"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" () is one of the Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:1-21, Deuteronomy 5:1-23, ‘’Ten Commandments,’’ New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1174-1175 found in the Torah.

The full text of the commandment reads:

Background According to the biblical narrative when God revealed the Ten Commandments to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, they were commanded to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy by not doing any work and allowing the whole household to cease from work.Exodus 20; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043; Sabbath, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Publishers, 1988, pp. 1095-1096 This was in recognition of God's act of creation and the special status that God had conferred on the seventh day during the creation week.Exodus 20:11-12; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043

Ancient understanding The Torah portrays the Sabbath concept both in terms of resting on the seventh day and allowing land to lie fallow during each seventh year.Exodus 23:11-12; Leviticus 25:2-4; Sabbatical Year, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 p. 1043 The motivation is described as going beyond a sign and remembrance of Yahweh's original rest during the creation weekExodus 31:17; Sabbath, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Publishers, 1988, pp. 1095-1096 and extends to a concern that one's servants, family, and livestock be able to rest and be refreshed from their work.Exodus 23:12, Deuteronomy 5:14; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043 In addition to the instruction to rest on each seventh day and seventh year, periods of seven days are often relevant aspects of Biblical instructions. For example, the quarantine period for suspected skin diseases after initial examination by a priest was seven days, after which the priest would re-examine the skin and pronounce the person clean or unclean.Leviticus 13; Commentary on Leviticus 13, The Hebrew Study Bible, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 234-238 Other special days included the day after the seventh Sabbath,Leviticus 23:16; Commentary on Leviticus 23, The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 262-267 the first day of the seventh month,Leviticus 23:24; Commentary on Leviticus 23, The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 262-267 the day of ritual cleansing after being healed from an unclean disease or other event bringing uncleanness.Leviticus 14; Numbers 19; Commentary on Leviticus 24, The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 238-241 In addition, in the battle of Jericho, Joshua commanded the army to march around Jericho each day for seven consecutive days and to march around Jericho seven times on the seventh day.Yahoshua 6; Commentary on Joshua 6, The Hebrew Study Bible, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 473-474

The Torah describes disobedience to the command to keep the Sabbath day holy as punishable by deathExodus 35:2; Numbers 15:32; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043 and failing to observe Sabbath years would be compensated for during the captivity that would result from breaking covenant.Leviticus 26:34-43; Yeremiah 34:14-22; Sabbatical Year, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982, p. 1043 The Torah also describes how special bread was to be set out before Yahweh Sabbath by SabbathLeviticus 24:5-9; Commentary on Leviticus 24, The Hebrew Study Bible, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 267-268 and describes Sabbath day offerings.Numbers 28:9-10; Commentary on Numbers 28, The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 340-341

The Day of Atonement was regarded as a "Sabbath of Sabbaths" Leviticus 16:31; Nosson Scherman, Yom Kippur, Mesorah Publications, 1989, p.57 It was on this day alone that the High Priest of Israel entered the Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle where the Ark of the Covenant contained the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were engraved. The presence of YHWH in the Holy of Holies on that yearly day, upon the mercy seat, required that the Kohen Gadol be first purified by the sacrifice of a bull in a prescribed manner. Entering the Most Holy Place on other days or without fulfilling the ritual requirements would subject the priest to death.Leviticus 16; Commentary on Leviticus 16, The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 243-247

In the same way that observing the Sabbath did not prevent Joshua from marching around Jericho for seven consecutive days,Joshua 6; Commentary on Joshua 6, The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 473-474 Sabbath observance did not prevent the chief priest Jehoiada from organizing a palace coup on the Sabbath in order to remove queen Athaliah from the throne and replace her with Jehoash of Judah, a rightful heir to the throne. Athaliah had murdered all the other heirs to the throne upon the death of Ahaziah of Judah and usurped the throne of Judah for herself. Jehoiada's wife had rescued young Joash, and Jehoiada had kept him hidden for six years while Ataliah reigned as queen over Judah. The priest Jehoiada used the occasion of the transfer of the guard on the Sabbath to proclaim Joash as king because at that time, he could arrange twice the normal guard on duty at the temple of Yahweh. On that day, a covenant was made, Joash was proclaimed king, Athaliah was put to death, the temple of Baal was torn down, idols were smashed, and Mattan, the priest of Baal, was killed.2 Kings 11; 2 Chronicles 22-23; R. Kittel, A History of the Hebrews Vol. II, Williams and Norgate, 1896, pp.286-287

