Lessons in Greek
By Elisabeth Duckworth
Today's Greek word: REST as found in Hebrews 3 & 4 “Be diligent to enter God's rest”.
katapausis (κατάπαυσις), meaning rest, causing to cease, bringing to an end, staying put.
I highly recommend you read these two chapters first, to bring the following discussion into context.
The first thing we need to understand is that the “rest” Hebrews refers to has nothing to do with sitting down after a hard day's work and putting up our feet. Rather, it is the same rest/katapausis as when God “rested” on the seventh day after creation. He ceased from all His creative works; the job was done and perfect. In Exodus 5:5, Pharaoh accuses Moses and Aaron of seeking the katapausis or the complete cessation of the Israelites' labours, i.e. the end of their slavery.
[Other examples of katapausis in Septuagint OT: Genesis 2:2,3; Exodus 20:11; 31:17; 33:14; 34:21; Numbers 10:36; Deuteronomy 3:20; Joshua 1:13, 15; 3:13; 11:23; 23:1; II Samuel 21:10; I Kings 5:4; 8:56; Job 3:13; 26:12; Psalm 55:6; 132:14; Isaiah 66:1-2]
There is another related Greek word which does mean relief, respite – anapausis (ανάπαυσις). This word is used to describe Noah's dove which found no place to land or rest after flying all day. In Exodus 16:23, Moses tells the people to gather a double portion of manna on Friday, so they can physically “rest” (anapausis) on the Sabbath. Same thing in Exodus 23:12, where the Sabbath is to be a day of “respite” for man and beast (cf also Exodus 31:15; Deuteronomy 5:14). [Other examples of anapausis in Septuagint OT: Leviticus 16:31; 23:3; 25:4,5; Numbers 11:25,26; Ruth 1:9; 3:1; II Samuel 1:11; Esther 9:16-18, 22; Job 3:17, 26; Psalm 11:7; 132:8; Ecclesiastes 6:5; Isaiah 14:3,7; 28:12; 34:14; 57:20; Lamentations 1:3; 5:5; Ezekiel 16:42; Daniel 12:13; Micah 2:10; Habakkuk 3:16]
Although katapausis is a common enough word in the OT, it is found in only one other place in the NT besides our Hebrews text, and that is in Acts 7:49-50 when Stephen quotes Isaiah 66:1-2. Otherwise, NT authors used anapausis or other words meaning “calm”, “quietness”, or “silence”. [NT examples of anapausis: Matthew 11:28-29; 12:43; 26:45; Mark 6:31; 14:41; Luke 10:6; 11:24; Romans 2:17; Revelation 4:8; 6:11; 14:11,13]
This makes Hebrews' use of katapausis quite meaningful for its Jewish recipients. These Jewish Christians were thoroughly acquainted with OT scriptures, particularly in Greek translation. They would have been very familiar with the use of the term “rest”/katapausis in reference to Creation, Sabbath, and the “rest” promised to the wandering Jews. But here in Hebrews, the author teaches that God's katapausis has a further, deeper significance beyond what the readers had initially understood.
In chapter 3, the author refers to three types of “rest”:
- the “rest” of entering into the Promised Land for the ancient Israelites;
- the “rest” quoted from Psalm 95:11 where David warns his fellow Israelites about their risk of not entering God's “place of rest”;
- “God's rest”, which is more fully explained in Hebrews 4.
There are two keys to understanding the argument of chapters 3 and 4. The first is the superiority of the Son – Jesus Christ – to Moses. This is introduced in 3:1-6. The second is the superiority of the katapausis which Jesus has achieved compared to the “rest” which Israel, under the leadership of Moses, did not attain (indeed, a rest to which Moses himself did not attain). This superior rest is the focus of Hebrews 3:7-19.
Hebrews 3:7 speaks of the gravity of this special “rest”. “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Oh, that today you would listen as S/he speaks!’” (Hebrews 3:7, citing Psalm 95:7b)
“Today” calls attention to the urgency regarding the offer of rest. It must be seized while it is today, for a “tomorrow” is coming when it will be too late, just as there was for the ancient Israelites. Second, this “rest” appears to be a day-by-day, “one day at a time” experience. It is not something that we believe for the moment, but rather something we actively believe and lay hold of day after day (Hebrews 3:13, 15; 4:7). When the author of Psalm 95 said, “today,” he was somehow keeping the offer made to the first generation current. Whatever was “today” in Psalm 95 is still “today” today. So too, when the writer to the Hebrews cites from Psalm 95:7, s/he calls attention to the word “today.” The author makes the point that while the “rest” that the first generation of Israelites was to dwell in peace in the Promised Land, there was still another “rest” being offered in Psalm 95. It was still “today.” Thus, for the psalmist, the offer of rest remains, as does the danger of failing to enter into it. And when the author of Hebrews uses Psalm 95, s/he does so in a way that makes it clear that there is still an offer of rest in the current day.
God's katapausis is not merely the rest of possessing the Promised Land, but a great rest, a “sabbath rest.” The source of this rest is God and it is still richly available today. It is a “salvation rest,” a resting from our futile works in an effort to earn God's favour. Rather, we find this new, deeper, permanent, richer katapausis when we come in faith to the finished work of Jesus on the cross and receive peace with God. It is what we might call a “sanctification rest,” a rest from a fruitless striving in the power of the flesh to attain godliness through works and the Law, coupled with that daily, conscious abiding in God's love as we saw in last month's article. And one day, we shall reach our wondrous, final rest when we will see our beloved Saviour and God face to face.
“Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest (anapausis). Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (anapausis) for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
~ Next time, we'll look at an Old Testament expression as found, for example, in Jeremiah 23:33-40 – the burden of the Lord (læmma το λημμα)
