5118. nuach or noach
Lexical Summary
nuach or noach: To rest, to settle down, to repose, to be quiet

Original Word: נוּחַ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: nuwach
Pronunciation: noo'-akh
Phonetic Spelling: (noo'-akh)
KJV: rest(-ed, -ing place)
Word Origin: [from H5117 (נוַּח - give rest)]

1. quiet

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
rested,

Or nowach {no'-akh}; from nuwach; quiet -- rest(-ed, -ing place).

see HEBREW nuwach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a form of nuach, q.v.

Topical Lexicon
Core Idea of נוּחַ

At its heart נוּחַ depicts a settled calm that follows conflict or movement: a secure “resting” which God gives, God enjoys, and God calls His people to experience in fellowship with Him.

Canonical Appearances

2 Chronicles 6:41 situates נוּחַ at the climax of Solomon’s Temple dedication. The king prays, “Now therefore arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might”. Here the word designates the holy habitation where the LORD’s presence abides among His covenant people.

Esther 9:16 speaks of corporate relief for God’s dispersed nation: “The rest of the Jews in the royal provinces… had rest from their enemies”. The term signals the cessation of hostility and the enjoyment of secure life under God’s providence, even in exile.

Historical and Redemptive Significance

1. Rest and God’s Dwelling
• In Solomon’s prayer, the “resting place” is not merely geographical but relational—God’s enthronement amid the praises of Israel (compare Psalms 132:14). נוּחַ therefore advances the theme of Emmanuel—God with us—anticipating the fuller indwelling realized in Jesus Christ and the Spirit-filled Church (John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 3:16).

2. Rest and Covenant Victory
• In Esther, נוּחַ follows decisive deliverance. The Jews’ foes are subdued, confirming God’s immutable promise to preserve Abraham’s seed (Genesis 12:3). The term becomes a narrative hinge from threatened annihilation to festival joy (Esther 9:22), underscoring the faithfulness of God’s covenant love.

3. Rest as Eschatological Hope
• The two occurrences form bookends: a Temple anchored in Jerusalem and an exiled people scattered through Persia. Together they forecast a consummate rest when God tabernacles with redeemed humanity in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3-4). נוּחַ thus participates in Scripture’s unfolding anticipation of ultimate Sabbath restoration (Hebrews 4:9-11).

Ministry Implications

• Worship Leadership

Solomon’s appeal models prayer that welcomes God’s manifest presence. Modern worshipers can echo this cry, seeking that congregational gatherings become true “resting places” for the Lord’s glory.

• Pastoral Care under Persecution

Esther’s context encourages believers facing hostility. God-given rest does not depend on circumstances but on divine intervention; shepherds can point suffering saints to Christ, “Come to Me… and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

• Community Celebration

The post-deliverance feast of Purim shows that rest occasions corporate remembrance. Churches should mark God’s interventions with testimonies and festivals that nourish collective faith.

Related Biblical Themes

Sabbath (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11)

Inheritance rest (Joshua 21:44)

Messianic rest (Isaiah 11:10; Matthew 11:29)

Eternal rest (Revelation 14:13)

In every context נוּחַ directs attention to the LORD who secures, sustains, and satisfies His people, foreshadowing the unshakeable peace found in the crucified and risen Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
וְנ֙וֹחַ֙ ונוח לְֽנוּחֶ֔ךָ לנוחך lə·nū·ḥe·ḵā lenuChecha lənūḥeḵā veNoach wə·nō·w·aḥ wənōwaḥ
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
2 Chronicles 6:41
HEB: יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ לְֽנוּחֶ֔ךָ אַתָּ֖ה וַאֲר֣וֹן
KJV: God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark
INT: LORD God resting You and the ark

Esther 9:16
HEB: עַל־ נַפְשָׁ֗ם וְנ֙וֹחַ֙ מֵאֹ֣יְבֵיהֶ֔ם וְהָרֹג֙
KJV: for their lives, and had rest from their enemies,
INT: for their lives rest their enemies and slew

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5118
2 Occurrences


lə·nū·ḥe·ḵā — 1 Occ.
wə·nō·w·aḥ — 1 Occ.

5117
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