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Bible Dictionaries
Rest, Remain
Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words
or Nûach (נוּחַ, Strong's #5117), “to rest, remain, be quiet.” This word is common to ancient and modern Hebrew, as well as ancient Akkadian and Ugaritic. It occurs in the text of the Old Testament approximately 65 times; the first occurrence is in Gen. 8:4: “And the ark [came to rest] … upon the mountains of Ararat.” This illustrates the frequent use of this word to show a physical settling down of something at some particular place. Other examples are birds (2 Sam. 21:10), insects (Exod. 10:14), and soles of feet in the waters of the Jordan (Josh. 3:13).
“To rest” sometimes indicates a complete envelopment and thus permeation, as in the spirit of Elijah “resting” on Elisha (2 Kings 2:15), the hand of God “resting” on the mountain (Isa. 25:10), and when Wisdom “resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding” (Prov. 14:33). Frequently nûach means “to be quiet” or “to rest” after hard work (Exod. 20:11), from onslaught of one’s enemies (Esth. 9:16), from trouble (Job 3:26), and in death (Job 3:17). The word may mean “to set one’s mind at rest,” as when a child receives the discipline of his parent (Prov. 29:17). Sometimes nûach means “to leave at rest” or “to allow to remain.” Thus, God “allowed” the pagan nations “to remain” in Canaan during Joshua’s lifetime (Judg. 2:23). God threatened to abandon the Israelites in the wilderness (Num. 32:15).
It should be noted that while nûach is used sometimes as a synonym for shabat, “to cease, to rest” (Exod. 20:11), shabat really is basically “to cease” from work which may imply rest, but not necessarily so. The writer of Gen. 2:3 is not stressing rest from work but rather God’s ceasing from His creative work since it was complete.
These files are public domain.
Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Rest, Remain'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/vot/r/rest-remain.html. 1940.
