Chap. III Of Their Sabbath
The word שבת Schabbath, from whence our English word Sabbath is derived, signifieth Rest, and is applied to all solemn Festivals. They polluted my Sabbaths, Ezek. 20. 21. that is, my Feasts. Sometimes it is applyed to the whole week, Jejuno bis in Sabbato, I fast twice in the week. Sometimes, and that most frequently, it is used for that 7th day which God had set apart for his own service. This last was holy, either by a simple holiness which belonged to it, as was the seventh day; or else by a double holiness occasioned by some solemn Feast upon the same day, and then it was called, Sabbatum magnum, a great Sabbath, John 19. 36. For on that Sabbath day of which S. John speaketh, the Feast of the Passover hapned that year.
The week days are termed by the Hebrew, חולים Cholim, prophane days; by the Greek ἐνεργοὶ, working days: but when they speak of them altogether, τὸ μεταξὺ σαββάτων, the space of time between two Sabbaths.278 This was the time upon which the Gentiles desired to hear Paul Act. 13. 42. In respect of the different degrees of holiness on days, the Sabbath-day is not unfitly compared to a Queen, or rather to those whom they termed Primary wives; other Feast days to Concubines, or half wives; working-days, to hand-maids.
The Sabbaths began at279 six a clock the night before: this the Grecians called παρείσοδον σαββάτου the Hebrew280 Biath haschabbath, the enterance of the Sabbath.
The preparation to the Sabbath begun at281 three of the clock in the afternoon; the Hebrews called this ערב השבת Gnereb haschabbath, the Sabbath eve. By the ancient Fathers it was called282 cœna pura; the phrase is borrowed from Pagans, whose Religion taught them in their Sacrifices to certain of their Gods and Goddesses, to prepare themselves by a strict kind of holiness; at which time of their preparation they did pertake of a certain Supper, which as it consisted of choice meats, such as those Heathens deemed more holy than others: so it was eat with the observation of Holy Rites and Ceremonies: Hence they themselves were said at this time of their preparation to be in In casto, and their preparatory Supper termed, Cœna pura. Thus we see the reason why the Fathers called the Sabbath-eve, Cœnam puram. By the Evangelists it was called παρασκευὴ, A preparation, Mark 15. 42. For distinction sake, we may call that fore-time of the day προπαρασκευὴ, A fore-preparation. For the whole day was a kind of preparation, as will appear by the particulars then forbidden. First on this day they might go no more than three Parsas; now a Parsa contained so much ground as an ordinary man might go ten of them in a day. Secondly, Judges might not then sit in Judgment upon life and death, as is shewn in the Chapter of Translation of Feasts.283 Thirdly, all sorts of Artificers were forbidden to work, only three excepted, shoomakers, Taylors, and Scribes; the two former for repairing of apparel, the other for fitting themselves by study to expound the Law the next day, and these were permitted but half the preparation time to work.
The best and wealthiest of them,284 even those that had many servants, did with their own hands further the preparation; so that sometimes the Masters themselves would chop herbs, sweep the house, cleave wood, kindle the fire, and such like.
In old time285 they proclamed the Preparation with noise of Trumpets, or Horns; but now the modern Jews proclaim it by the Sexton, or some under Officer of the Church, whom they call שליח צבור Scheliach tsibbur, The Messenger of the Congregation.
Concerning the sanctification of the Sabbath day it self, in corrupter times some things the Jews added over and above that which God commanded. In other things they took liberty where God granted none. In the first they were superstitious, in the second sacrilegious.
They took liberty: There were two thousand Cubits between the Ark and the Camp, when they marched; Josh. 3. 4. and in probability the same proportion was observed when they rested: this distance of ground some interpret to be one mile, some two; some measuring it according to a lesser, others according to a longer Cubit, which they term a Geometrical Cubit: But all agree in this, that these two thousand cubits was a Sabbath days journey, though none, as I know, have observed the reason why it was so called, which I take to be this: On the Sabbath day they were all to repair to the place of God’s publike worship, which was two thousand cubits distant from those who camped nearest: Hence follow four Propositions. First, That two thousand Cubits any where, by proportion, might be called a Sabbath dayes journy. Secondly, That to those who dwelt in the Camps more remote from the Ark, a Sabbath daies journy was more than two thousand Cubits. Thirdly, That it is now lawful on the Sabbath day, to joyn with the Congregation in the place of God’s publick worship, though remote. Fourthly, That it was unlawful for the Jews hereupon to take liberty to walk idlely whither they would, if it were not more then two thousand Cubits, pretending it to be but a Sabbath daies journey.
