Westminster Shorter Catechism · Question 57 of 107
Which is the fourth commandment?
A.The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Which Bible passages support this answer?
The Westminster Assembly attached these Scripture proofs to answer 57. Read them together and ask what each one shows about the answer.
- Exodus 20:8-11
8“Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart as holy. 9For six days you may labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. (NET)
What does this answer mean?
The fourth commandment is 'Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.' Six days are for work, and the seventh is the sabbath of the Lord, a day of rest for the whole household, servants, animals and guests included. The commandment points back to creation: God made the world in six days and rested the seventh.
What can we ask our children?
- How many days does God give for work?
- Who in the household was to rest?
- Whose example does this commandment point to?
Can I print this question?
Yes. Every printable here is free for home, church and co-op use. Press Print on any of these pages for a clean sheet.
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- Copywork page for question 57 (trace, then copy)
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Text: The Shorter Catechism, constitutional text of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Public domain (1647). Proof references: Scripture proofs added by the Westminster Assembly, as transcribed by The Westminster Standard. Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible; see permissions.
Checked against a second edition on November 15, 2026. Explanation and questions by Household Theology Press. Last updated November 15, 2026.