A number of the prophets condemn desecration of the Sabbath with various forms of work, including Isaiah,Isaiah 56; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043 Jeremiah,Jeremiah 17; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043 Ezekiel,Ezekiel 20; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043 and Amos.Amos 8; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043 According to Nehemiah, after the captives return to Jerusalem from Exile, they make a covenant which includes a promise to refrain from desecrating the Sabbath,Nehemiah 10; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043 yet some give in to the ongoing temptation to buy and sell on the Sabbath. As a result, Nehemiah has to rebuke them and station guards to prevent commerce in Jerusalem on the Sabbath.Nehemiah 13; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043

Jewish view

Ibn Ezra taught that the Exodus account of the Ten Commandments contains the text exactly as written on the stone tablets and that the different version in Deuteronomy contains Moses' words which remind Israel to obey the commandments, "as the your God has commanded you." Ibn Ezra explains that Moses did not need to re-iterate the reference to six days of creation at the beginning of the commandment in Deuteronomy, because the command in Deuteronomy itself refers back to the command from Exodus with the words "as YHWH your Elohim has commanded you." Instead, Moses revealed in Deuteronomy the motive for the command that slaves rest on the Sabbath day in order that Israel remember that they were slaves in Egypt and that God redeemed them.

Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (the Ramban) also views the Exodus version of the Sabbath day commandment as a direct recitation by God, and the version in Deuteronomy as Moses' personal reconstruction and exposition. The Ramban explains that Moses wishes to emphasize that the prohibition of work extends even to agricultural work aimed at food production. He further explains the difference in the stated rationals (creation in Exodus, exodus in Deuteronomy). The exodus from Egypt serves as further evidence of Yahweh's creation of the world. God's awesome display of power during the exodus annuls any doubts regarding YHWH as Creator, because only the Creator can possess such total control over the elements.

Maimonides (the Rambam) gives equal footing to both rationales for the Sabbath command:

Christian view

New Testament

Moral imperatives mirroring nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament, but the commandment regarding the Sabbath is notably absent.Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament: Volume 1, Cook Communications, 1989, p. 392; Greg L. Bahnsen, Wayne G. Strickland, Douglas J. Moo, Willem A. Van Gemeren, Five Views of Law and Gospel, Zondervan, 1999, p. 81; John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament Edition, David C. Cook, 1983, p. 678; William Henry Branson, In Defense of the Faith, Herald, 1949, p. 122; Normal Geisler, Ron Rhodes, Conviction Without Compromise, Harvest House, 2008, p. 316 However, the background and Jewish understanding of the Sabbath commandment underscore much of the New Testament narratives and discussion.Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043; Sabbath, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Publishers, 1988, pp. 1095-1096 For example, Jesus is described as pointing out to the Jews their misunderstanding of the Mosaic Law by making observance of the Sabbath more rigorous than God had commanded. It was not unlawful to eat on the Sabbath, even if food must be obtained by plucking grain from the ears. It was not unlawful to do good on the Sabbath day. Healing was a work of mercy, and Jesus, portrayed as Lord of the Sabbath, was merciful. Consequently, criticisms of healing on the Sabbath were unjustified.Matthew 12:1-14; Sabbath, New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, Tyndale House, 1982 pp. 1042-1043

Catholic views The Catholic Church views the commandment to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8–10) as an essential part of observing the command to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Mark 2:27–28)Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Third Commandment Catholic teaching emphasizes the holiness of the Sabbath day (Exodus 31:15),Catechism of the Catholic Church 2168, The Third Commandment connects the Sabbath with God's rest after the six days of creation (Exodus 20:11),Catechism of the Catholic Church 2169, The Third Commandment views the Sabbath as a reminder of Israel's liberation from bondage (Deuteronomy 5:15),Catechism of the Catholic Church 2170, The Third Commandment and views God's example of resting on the seventh day as an example for human resting and protesting the servitude of work and the worship of money. (Exodus 31:17, 23:12)Catechism of the Catholic Church 2172, The Third Commandment The Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the Sabbath law, and points out that Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day. (Mark 1:21, John 9:16) Jesus is described as giving the Sabbath law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." (Mark 2:27) With compassion, Christ declares the Sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing. (Mark 3:4)Catechism of the Catholic Church 2173, The Third Commandment

Sunday is distinguished from the Sabbath, which it follows. According to Catholic teaching, ceremonial observance of Christ's resurrection on the first day of the week replaces that of the Sabbath.