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, (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
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
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.

4519
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