G373 — ἀναπαύω (anapauō)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G373
Original: ἀναπαύω
Transliteration: anapaúō
Pronunciation: an-ap-ow'-o
Part of Speech: Verb
Root: From ἀνά (G303, "up, again") + παύω (G3973, "to make to cease, stop")
Occurrences: 12 unique verses (13 tokens) across 8 books in the NT
First Occurrence: Matt 11:28 — "Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From ἀνά and παύω; (reflexively) to repose — literally (to rest, recline) or figuratively (to be refreshed, relieved, eased). The compound conveys the sense of causing labor or activity to cease, then by extension the state of repose that follows. In active voice the subject gives rest to another; in middle/passive the subject takes rest or is refreshed.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

ἀναπαύω is associated with the following Louw-Nida domains (from search_relationships.py):

Domain 23 — Physiological Processes and States
Domain 85 — Existence in Space
Domain 13 — Be, Become, Exist, Happen

The cognate noun ἀνάπαυσις (G372, "rest, cessation") and κατάπαυσις (G2663/G2671, "rest, cessation from work") occupy the same conceptual field of ceasing from activity.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
rest / resteth / they should rest / they may rest	6	50%
refresh / refreshed (various forms)	4	33%
take thine ease	1	8%
will give (rest)	1	8%

All renderings fall within two clusters: rest/repose and refresh/relieve. The KJV varies the surface form mainly by tense and voice, not by a shift in core meaning.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Philemon	2	8.0
1 Peter	1	1.0
Revelation	2	0.5
2 Corinthians	1	0.4
Mark	2	0.3
Matthew	2	0.2
1 Corinthians	1	0.2
Luke	1	0.1

A low-frequency word spread thinly across Gospels, Pauline letters, and Apocalypse. The highest density is in the short letter to Philemon, where Paul twice speaks of believers being "refreshed." The word never appears in John, Acts, or the Pastoral Epistles. Its placement spans both Jesus' own teaching (the Gospels) and the eschatological rest of the martyrs (Revelation).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Rest Given by Christ to the Weary¶

Matt 11:28 — "Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (active voice: Christ as the giver)

2. Physical Rest / Sleep / Pause from Labor¶

Matt 26:45 — "Sleep on now, and take [your] rest" (Gethsemane)
Mark 14:41 — "Sleep on now, and take [your] rest" (parallel)
Mark 6:31 — "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while"

3. Ease / Self-Indulgent Repose¶

Luke 12:19 — "Soul... take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry" (the rich fool's presumed repose)

4. Refreshment of Persons by Fellow Believers¶

1 Cor 16:18 — "they have refreshed my spirit and yours"
2 Cor 7:13 — "his spirit was refreshed by you all"
Phlm 1:7 — "the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee"
Phlm 1:20 — "refresh my bowels in the Lord"

5. The Spirit of God Resting Upon Believers¶

1 Pet 4:14 — "the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you"

6. Eschatological Rest of the Dead / Martyrs¶

Rev 6:11 — "that they should rest yet for a little season" (souls under the altar)
Rev 14:13 — "Blessed [are] the dead... that they may rest from their labours"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
πνεῦμα (pneuma)	G4151	4x	"refreshed my spirit" / "the Spirit resteth"
ἔρχομαι (erchomai)	G2064	3x	"come... and rest" — invitation paired with repose
λέγω (legō)	G3004	3x	spoken summons or pronouncement of rest
πολύς (polys)	G4183	3x	"many" coming/going; "much goods"
δεῦτε (deute)	G1205	2x	"Come" — imperative inviting to rest
καθεύδω (katheudō)	G2518	2x	"Sleep on... and take rest" (paired with sleep)
παράκλησις (paraklēsis)	G3874	2x	rest/refreshment linked with comfort/consolation
σπλάγχνον (splanchnon)	G4698	2x	"bowels [hearts] refreshed"
μακάριος (makarios)	G3107	2x	blessedness joined to rest (1 Pet 4:14; Rev 14:13)

Word Family / Cognates¶

G3973 παύω (pauō) — base verb: to make to cease, stop, leave off
G303 ἀνά (ana) — prefix: up, again, back
G372 ἀνάπαυσις (anapausis) — cognate noun: rest, cessation, intermission
G2663 κατάπαυσις (katapausis) — related compound noun: rest, repose (esp. the Sabbath rest of Heb 3–4)

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
ἀνάπαυσις	G372	"rest"	Noun for the state/place of rest; G373 is the verb (the act of resting or giving rest)
κατάπαυσις	G2663	"rest"	Emphasizes a settled rest reached after work — the goal/destination of rest; G373 emphasizes the act of refreshing or pausing
λοιποί	G3062	"rest"	"the rest" meaning the remainder/others — homonym in English, unrelated meaning
νοῦς / σαββατισμός	—	"rest"	Hebrews uses σαββατισμός (G4520) for "sabbath rest"; not interchangeable with G373's relief/refreshment sense

Hebrew Source¶

Through the LXX, ἀναπαύω most often renders Hebrew נוּחַ (PMI-ranked):

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI Score	Notes
נוּחַ (nuwach)	H5117	24	22.95	Primary equivalent — "to rest, settle down"
רָבַץ (rabats)	H7257	8	14.84	"to crouch, lie down" (of animals/flocks)
שָׁקַט (shaqat)	H8252	8	13.82	"to be quiet, repose, be at peace"
שָׁכַן (shakan)	H7931	8	10.36	"to settle, dwell, abide"
נָוֶה (naveh)	H5116	4	8.89	"abode at home, pasture, resting place"
רָעָה (raah)	H7462	5	7.03	"to pasture, tend a flock" (rest of grazing)

The dominant bridge is נוּחַ (H5117) — the verb of God's rest at creation and Israel's rest in the land.