Bible Strands
Leviticus 16:31
It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, that you may humble yourselves; it is a permanent statute.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God instructs Israel regarding the Day of Atonement, placing this command immediately after the high priest finishes the atonement ritual for the sanctuary and the people.
The words — שַׁבָּתוֹן (sha.bat ton) translates as a Sabbath of complete rest, and עִנִּיתֶם ('inni.tem) commands the listeners to afflict or humble their selves.
The thread — The text defines the day as a permanent statute of rest, mirroring the weekly Sabbath command in Exodus 31:15 and the Day of Atonement regulations in Leviticus 23:32, while Isaiah 58:5 later clarifies the nature of self-affliction.
Why it lands — The text requires the people to observe a permanent statute of complete rest and self-humiliation following the day's atonement. It demands a tangible cessation of work and a deliberate lowering of personal status as a direct response to divine cleansing.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 23:32 It will be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall humble yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to keep your Sabbath.”
- Isaiah 58:5 Is this the fast I have chosen: a day for a man to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the LORD?
- Exodus 31:15 For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.
- Exodus 35:2 For six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on that day must be put to death.
- Leviticus 25:4 But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land—a Sabbath to the LORD. You are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard.
- Isaiah 58:3 “Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed?” “Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please, and you oppress all your workers.