4520. sabbatismos

Lexical Summary

sabbatismos: Sabbath rest

Original Word: σαββατισμός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: sabbatismos
Pronunciation: sab-bat-is-mos'
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-bat-is-mos')
KJV: rest
NASB: Sabbath rest
Word Origin: [from a derivative of G4521 (σάββατον - Sabbath)]

1. a "sabbatism"
2. (figuratively) the repose of Christianity (as a type of heaven)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

rest.

From a derivative of sabbaton; a "sabbatism", i.e. (figuratively) the repose of Christianity (as a type of heaven) -- rest.

see GREEK sabbaton

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from a derivation of sabbaton
Definition
a sabbath rest
NASB Translation
Sabbath rest (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4520: σαββατισμός

σαββατισμός, σαββατισμου, ὁ (σαββατίζω to keep the sabbath);

1. a keeping sabbath.

2. the blessed rest from toils and troubles looked for in the age to come by the true worshippers of God and true Christians (R. V. sabbath rest): Hebrews 4:9. (Plutarch, de superstit. c. 3; ecclesiastical writings.)

Topical Lexicon

Entry: Sabbatismos (Strong’s Greek 4520)

Scriptural Context

“Sabbatismos” appears once in the Greek New Testament—Hebrews 4:9—yet stands at the center of the chapter’s unfolding argument about God’s “rest.” Hebrews 3:7–4:13 weaves together Genesis 2, Psalm 95 and Israel’s conquest under Joshua to show that a promised rest still “remains … for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). The term therefore gathers up the entire biblical narrative of Sabbath, from creation to consummation, and places it before the New Covenant community as both a present privilege and a future inheritance.

Old Testament Background of Sabbath Rest

1. Creation Pattern: “By the seventh day God had finished His work … and He rested” (Genesis 2:2). God’s own cessation establishes a rhythm of work followed by delight in completed work.
2. Covenant Command: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Weekly rest becomes a sign that Israel belongs to the Redeemer who liberated them from slavery (Deuteronomy 5:15).
3. Promised Land Anticipation: Entrance into Canaan is described as “rest” (Joshua 21:44), yet Psalm 95, written centuries later, warns that unbelief can still forfeit that rest, proving it was never exhausted in the Old Testament era.

Usage in Hebrews 4:9

Hebrews employs “sabbatismos” to assert that God’s rest is more than a date on the calendar. It:
• Reaches back to the finished work of creation (4:3–4).
• Stands open because the voice of Psalm 95 still says “Today” (4:7).
• Awaits consummation for those who “have believed” (4:3) and who “make every effort to enter that rest” (4:11).

Thus “sabbatismos” is both realized and eschatological—experienced now in union with Christ and entered fully at His return.

Typological and Eschatological Dimensions

• Creation Rest → weekly Sabbath → Canaan Rest → heavenly inheritance: each stage prefigures the next.
• Hebrews sees the pattern culminating in the “unshakable kingdom” (Hebrews 12:28).
• Revelation echoes the theme: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord … they will rest from their labors” (Revelation 14:13).

Christological Fulfillment

Jesus declares, “Come to Me … and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28) and identifies Himself as “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). His finished work fulfills the sign: the seventh-day rest foreshadowed the rest that flows from His cross and resurrection. Colossians 2:16-17 confirms the typology: Sabbaths are “a shadow of the things to come, but the body belongs to Christ”.

Historical Development in Jewish and Christian Practice

• Second-Temple Judaism emphasized synagogue worship, boundary-defining regulations and the hope of messianic rest.
• The earliest believers, many of them Jewish, continued to honor the Sabbath yet gathered on “the first day of the week” to celebrate the risen Lord (Acts 20:7).
• Patristic writers viewed the weekly Lord’s Day as a sign of the new creation, while understanding “sabbatismos” as a spiritual reality transcending calendar observance.
• Throughout church history discussions have ranged from strict Sabbatarianism to a more symbolic reading, but Hebrews 4 anchors all views in the believer’s participation in God’s completed work.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

1. Gospel Invitation: Preach the urgency of “Today” (Hebrews 4:7). Rest is offered now; lingering unbelief hardens hearts.
2. Assurance: Believers may cease striving for self-justification, “resting” in Christ’s finished work while persevering in faith-filled obedience.
3. Rhythm of Life: A weekly day of worship and refreshment continues to bear witness to creation order and redemption, guarding the congregation from burnout and consumerism.
4. Eternal Hope: Funerals, pastoral counseling and discipleship find comfort in the promise of perfect rest beyond death.
5. Social Witness: Sabbath principles advocate humane labor practices, care for the poor (Exodus 23:12) and stewardship of the land (Leviticus 25).

Related New Testament Passages

Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Psalm 95:7-11; Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 12:8; Acts 20:7; Colossians 2:16-17; Revelation 14:13.

Key Themes for Meditation and Teaching

• Rest springs from God’s own character and creative act.
• True rest is entered by faith, not ritual alone.
• Jesus embodies and secures the promised rest.
• The church lives between the “already” of present rest and the “not yet” of consummated glory.
• Weekly rhythms, communal worship and merciful living testify to the reality of “sabbatismos” until faith becomes sight.

Forms and Transliterations

σαββατισμος σαββατισμός σαββατισμὸς sabbatismos sabbatismòs

Englishman's Concordance

Hebrews 4:9 N-NMS
GRK: ἄρα ἀπολείπεται σαββατισμὸς τῷ λαῷ
NAS: there remains a Sabbath rest for the people
KJV: therefore a rest to the people
INT: Then remains a sabbath rest to the people

Strong's Greek 4520
1 Occurrence

σαββατισμὸς — 1 Occ.