A sabbath is a day reserved for rest or prayer, usually each week. The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat (שַׁבָּת). This word is built from the Hebrew root Sh-B-T, meaning rest.

In the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, the root Sh-B-T is used to describe God resting on the seventh day. This is the day after He finished creating the universe. In the Bible, the idea of Shabbat, or Sabbath, as a holy day of rest starts there.