Original Word: מָנוֹחַ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: manowach
Pronunciation: mah-NO-akh
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-no'-akh)
KJV: (place of) rest
NASB: rest, resting place, place, rested, security
Word Origin: [from H5117 (נוַּח - give rest)]

1. quiet
2. (concretely) a settled spot
3. (figuratively) a home

place of rest

From nuwach; quiet, i.e. (concretely) a settled spot, or (figuratively) a home -- (place of) rest.

see HEBREW nuwach

Word Origin
from nuach
Definition
a resting place, state or condition of rest
NASB Translation
place (1), rest (2), rested (1), resting place (2), security (1).

I. מָנוֺחַ noun masculine resting-place, state, or condition of rest; — absolute ׳מ Genesis 8:9 4t.; construct מְנוֺחַ 1 Chronicles 6:16; plural suffix 2feminine singular מְנוּחָ֑יְכִי Psalm 116:7 (Ges^{§ 91} l); —

1 resting-place לְכַף רֶגֶל Genesis 8:9 (J), compare Deuteronomy 28:65; Lamentations 1:3; Isaiah 34:14 (compare also מְנֻחָה Genesis 49:15).

2 rest, repose of soul Psalm 116:7 (plural abstract or intensive); condition of rest and security attained by marriage Ruth 3:1.

3 with force of infinitive (compare Aramaic infinitive with מ prefix) מִמְּנוֺחַ הָאָרוֺן 1 Chronicles 6:16 from the coming to rest of the ark.

Overview

מָנוֹחַ appears six times in the Hebrew canon, always describing a concrete or figurative “resting-place.” The contexts span narrative, law, poetry, and prophecy, presenting rest both as gift and as forfeited blessing. The word pictures the settled stability humanity craves, ultimately pointing to the Lord Himself as the only sure abode.

Occurrences and Settings

• Genesis 8:9 – After judgment by flood, the dove “found no place to rest its foot”. Creation has yet to regain stability; rest is withheld until waters recede.
• Deuteronomy 28:65 – As covenant curse, the disobedient nation is promised, “you will find no repose,” reiterating that true rest is inseparable from covenant faithfulness.
• Ruth 3:1 – Naomi seeks “a home” for Ruth, illustrating מָנוֹחַ as domestic security under Yahweh’s providence.
• 1 Chronicles 6:31 – David appoints Levites to serve “after the ark came to rest,” linking liturgical order to the settled presence of God in Zion.
• Isaiah 34:14 – In a prophetic vision of Edom’s devastation, desert creatures “find a resting place,” portraying ironic repose amid judgment.
• Lamentations 1:3 – Exiled Judah “finds no resting place,” a reversal of the promised land ideal.

Covenantal Rest and Loss

Deuteronomy and Lamentations frame מָנוֹחַ as covenant barometer. When Israel walks in obedience, rest is promised (compare Deuteronomy 12:9-10); when she rebels, the land itself expels her, denying מָנוֹחַ. Thus rest is never merely geographical; it is relational, contingent on fellowship with the Lord.

Domestic and Relational Security

Ruth 3:1 broadens the theme from national to personal. Naomi longs to secure Ruth’s future through covenant marriage. Rest here is safety, provision, and lineage—a microcosm of God’s larger redemptive plan that channels rest to the nations through David’s line and, ultimately, Messiah.

Liturgical Rest: The Ark

In 1 Chronicles 6:31 the ark’s settling marks a pivotal moment: worship can now proceed in ordered permanence. Rest enables ministry; ministry, in turn, celebrates the rest God grants. The Chronicler thereby roots temple song in the accomplished repose of God’s throne among His people (see Psalm 132:8-14).

Judgment Imagery

Isaiah 34:14 turns the word on its head. Unclean creatures “find a resting place” amid Edom’s ruins, highlighting the dreadful repose of desolation. Rest divorced from God becomes eerie stillness, underscoring the futility of security apart from Him.

Trajectories to Fulfillment

While מָנוֹחַ is confined to the Hebrew Scriptures, its theme flows naturally into later revelation. Jesus’ invitation, “Come to Me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), and the Hebrews exhortation to “enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:11) assume the Old Testament backdrop: lasting rest is God’s gift, secured through covenant faithfulness fulfilled perfectly in Christ.

Ministry Implications

1. Preaching: Use the contrast between promised and withheld rest to urge repentance and faith.
2. Pastoral Care: Like Naomi, shepherd believers toward environments—homes, churches—where godly rest can flourish.
3. Worship Planning: Remember that orderly, God-centered worship is possible because the Lord has chosen to “arise to His resting place” among His people.
4. Missions: Proclaim to restless hearts that in Christ exiles become citizens and wanderers find a dwelling.

Related Themes

Sabbath (Genesis 2:3; Exodus 20:11); Inheritance (Joshua 21:44); The Lord as Refuge (Psalm 90:1); Eschatological Rest (Revelation 14:13).

מִמְּנ֖וֹחַ מָנ֑וֹחַ מָנ֖וֹחַ מָנ֜וֹחַ מָנֽוֹחַ׃ ממנוח מנוח מנוח׃ mā·nō·w·aḥ maNoach mānōwaḥ mim·mə·nō·w·aḥ mimeNoach mimmənōwaḥInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts