Bible Dictionary
Sabbathdays Journey
The Sabbath day’s journey was a traditional limit of travel on the Sabbath, measured from the city’s boundary and commonly set at about 2,000 cubits.
Definition
A Sabbath day’s journey was the traditional limit of Sabbath travel, fixed at about 2,000 paces or six furlongs. The distance was measured from the city wall rather than from a person’s own house.
Biblical Usage
The expression occurs in Acts and reflects the traditional interpretation of the Sabbath travel restriction associated with the law concerning departure from one’s place.
Historical Background
The distance was connected by tradition with the space between the ark and the people and with the suburbs surrounding Levitical cities.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(Acts 1:12) The law as regards travel on the Sabbath is found in (Exodus 16:29) As some departure from a man’s own place was unavoidable, it was thought necessary to determine the allowable amount, which was fixed at 2000 paces, or about six furlongs from the wall of the city. The permitted distance seems to have been grounded on the space to he kept between the ark and the people, (Joshua 3:4) in the wilderness, which tradition said was that between the ark and the tents. We find the same distance given as the circumference outside the walls of the Levitical cities to be counted as their suburbs. (Numbers 33:5) The terminus a quo was thus not a man’s own house, but the wall of the city where he dwelt.