They added unto that which God commanded, 1. God said, Remember to keep holy a seventh day: in which words, God sanctified one day to be Sabbatum,286 they added Sabbatulum, so they termed that additament of time which they annexed to the Sabbath. This addition of time was two-fold: some began the Sabbath sooner than others; this was done by the Jews dwelling at Tiberias, because they dwelling in a Valley, the Sun appeared not to them so soon as it did to others. Some again continued the Sabbath longer than others: this was done by those dwelling at Tsepphore, a City placed upon the top of a Mountain, so that the Sun shined longer to them, than it did to others. Thus both of these did Addere de profano ad sacrum; add somewhat of the working day, immediately going before, or immediately following after: none diminished of the Sabbath. Hence287 R. Jose wished that his portion might be with those that began the Sabbath, with those of Tiberias, and ended with those of Tsepphore.
2. God said, To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord, bake that ye will bake, and seethe that ye will seethe, Exod. 16. 23. This Command was proper to the time of Manna:288 the reason is there alledged, why they should prepare that day for the morrow, because upon the Sabbath day they should not find it in the field. The Jews extend this Command to all Ages; and therefore they dressed no meat this day: this haply was the reason, that the Heathen people thought they fasted289 on the Sabbath, though I deny not but this error might be occasioned in part from that phrase, Jejuno bis in Sabbato.
3. God said, Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day, Exod. 35. 3. This commandment was only concerning fire for the furtherance of the work of the Tabernacle,290 for therefore is the Sabbath mentioned in that Chapter, to shew, that the work of the Tabernacle ought to give place to the Sabbath. The Jews hence gather, that it is unlawful to kindle any fire at all on this day.
4. God said, In it thou shalt do no manner of work. This the Jews understood without any manner of exception.291 Hence they held it unlawful, to roast an apple, to tuck an herb, to clime a tree, to kill or catch a flea. Hence they thought it unlawful to defend themselves, being assaulted by their enemies on the Sabbath day: By this means, twice they became a prey unto the enemy.292 First, unto Antiochus; whereupon Mattathias made a Decree, that it should be lawful upon the Sabbath to resist their enemies; which Decree again they understanding strictly, as if it did only give leave to resist,293 when they were actually assaulted, and not by any labour that day to prevent the enemies raising of Rams, settling of Engines, underminings, &c. they became a prey, the second time, to Pompey. For the right understanding therefore of this Command, we are to know, that three sorts of servile works were allowed.
1. Works of Charity: God, that allowed them to lead their Oxe and Ass to water on the Sabbath, Luke 13. to make their lives more comfortable, much more allowed man liberty to dress convenient food for himself and his Family, that they might the more comfortably perform holy duties. Christ healed on the Sabbath, therefore, visiting the sick, and the use of the Physitian, was both then and now lawful.
2. Works tending directly to Gods Worship: not only killing of sacrifices, and circumcising of children on that day was allowed; but the Priests might lawfully blow their Trumpets and Horns on the Sabbath day; for the assembling of the people, Numb. 20. 2. And the people might warrantably go from their Houses to the place of Gods publick worship. By proportion it is now warrantable for Christians, to ring bells to assemble the people together on the Lords day; to take journeys, to joyn with the publick Congregation, or Preach the Word. Of these we may say, though they are in their own natures bodily labors, yet the Temple which was sanctified did change the nature of them, and make them holy, Mat. 23. 17. Or as the Jews say concerning the overthrow of Jericho, which according to their writings fell on the Sabbath day:294 He which commanded the Sabbath to be sanctified, commanded it also to be prophaned.
3. Works of absolute necessity, as the defending ones self against his enemy, and others of like nature: concerning which the Jews have a saying,295 Peril of life drives away the Sabbath. And the Christians with a little change of a more common Proverb, say, Necessitas non habet ferias; Necessity hath no Holy days.
Notes
278 Scalig. de emend. Temp. l. 6 p. 261. Item Beza in hunc locum.
279 Scalig. de emend. Temp. l. 6. p. 269.
280 באת השבת
281 Joseph. Antiq. l. 16. c. 10.
282 In ritibus Paganorum cœna pura appellabatur; cœna illis apponi solita, qui in casto erant quod Græci dicunt ἁγνεύειν, vel προαγνεύειν. Isaac Casaubon, Exercit. 16, p. 662.
283 Casaubon. Exercit. 16. p. 479. ex Michlol. Kimchi.
284 Buxtorf. Synagog. Jud. cap. 10. ex Talmud.
285 Buxtorf Synagog. Judaic. ibid.
286 Hospinian. de Orig. fest. c. 3.
287 Buxtorf. Comment. Masoret. cap. 4, ex Musar.
288 Jun. & Tremel. in Exod. 16.
289 Sueton. August. c. 76 de jejun. Sabbat. Vid. Martial. l. 4. Epig. 4.
290 Vatablus in hunc locum Item. Trem. & Junius.
291 Hospinian. de Orig. fest. c. de Sabbato.
292 Joseph. l. 12. cap. 8.
293 Joseph. l. 14: cap. 8.
294 מי שצות על השבת צות לחלל שבת R. D. Kimchi in Josh. 6.
295 מסכנות נפש דוחה שבת