The Sabbath Law in the Decalogue(s): Creation and Liberation as a Paradigm for Community

Paying attention to the locus (textual, structural, historical and theological) of the Sabbath law in the Decalogue(s) in Exod 20:8-11 and Deut 5:12-15, as well as their location within the biblical canon, this study argues that one of the key reasons for the differences in the language of the Sabbath command in Exodus and Deuteronomy involves contextualization. A closer look at the textual data highlights many links to the creation narrative of Genesis. Together with liberation (or redemption), creation is a key theological component of the Sabbath law in the Decalogue(s) and is linked to issues of holiness. This holiness does not only concern the individual before God but rather involves and creates community.