"Servile" work

[Peairtach]

Partly stimulated by Scott's recent post on "necessity and mercy" but I'd been meaning to find out if there was any relevance of these Scriptures to the weekly Sabbath of Israel, and hence our Christian Sabbath, for some time:-

In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (Lev 23:7)

But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.(Lev 23:8)

And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.(Lev 23:21)

Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.(Lev 23:25)

On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.(Lev 23:35)

Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. (Lev 23:36)

In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein (Num 28:18)

And on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work. (Num 28:25)

Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the Lord, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work (Num 28:26)

And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. (Num 29:1)

And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days (Num 29:12)

On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein (Num 29:35)

And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.(Ex 12:16)

The word "servile" is translated in different ways in different versions -servile (KJV); ordinary (ESV); servile (ASV); regular (NIV); laborious (NASB); customary (NKJV).

What is the meaning of this word and should it have had an influence on how fiorst century Judaism understood the weekly Sabbath? I don't think it is used of the weekly Sabbath directly, but I presume some of the Jewish festivals (sometimes) fell on a weekly Sabbath?

Was the qualification of the word "servile" meant to alert God's people to the legitimacy of works of necessity and mercy, which Pharasaism neglected or denied, thus twisting the Sabbath into something it was not meant to be as it was given from God through Moses, and which our Lord restored?