H4496 H4496
Rest, repose, tranquility; also a resting place or settled dwelling, especially for God or His people.
Menuḥah spans both the experience of rest and the place where rest is found — a semantic breadth that shapes some of Scripture's most beloved images. The 'still waters' of Ps 23:2 (me menuḥot) evoke pastoral tranquility, while God's declaration 'This is my resting place forever' (Ps 132:14) anchors the concept in sacred geography. Deuteronomy 12:9 pairs menuḥah with naḥalah (inheritance), fusing the promise of rest with the land itself. Ruth 1:9 tenderly applies it to the security a woman finds in marriage. The German 'Ruhe' and French 'repos' both capture the word's dual register of inner peace and settled habitation.
Senses
1. rest, repose, tranquility — Abstract rest, repose, or tranquility — relief from labor, conflict, or wandering. Gen 49:15 describes the land as good and the menuḥah as pleasant; Ruth 1:9 uses it for the security Naomi wishes upon her daughters-in-law in new marriages; Judg 20:43 portrays military respite. In 2 Sam 14:17, the wise woman of Tekoa invokes menuḥah as the peace a king's word can bring. Ps 23:2's plural 'waters of rest' (me menuḥot) has become one of the Bible's most recognizable images. Multilingual renderings — Spanish 'descanso/reposo,' French 'repos,' German 'Ruhe' — consistently reflect the abstract, experiential quality. 12×
AR["إلى-راحَتِكِ", "الرَّاحَةُ", "الرَّاحَةِ", "رَاحَةً", "رَاحَةٍ", "لِلرّاحَةِ", "وَرَاحَةً"]·ben["-তোমার-বিশ্রামে", "-বিশ্রাম", "-শান্তির-জন্য", "এবং-বিশ্রাম", "বিশ্রাম", "বিশ্রামের", "শান্তির"]·DE["Ruhe", "[המנוחה]", "[ומנוחה]", "[מנוחה]", "bei-Ruhe", "der-Ruhe", "die-Ruhe", "fuer-ruhe", "ruhe", "zu-dein-Ruhe"]·EN["and-rest", "at-rest", "for-rest", "give-rest", "rest", "resting-place", "the-rest", "to-your-rest"]·FR["[מנוחה]", "de-repos", "et-repos", "le-repos", "pour-reste", "repos", "reste", "resting-lieu", "se-reposer", "à-repos", "à-se-reposer"]·heb["ה-מנוחה", "ו-מנוחה", "ל-מנוחה", "ל-מנוחיכי", "מנוחה", "מנוחות", "מנחה"]·HI["अपने-विश्राम-को", "और-विश्राम", "विश्राम", "विश्राम-का", "शांति-के-लिए", "शान्त"]·ID["dan-istirahat", "istirahat", "kepada-peristirahatan-mu", "ketenangan", "perhentian", "tempat-perhentian", "tempat-peristirahatan", "untuk-ketenteraman"]·IT["[מנוחה]", "a-riposare", "e-riposo", "il-riposare", "per-riposa", "resting-luogo", "riposa", "riposare", "riposo"]·jav["ayem", "dhateng-pangaso", "dhateng-pangasohan-panjenengan", "katentreman", "katentremanan", "katrèman", "lan-panglipur", "ngaso", "panggenan-ayem", "panggenan-ngaso", "tentrem"]·KO["그-안식이다", "그-안식처", "그리고-쉬음을", "네-의-평안-에", "쉬을", "쉬음-의", "쉬지-않고", "쉼을", "안식-의", "안식으로", "안식을", "안식의"]·PT["(em)-repouso", "ao-teu-descanso", "descanso", "e-descanso", "o-descanso", "para-descanso", "tranquilas"]·RU["-покою", "для-покоя", "и-покоя", "к-покою-твоему", "отдыха", "покой", "покоя"]·ES["a-tu-reposo", "descanso", "es-el-reposo", "para-descanso", "reposo", "y-descanso"]·SW["bila-kupumzika", "itakukamatia", "katika-pumziko-lako", "kwa-pumziko", "na-pumziko", "ni-pumziko", "pumziko", "watu-wake", "ya-utulivu"]·TR["dinlenme", "dinlenme-yerine", "dinlenmee", "dinlenmeksizin", "dinlenmenin", "dinlenmeyi", "huzur", "huzurun", "huzuruna", "rahatlık-için", "ve-dinlenme"]·urd["-آرام", "آرام", "آرام-کا", "اور-آرام", "اپنے-سکون-میں", "تسلی-کے-لیے", "سکون-کے"]
