The Sabbath

Τοῦτο τὸ ῥημα ὄ ἐλάλησε Κύριος· Σάββατα, ἀνάπαυσις ἁγία τῷ Κυρίῷ αὕριον. Ἀπογράφομαι τὰ περὶ τοῦ σαββάτου εἰρημένα· πρῶτον κατὰ το ῥητὸν, ἵν' ἴδωσι τί σημαίνει τὸ γράμμα· δεύτερον δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν, καθ' ἤν εἴποιμι ἂν ἡμέραν σαββάτου ἑνεστηκέναι τῷ δικαίῳ καταλύσαντι τὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἔργα, καὶ δοξάζοντι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ σχολάζοντι, μήτε τοῦ τόπου ἐν ᾦ ἔστηκε τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀφισταμένῳ· μήτε πῦρ καίοντι, κατὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἁμαρτάνειν· μήτε βαστάγματα αἴροντι. Βάσταγμα ὄρους βαρύτερον πᾶσα ἁμαρτία· διὸ ἔλεγεν ὁ Ὑμνῳδὸς· Ὠσεὶ φορτίον βαρὺ ἐβαρύνθησαν ἐπ' ἐμέ. Ἑτέρα δὲ ἀπογραφὴ ἂν εἴη σαββάτου, καθ' ἤν ἀπολείπεται σαββατισμὸς τῷ λαῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀνάπαυσις ἱερὰ καὶ ἁγία. Ὁ δὲ ποιήσας πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, ἄξιος κρίνεται ἐκείνου τοῦ Σαββάτου· σχολάζων οὐδενὶ ἢ τῇ θεωρίᾳ της αληθείας, καὶ τῆς σοφίας. Ὠριγένης, Ἐκλογαὶ Εἰς Την Ἐξοδον Source: Migne PG 12.289a-b

This is the word the Lord spoke, 'Tomorrow is the Sabbath, the rest holy to the Lord.' 1 I shall expound what is said concerning the Sabbath first according to the plain word, so that what the letter means shall be apparent, and then according to the spiritual understanding, according to which I may say that the Sabbath day is fitting for the righteous man to make an end of the works of the world, and to glorify God, and to be at peace, and not to withdraw from the place in which he stands, which is obviously Christ, nor does he kindle the fire of sin, nor does he carry burdens. Heavier than the weight of a mountain is every sin, as the Psalmist said: 'As a burden weighing greatly upon me.' 2 Another exposition of the Sabbath is that 'there remains a Sabbath for the people of God,' 3 which is sacred and holy rest. And he who has performed all his work is judged worthy of this Sabbath, having leisure for nothing else but the contemplation of truth and wisdom. Origen, On Exodus, Fragment 1 Exod 16.23 2 Ps 37.5 3 Heb 4.9