, you may not make bold with God.

Ellicott's Commentary on Exodus 34:21

(21) The law of the Sabbath meets us at every turn in Exodus. It was so fundamental to the entire polity, that it naturally held a place in every section of the legislation. We have already found it (1) propounded at the giving of the manna (Exodus 16:22-30); (2) reasserted in the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11); (3) introduced into the “Book of the Covenant” (Exodus 23:12); and (4) appended to the directions given for the construction of the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:13-17). In earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.—“Earing-time” is ploughing time, “to ear” being an old English verb, etymologically connected with the Greek ἄ ?ñù and the Latin aro. (Comp. Genesis 45:6; Deuteronomy 21:4; 1 Samuel 8:12; Isaiah 30:24.) There was a special temptation to trench on the Sabbatical rest at the times most critical in respect to agricultural operations.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on Exodus 34:21

Verse 21. In earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.] This commandment is worthy of especial note; many break the Sabbath on the pretense of absolute necessity, because, if in harvest time the weather happens to be what is called bad, and the Sabbath day be fair and fine, they judge it perfectly lawful to employ that day in endeavouring to save the fruits of the field, and think that the goodness of the day beyond the preceding, is an indication from Providence that it should be thus employed. But is not the above command pointed directly against this? I have known this law often broken on this pretence, and have never been able to discover a single instance where the persons who acted thus succeeded one whit better than their more conscientious neighbors, who availed themselves of no such favourable circumstances, being determined to keep God's law, even to the prejudice of their secular interests; but no man ever yet ultimately suffered loss by a conscientious attachment to his duty to God. He who is willing and obedient, shall eat the good of the land; but God will ever distinguish those in his providence who respect his commandments.

Cambridge Bible on Exodus 34:21

21. in plowing time, &c.] i.e. even at times when the need of working continuously might seem most urgent. For clause a, see on Exodus 23:12.

Whedon's Commentary on Exodus 34:21

12-26. Take heed to thyself — Here follows a brief resume of the laws previously ordained, and written in the Book of the Covenant, 21-23. They may be resolved into ten precepts, as follows:1.

Sermons on Exodus 34:21

	Sermon	Description
	Our Lord Teaching Regarding the Sabbath Mark 2:23 to 3:6 by R.A. Torrey	R.A. Torrey emphasizes that the Sabbath was created for the benefit of humanity, not as a burden, and that the needs of people take precedence over rigid ceremonial laws. He illust
	Jesus Interprets the Law by Paul Bramsen	Paul Bramsen preaches about the wisdom of interpreting daily experiences, making personal rules for living, considering others' experiences, and ultimately obeying the words of God
	The Lord's Day, Its Privileges and Responsibilities by Harry Ironside	Harry Ironside discusses 'The Lord's Day, Its Privileges and Responsibilities,' emphasizing the significance of the Sabbath as a memorial of creation and the Lord's Day as a celebr
	How to Spend Sunday by F.B. Meyer	F.B. Meyer emphasizes the importance of spending Sundays meaningfully, sharing personal memories of his own joyful Sundays spent with family. He advocates for family unity, encoura
	True Treasure by William MacDonald	In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of putting God's work above our own desires and needs. He highlights the biblical teaching of working hard for our current ne