"Sabbath." What Is The Meaning Of The Word?

1. "Sabbath." What Is The Meaning Of The Word?
The word "Sabbath" appears for the first time in the Bible in Exodus 16:23,

"And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, to morrow is THE REST OF THE HOLY SABBATH UNTO THE LORD...".

It simply means to "stop, cease what you are doing, or take an intermission from your previous labor and activities." The word, itself, is a transliteration from the Hebrew and the Greek. The Hebrew for "Sabbath" is "shabbath" and the Greek is "sabbaton." Both are brought over into our English, un-translated. Literally, Exodus 20:8 would read, "REMEMBER THE REST DAY AND KEEP IT HOLY" In the Old Testament, the word "Sabbath" is used approximately 75 times; and, in 35 cases, it is in reference to the ceremonial "Sabbath Day." The other 40 times it has reference to the weekly Sabbath on the seventh day. We also need to take notice that, in the New Testament, the word "Sabbath" occurs over 60 times; but, never appears again after Acts 18:4.