Lexical Summary
anapausis: Rest, repose, cessation
Original Word: ἀνάπαυσις
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: anapausis
Pronunciation: ah-NAH-pow-sis
Phonetic Spelling: (an-ap'-ow-sis)
KJV: rest
NASB: rest, cease
Word Origin: [from G373 (ἀναπαύω - refreshed)]
1. intermission
2. (by implication) recreation
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
rest.
From anapano; intermission; by implication, recreation -- rest.
see GREEK anapano
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 372 anápausis – inner rest (tranquility). See 373 (anapauō).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
anapauóDefinitioncessation, rest
NASB Translationcease (1), rest (4).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 372: ἀνάπαυσιςἀνάπαυσις,
ἀναπαύσεως,
ἡ (
ἀναπαύω) (from
Mimnermus,
Pindar down);
1. intermission, cessation, of any motion, business, labor: ἀνάπαυσιν οὐκ ἔχουσι λέγοντες (Rec. λέγοντα) equivalent to οὐκ ἀναπαυονται λέγοντες they incessantly say, Revelation 4:8.
2. rest, recreation: Matthew 12:43; Luke 11:24; Revelation 14:11 (and often in Greek writings); blessed tranquillity of soul Matthew 11:29 (Sir. 6:(
Topical Lexicon
Overview of the Theme of RestStrong’s Greek 372 (ἀνάπαυσις) consistently portrays the contrast between divine rest and restless existence apart from God. In the Synoptic Gospels it is the refreshment Jesus offers and the relief evil spirits cannot obtain; in Revelation it marks both the unending worship of the redeemed and the unending torment of the condemned. Across these contexts “rest” is never mere inactivity; it is a state determined by one’s relationship to the Holy One.
Rest Promised by Christ (Matthew 11:29)
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me… and you will find rest for your souls.” The invitation follows Jesus’ prayer of thanks to the Father (Matthew 11:25–27) and declares that true rest is inseparable from submission to Christ’s yoke. The imagery recalls Jeremiah 6:16, where walking in God’s ways brings rest, and alludes to Sabbath fulfillment (Exodus 20:8–11). Here rest is not freedom from service but service under the gracious Master whose burden is light. For weary and heavy-laden sinners the promise is immediate spiritual relief and foreshadows eschatological peace (Hebrews 4:1–11).
Rest Sought by the Unclean Spirit (Matthew 12:43; Luke 11:24)
“When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.” Evil is depicted as dislocated, wandering through desert wastelands reminiscent of Isaiah 34:10–14. Restless demons mirror the spiritual condition of those who resist repentance; they cannot settle because they refuse the Lord’s dominion. Jesus warns that a mere moral reformation, apart from His indwelling presence, leaves a vacuum sure to be re-occupied. The passage underscores that rest is intrinsically tied to holiness; unclean spirits and unregenerate hearts remain perpetually unsettled.
Ceaseless Worship and the Absence of Rest (Revelation 4:8; 14:11)
Revelation 4:8: “Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty…’ ” The living creatures experience no ἀνάπαυσις from their adoration, not because they are denied refreshment, but because worship itself is their delight. Rest here is transformed: endless praise is perfect satisfaction.
Revelation 14:11 presents the antithesis: “And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” Eternal unrest is the just consequence of persistent idolatry. The juxtaposition of chapters 4 and 14 establishes that human destiny culminates either in ceaseless joyful service or ceaseless agonized unrest, depending on one’s allegiance.
Theological and Pastoral Implications
1. Christ-centered rest: Rest is rooted in union with Jesus, not in circumstances. Pastoral ministry must lead souls to His yoke rather than to self-help remedies.
2. Moral neutrality is impossible: The house swept but unoccupied (Luke 11:25–26) warns against superficial reforms. Discipleship must emphasize new birth and Spirit-indwelling, lest converts relapse into deeper bondage.
3. Worship as fulfillment: Congregational praise prefigures Revelation’s throne room. Encouraging wholehearted worship prepares believers for their eternal vocation.
4. Eternal seriousness: Revelation 14:11 compels evangelism. The preacher must hold forth both the promise of rest and the peril of unrest.
Historical and Intertestamental Background
Second Temple Judaism linked rest with the promised land, Sabbath observance, and messianic hope. Rabbinic traditions spoke of the Torah as a “yoke,” yet Jesus uniquely presents His own yoke as the path to rest. Early Christian writers (e.g., Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians 10) echoed Matthew 11:29, urging believers to find repose in Christ amid persecution. The term ἀνάπαυσις appears in contemporaneous Greek literature for relief from toil, underscoring its cultural resonance when the Gospel proclaimed a deeper, spiritual meaning.
Connections with Old Testament Rest
Genesis 2:2–3 establishes divine rest at creation. Israel’s weekly Sabbath (Exodus 31:13) and covenantal land rest (Deuteronomy 12:9–10) anticipated a greater reality fulfilled in Christ (Colossians 2:16–17). Hebrews 4:9 identifies a “Sabbath rest” remaining for God’s people, integrating ἀνάπαυσις theology into the broader biblical narrative: creation, covenant, Christ, consummation.
Application in Christian Ministry
• Preach Christ’s yoke as the antidote to modern anxiety.
• Cultivate Spirit-filled discipleship to guard against relapse into sin’s bondage.
• Model corporate worship that mirrors heavenly devotion, nurturing a foretaste of eternal rest.
• Proclaim the urgency of salvation, warning that “there is no rest day or night” for the unrepentant.
In sum, Strong’s 372 threads through Scripture as a profound witness: rest is God’s gift in Christ, restlessness the inescapable lot of those estranged from Him.
Forms and Transliterations
αναπαύσει αναπαύσεις αναπαύσεως αναπαυσιν ανάπαυσιν ανάπαυσίν ἀνάπαυσιν ανάπαυσις anapausin anápausin
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