Jeremiah 17 22

Jeremiah 17:22 kjv

Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

Jeremiah 17:22 nkjv

nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

Jeremiah 17:22 niv

Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors.

Jeremiah 17:22 esv

And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers.

Jeremiah 17:22 nlt

Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day. I gave this command to your ancestors,

Jeremiah 17 verses

Jeremiah 17 22 Meaning

Jeremiah 17:22 explicitly warns the people of Judah against engaging in everyday labor and commercial activity on the Sabbath day. It commands them not to transport goods from their homes or perform any other work. Instead, they are to treat the Sabbath as sacred, honoring it as a day set apart by God, a command originally given to their ancestors. This verse underscores the Sabbath's vital importance as a sign of the covenant and a marker of Israel's fidelity to God.

Jeremiah 17 22 Context

Jeremiah chapter 17 is a pivotal chapter, contrasting trust in humanity with trust in God, symbolized by the cursed bush versus the blessed tree. Verses 19-27 present a direct prophetic message delivered by Jeremiah at the city gates of Jerusalem. This section forms a conditional prophecy regarding the future of Jerusalem, entirely dependent on the people's obedience to God's Sabbath command. Historically, Judah was on the precipice of Babylonian exile, largely due to systemic idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. The disregard for the Sabbath, a foundational element of the Mosaic Covenant and a unique sign distinguishing Israel, represented a significant symptom of their rebellion. The prophet warns against their ongoing commercial activities on the sacred day, highlighting how past generations' failures led to national disaster and implicitly warning that current disobedience would seal their fate. The message targets not just individual behavior but the communal, societal neglect of divine law, presenting a final opportunity for national repentance through Sabbath observance.

Jeremiah 17 22 Word analysis

• Nor carry: The Hebrew phrase is לֹא תְבִיא֖וּ (lo' tevihu), literally "you shall not bring." The prohibition is clear and direct, addressing active conduct.
• a burden: The Hebrew word is מַשָּׂא (massa'), meaning a "load," "burden," or "goods." It signifies anything transported, often for commercial or everyday purposes. In this context, it speaks of physical items, typically heavy enough to require carrying. The carrying of goods on the Sabbath for commerce or travel was a direct violation of the Sabbath's spirit and law, showing a prioritization of gain or convenience over God's command. This aligns with Nehemiah's later reforms (Neh 13) where such practices were explicitly curtailed.
• out of your houses: This phrase specifies the origin point of the prohibited activity, implying daily activities and movement of personal or commercial goods from private residences into the public sphere. It encompasses the regular routines of life that were meant to cease for the Sabbath. The issue wasn't the burden itself, but the act of transporting it on a designated holy day.
• on the Sabbath day: The Hebrew יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת (yom ha-Shabbat) distinctly names the specific holy day. Shabbat itself derives from the verb "to cease" or "to rest." This day was foundational to Israel's identity and worship, recalling both God's rest after creation (Gen 2:2-3) and their deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Deut 5:15). It signified a weekly rhythm of ceasing from human labor to acknowledge God's sovereignty and provision.
• nor do any work: This expands the specific prohibition against carrying burdens to a general injunction against all customary labor. The Hebrew לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ כָל-מְלָאכָה (lo' ta'asu khol-melakhah) reinforces the comprehensive nature of the command, requiring a complete cessation of daily tasks. The emphasis is on proactive abstinence from typical occupational and household activities.
• but hallow: The Hebrew root is קָדֵשׁ (qadesh), meaning "to make holy," "to consecrate," or "to set apart." Hallowing the Sabbath is not merely about not doing something (resting), but actively setting the day apart for sacred purposes—for worship, spiritual reflection, and focus on God. It transforms the day from mundane to divine. This implies a purposeful, mindful devotion of the day.
• the Sabbath day: Re-emphasizes the subject of the command, specifying which day is to be consecrated.
• as I commanded: The Hebrew כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתִי (ka'asher tsivviti) highlights the divine origin and authority of the command. It's not a human suggestion but a divine imperative from God himself.
• your fathers: This refers to previous generations of Israelites, especially those who received the Law at Mount Sinai (e.g., Ex 20:8-11; Deut 5:12-15). It emphasizes the timeless nature of the command and calls for historical accountability, reminding the present generation that they are perpetuating a cycle of disobedience that their ancestors also exhibited, yet received the same binding instruction.

Words-group analysis:

• "Nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work": This dual prohibition establishes both a specific, commonly violated act (carrying burdens) and a broader, all-encompassing rule (no work). The intention is to clearly communicate that the Sabbath is not a day for typical human endeavors, whether for profit or convenience. This group of phrases highlights the practical expression of Sabbath rest in stopping the regular rhythm of earning, buying, and moving goods.
• "but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers": This phrase connects the commanded action (hallowing) with its divine origin and historical precedent. It emphasizes that Sabbath observance is rooted in God's specific instruction given through the Mosaic Covenant. The contrast ("but") signifies that passive abstinence from work is insufficient; active dedication to the sacredness of the day, as historically instructed by God, is required. It's a call to both historical continuity and active spiritual practice.

Jeremiah 17 22 Bonus section

The concept of the "Sabbath burden" extended beyond physical objects to include the mental and spiritual "burdens" of worldly cares and anxieties. By laying aside physical labor, the Israelites were encouraged to lay down the spiritual weight of self-reliance, fostering a renewed dependence on God. The consistent failure of Israel to observe the Sabbath contributed significantly to the period of their exile, where the land itself "rested" for the neglected years of Sabbaths and Jubilee (Lev 26:34-35; 2 Chron 36:21). Thus, the divine command carried both individual and national, physical and spiritual implications.

Jeremiah 17 22 Commentary

Jeremiah 17:22 serves as a stark reminder of the enduring significance of Sabbath observance as a core element of Israel's covenant with God. The instruction to refrain from carrying burdens and all work on the Sabbath was not merely a ceremonial regulation but a theological imperative. It required a national act of trust in God's provision and sovereignty, pausing all human effort to acknowledge His creative and redemptive work. For Jeremiah's audience, disregard for the Sabbath represented a profound lack of faith, indicating their prioritization of commercial gain and human autonomy over divine authority. Their failure to hallow the day was a symptom of deeper spiritual rebellion, directly linked to the judgments God promised for covenant unfaithfulness. The prophet frames this as a make-or-break issue, where national survival hinged on embracing the very command that their "fathers" had neglected. It challenged them to align their practical lives with their spiritual identity, demonstrating whether they would live by God's Word or continue down a path of self-reliance leading to destruction.