And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

GENESIS 2:3KJV
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Genesis 2:3 (KJV)

What does Genesis 2:3 mean?

Genesis 2:3 says that God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because He rested from all the work He had done in creating the world. This verse marks the seventh day as special, set apart from the other days of creation, because it was the day God stopped working.

In the story, God is the one acting, and the audience is anyone reading or hearing the account of creation. The verse explains why the seventh day is different: it is not just another day, but one that God Himself "blessed" and "sanctified" after finishing His creative work. This sets a pattern for rest and gives the seventh day a unique place in the creation story.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 2:3

  • "blessed" (בָּרַךְ, bāraḵ): This word means to speak good of or to make something fruitful. Here, it shows that God gave the seventh day a special favor or benefit.
  • "sanctified" (קָדַשׁ, qādaš): This means to set apart or make something holy. God made the seventh day different from the others, dedicating it for a special purpose.
  • "rested" (שָׁבַת, shāḇaṯ): This word means to cease or stop working. It does not mean God was tired, but that He finished His creative activity and paused.

Why Genesis 2:3 matters

  • Genesis 2:3 explains the origin of the idea of a special day of rest, which later becomes important in the Bible as the Sabbath.
  • The verse emphasizes that rest is not just for people, but is rooted in God's own actions, giving dignity and purpose to the idea of stopping work.
  • By blessing and sanctifying the seventh day, the verse shows that time itself can be made holy, not just places or objects.

Where else these words appear

“because” Hebrew H3588 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
  • Exodus 23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
  • Joshua 2:24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

“created” Hebrew H1254 · used in 46 verses

  • Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
  • Psalms 89:47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
  • Isaiah 45:12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

“rested” Hebrew H7673 · used in 67 verses

  • Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
  • Nehemiah 4:11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
  • Jeremiah 48:35 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.

“seventh” Hebrew H7637 · used in 94 verses

  • Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
  • Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
  • 1 Kings 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.