Meaning
Strong's Number: H5117
Original Word: nûah?
Usage Notes: "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 (2Sam 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 (2Kings 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 nûah? 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 nûah? 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 nûah? is used sometimes as a synonym for shabat, "to cease, to rest" 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.
