In an effort to promote, and increase familiarity, permit me to present you the Fourth Directive’s text, as it traditionally is seen in translation. For this is the scripture, which says God “restedâ€, traditionally as verse 11 shows below:

(RSV Exodus 20:8-11) ⁸“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.⁹Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; ¹⁰but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; ¹¹for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed itâ€.

As you can see, and observe for yourself, Exodus 20:11, the final verse here seems to state unequivocally, that Yahweh God “rested†(as is italicized) on the seventh day: Beginning with a brief account of his creation schedule, verse 11 reports of his having “‘rested’ the seventh dayâ€.

A. In the Translation

Concerning itself with this very same narrative, Genesis 2:2 reads, as follows (RSV):

“And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work¹ which he had done 

An attentive look at the Bible’s Hebrew² in Genesis 2:2 and Exodus 20:11 discloses their use of two different Hebrew verbs to narrate Yahweh’s above mentioned seventh day activity.

Applying one English verb, “to rest†to translate these two italicized verbs, the above cited renderings have disguised each scripture’s use of a different Hebrew verb: While Genesis 2:2 actually speaks of God’s having “‘ceased’ on the seventh dayâ€, Exodus 20:11 employs a different verb to tell of his having “‘rested’ the seventh dayâ€. And to this, we should briefly give at least some attention.

B. As Is the Case…

In Exodus 20:11, this verb, translated so as to tell of God’s having “rested†is somewhat similar to the English verb, “to restâ€: With this same Hebrew verb, one could speak of someone’s having “rested†from labour. At the same time, however, one could also use it to tell of someone’s having “rested†the book on the table, beside his chair.

In Hebrew, the former would be in the “Qal†tense, which performs approximately the same function as the English simple past, present and future tense. For the latter, the Hebrew tense would be the “Hiphil†or causative tense. And here, please permit me to caution, and advise:

Do not assume, that what awaits
Much expertise necessitates
As if demand it must of you
What unprepared are you to do
But rather, just attentive be
To this. And quickly will you see
Your simple use of “common senseâ€
To you discernment will dispense.

In the first of these two above tenses, one rests because of fatigue. In the second tense, one “causes†the book “to rest†on the table. Or one “places†it on the table, which has absolutely nothing to do with fatigue.

Again, Exodus 20:11 does not use the same Hebrew verb to tell of God’s having “restedâ€, where Genesis 2:2 recalls God’s having “ceasedâ€. And a good example of the contrast in the significance of these verbs is exhibited, and displayed by their simultaneous use in Exodus 23:12 (deMSby³):

“Throughout six days, you will do your activities. And on the seventh day, you will cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest. And the son of your maidservant and the visitor may be restoredâ€.

As is the case in Exodus 20:11, the verb, “to restâ€, the second of the two italicized verbs is the one, that is used, and is the object of our focus.

C. For Yourself

In Exodus 20:11, however, this verb is applied in such a way as to allow its being “parsedâ€, or conjugated as either the Qal or the Hiphil tense⁴: Yes, speaking strictly and exclusively in terms of linguistics, its translation will admit, and will present as correctly rendered through its assignment with two meanings and two different sorts of import.

And my intention here is not to prefer the one at the expense of the other, or to criticize the one through commendation of the other: In God Did Not “Rest†and in its elaboration, I do not presume to promote either one, or dismiss either one, or to indicate implicitly, that one is better.

On quite the contrary, my intention here is simply, that you might yourself make this choice for yourself, and do it more observantly, astutely and studiously. You can yourself manage your own selection of that particular option, which best appeals to you, when you yourself make inspection of the evidence.

D. Effectively, It Has Concealed

Because until now, simple tradition has acted in your behalf, and has selected in your behalf, and has thus denied your option and even awareness of this option: In truth, in its having chosen for “he ‘rested’†instead of this alternative, “optional†translation, tradition has all but hidden, and concealed one of these options through its presentation and exhibition of the other.

Effectively, it has obscured, and has obliterated the one by way of emphasis, utter devotion and partiality to the other. And I believe, that you would like to become apprised, and be made aware of what has been thus far concealed, and truly eclipsed by tradition.

And again, this is so, that you might exercise the option to decide for yourself, and make selection for yourself.

Until now, this option
To you was unknown
In obscurity was it
Suspended
In vines of tradition
It long overgrown
Has remained in concealment
Extended

But passing is such
Like the seasonal course
Whose duration can not
Ever last
And despite its enduring
Momentum and force
Dissipate will it soon
In the past

For a far greater Force
Has assembled us here
That himself he might make
Better known
More distinctly shall he
On these pages appear
When this scriptural option
Is shown

And specifically thus
He directs as a guide
Which the reader, who prudent
Is heeds
Time it is, that you now
For yourself can decide
When advised of the Almighty’s
Deeds

And in the simple interest of accurate biblical presentation, it is my purpose and single aspiration, that you might be introduced to this “optional†translation of Exodus 20:11 of the Fourth Directive.

¹This scripture epitomizes the unavoidable inconsistence of any biblical recall, that God, the Almighty could ever have “restedâ€: For how could God have “finished his work which he had done†“on the seventh dayâ€?

While he as well “rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had doneâ€, as this scripture is translated here (RSV Genesis 2:2): “And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done 

²Hopefully, you are aware, that the Bible’s Old Testament was originally written mainly in Hebrew. Unlike the New Testament, which was originally written in Greek.

Which obviously means: Someone, who reads neither Greek nor Hebrew must be reliant on biblical translation.

Examples of which are the KJV (King James Version) or RSV (Revised Standard Version). Of which, you are probably aware. And through which, many can read biblical Scripture, despite inability to read Greek and Hebrew.

³Again, this representation, “deMSby†is signification of the use of the de MontSabbathby Version, the author’s translation of biblical Scripture. (And again, incidentally, de MontSabbathby is phonetically pronounced, and accented as if spelled “d’Maunt Sábbathbeeâ€). But any scripture quoted by this book, which is not from the de MontSabbathby Version will always distinctly be cited as such, while denoting that version from which it is cited, KJV (King James Version) or RSV (Revised Standard Version) etc.⁴To readers, who have had no introduction to biblical Hebrew, some of this Chapter’s text could well be at least somewhat arcane.