2. resting place, dwelling — A concrete resting place or settled dwelling — a location where rest is realized. Central to the theology of sacred space: God's resting place in Zion (Ps 95:11; 132:8, 14; Isa 66:1), the ark's resting place (Num 10:33; 1 Chr 28:2), and the Messiah's resting place that will be glorious (Isa 11:10). Deut 12:9 pairs it with 'the inheritance' (naḥalah), making the Promised Land itself the menuḥah. Micah 2:10 warns that the land is no longer a resting place due to defilement. Isa 32:18 envisions God's people dwelling in 'peaceful habitations and secure resting places,' where the plural menuḥot underscores abundance of settled peace. 10×
AR["إِلَى-رَاحَتِكَ", "الرَّاحَةَ", "الرَّاحَةِ", "رَاحَتُهُ", "رَاحَتِي", "مَقَرُّهُ", "مَنْزِلًا", "وَ-فِي-مَوَاضِعَ"]·ben["আমার-বিশ্রামে", "আমার-বিশ্রামের", "ও-বিশ্রামস্থানে", "তাঁর-বিশ্রামস্থান", "তার-বিশ্রামস্থান", "বিশ্রাম-আমার", "বিশ্রামস্থান", "বিশ্রামস্থান।", "বিশ্রামে-তোমার;", "বিশ্রামের"]·DE["[המנוחה]", "[ובמנוחת]", "[מנוחה]", "[מנוחתי]", "[מנחתו]", "mein-Ruhe", "mein-resting-place", "resting-Ort", "zu-dein-resting-place"]·EN["and-in-resting-places", "his-resting-place", "its-resting-place", "my-rest", "my-resting-place", "resting-place", "the-resting-place", "to-your-resting-place"]·FR["de-repos", "et-repos", "repos", "resting-lieu", "à-repos"]·heb["ה-מנוחה", "ו-ב-מנוחות", "ל-מנוחתך", "מנוחה", "מנוחתו", "מנוחתי"]·HI["अपने-विश्राम-के-लिए", "उसका-विश्राम-स्थान", "और-विश्रामस्थानों-में", "मेरा-विश्राम", "मेरे-विश्राम", "विश्राम-उसका", "विश्राम-का", "विश्राम-मेरी-का", "विश्राम-स्थान"]·ID["dan-di-tempat-peristirahatan", "ke-tempat-perhentian-Mu", "perhentian-Ku", "perhentiannya", "perkemahan", "tempat-perhentian", "tempat-perhentian-Ku", "tempat-perhentian-Nya", "tempat-peristirahatan"]·IT["[המנוחה]", "[מנחתו]", "e-riposo", "resting-luogo", "riposo"]·jav["dhateng-papan-lerèn-Panjenengan", "lan-ing-palereman", "lerèn-Kawula", "palereman", "palereman-ipun", "paleremipun", "pangaso-Kula", "panggenan-ngaso", "papan-lerèn-Kawula", "pondhokan"]·KO["그-쉬심이", "그-안식", "그리고-에-쉬는-곳에", "그의-안식처라", "나-의-안식-을", "나-의-안식처-이로다", "나의-쉬의", "당신-의-안식처-에", "쉬는곳", "휴식의"]·PT["ao-teu-descanso", "descanso", "descanso-Seu", "descanso-meu", "descanso-seu", "e-em-repouso-de", "meu-descanso", "o-descanso", "é-meu-descanso"]·RU["и-в-обитаниях-", "к-покою-Твоему", "место-отдыха", "покоев", "покой", "покой-Мой", "покой-его", "покоя-Моего"]·ES["a-reposo-tuyo", "descanso", "el-descanso", "mi-reposo", "mi-reposo?", "reposo-mío", "reposo:", "su-reposo", "y-en-descansos"]·SW["kwa-pumziko-lako", "mahali-pake-pa-kupumzika", "mapumziko", "na-katika-mahali-pa-kupumzika", "pa-kupumzika-kwangu", "pumziko", "pumziko-lake", "pumziko-langu", "wa-kambi"]·TR["dinleniş-yeri-", "dinlenme-o", "dinlenme-yeri", "dinlenme-yerim", "dinlenme-yerime", "dinlenme-yerine", "dinlenmesi", "konaklama-yerinin", "ve-dinlenme-yerlerinde"]·urd["آرام-کا", "آرام-گاہ", "آرامگاہ", "اور-آرام-گاہوں-میں", "اُس-کا-آرام", "اُس-کی-آرامگاہ", "اپنے-آرام-کی-جگہ", "میرا-آرام-ہے", "میرے-آرام", "میرے-آرام-کی"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מְנוּחָה, מְנֻחָה n.f. resting-place, rest;—abs. מ׳ Mi 2:10 +, מְנֻחָה Gn 49:15 (but v. infr.), 2 S 14:17; sf. מְנוּחָתִי ψ 95:11 + 2 times, מְנוּחָתֶ֑ךָ ψ 132:8 = 2 Ch 6:41 (where read as in ψ, for anom. לְנוּחֶ֑ךָ MT), מְנֻחָתוֹ Is 11:10 Zc 9:1; pl. מְנוּחֹת Is 32:18, מְנֻחוֹת ψ 23:2;— 1. resting-place Mi 2:10 Nu 10:33 (JE), Dt 12:9 (+ הַנַּחֲלָה) so ψ 95:11 (י׳’s resting-pl.), cf. 132:8 = 2…