Why does Noah mean 'rest'? – a light bite

By Baldmichael Theresoluteprotector’sson

You may not have been aware that it does. This is Biblehub on it.

Noach: Noah

Original Word: נֹחַ

Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine

Transliteration: Noach

Pronunciation: NO-akh

Phonetic Spelling: (no'-akh)

Definition: Noah

Meaning: Noach

Word Origin: Derived from the Hebrew root נוּחַ (nuach), meaning "to rest" or "to settle down."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G3575 (Νῶε, Noe): The Greek transliteration of Noah, used in the New Testament, such as in Matthew 24:37-38 and Hebrews 11:7.

Usage: The name "Noach" means "rest" or "comfort." In the Bible, Noah is a central figure known for his righteousness and obedience to God. He is most famously recognized for building the ark that preserved his family and pairs of every living creature during the great flood, as described in Genesis.

From

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5146.htm

All of that is interesting but why should it mean rest? Well, the two Hebrew letters Nun and khes when anagrammed together have the single longest one word anagram ‘sunken’. Something sunken, say at the bottom of the ocean, is at rest.

In fact the ark that Noah built is said to ‘rest’ on the mountains of Ararat. And the word there נוּחַ, nuach, is the root for ‘noach’ as mentioned earlier.

See also

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5117.htm

On a side note I see that the above link says a transliteration is ‘nuwach’. It happens to contain the word Wuhan as one of two longest single word anagrams. Perhaps as Wuhan was the supposed key to COVID 19 maybe this is of significance.

Anyway, if one thinks of the sound of Noah, or more particularly Noach, it is ‘no ah’ or No ach’, like ‘no ache’, so no aches and pains.

Which in the context of all the evil that was going on at the time implies the sense of an ending of the evil, hence the flood came to destroy the evil and reform the earth.

There is one more thought though. Noah sounds like ‘Knower’, someone who knows. And it Noah’s case he was said to be a righteous man who walked with God.

So he was a ‘knower’, someone who knew God, knew the mind of God and obeyed Him. This relationship brought peace or rest to Noah and his family.

Which is why Noah means ‘rest’.

Look out for the sign of Baldmichael, he will be back!

P.S. if you take the pronunciation no-akh from biblehub link this contains the word ‘oak’. An oak tree is a sturdy tree when grown, useful to all sorts of wildlife which can rest in its branches.

And of course the wood is very durable and from which British battleships like HMS Victory were built.

If you need more light bites you will find some on my WordPress site under World Menu, subheading TAPPER’S BAR. There is a lot more besides of more substance if your appetite is greater.

World Menu

But if you should not have seen here is my post on escaping to peace.

Escape to peaces – a light bite