Bible Verses About Rest

God offers rest for the body and the soul. These verses about rest invite the weary to lay their burdens down.

“And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” — Exodus 33:14 (KJV)

My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest — said to Moses when he refused to move without it. Rest is offered as company rather than as a location.

“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” — Genesis 2:2-3 (KJV)

God rested the seventh day and sanctified it — rest is built into the account of creation itself. Nothing is said about God being tired.

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” — Hebrews 4:9-10 (KJV)

There remaineth a rest to the people of God — the argument is that the sabbath pointed at something not yet entered. Ceasing from one's own works is how it is defined.

“And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” — Mark 6:31 (KJV)

Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a while, said because so many were coming that they had no leisure to eat. Jesus prescribes withdrawal in the middle of demand.

“Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.” — Psalm 62:1 (KJV)

Truly my soul waiteth upon God — the Hebrew carries the sense of silence before him. Rest is described as stillness rather than sleep.

“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” — Jeremiah 6:16 (KJV)

Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and ye shall find rest for your souls. The verse ends with the people answering, We will not walk therein.

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:” — Exodus 20:8-10 (KJV)

The sabbath command extends rest to servants, strangers and cattle. It is the only commandment that legislates time off for people with no power to claim it.

“Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.” — Psalm 116:7 (KJV)

Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. The psalmist addresses himself, implying rest had been left.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” — Psalm 23:2 (KJV)

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures — sheep do not lie down while hungry or afraid. The verb is causative: the lying down is arranged.

“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” — Hebrews 4:11 (KJV)

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest — an unexpected pairing of effort and rest. The labour named is against unbelief.

“And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” — Mark 2:27 (KJV)

The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath, said when his disciples were criticised for picking grain. It settles who the day is for.

“And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,” — Isaiah 14:3 (KJV)

The LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage. Three distinct exhaustions are named.

“And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.” — Deuteronomy 5:15 (KJV)

Remember that thou wast a servant in Egypt — the sabbath is grounded in the memory of slavery. Rest is framed as the opposite of what they were rescued from.

“Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.” — Exodus 34:21 (KJV)

In earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest — the command is applied precisely when stopping is most costly. It rules out the obvious exemption.

“Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?” — Ruth 3:1 (KJV)

Shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee — Naomi speaking about a home for her daughter-in-law. Rest here means security rather than sleep.

“For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.” — Matthew 12:8 (KJV)

The Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day, said in a dispute about healing on it. Authority over the day is claimed rather than the day dismissed.

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Frequently asked questions

What does the Bible say about rest?

The 16 passages gathered on this page are the ones readers turn to most on rest: Exodus 33:14, Genesis 2:2-3, Hebrews 4:9-10, Mark 6:31, Psalm 62:1, Jeremiah 6:16, Exodus 20:8-10, Psalm 116:7, Psalm 23:2, Hebrews 4:11, Mark 2:27, Isaiah 14:3, Deuteronomy 5:15, Exodus 34:21, Ruth 3:1…

What is a good Bible verse about rest?

Exodus 33:14 is the passage most often quoted on rest, with Genesis 2:2-3 and Hebrews 4:9-10 close behind. Which one helps depends on whether you need reassurance, instruction or simply company.

Where can I read these rest verses?

You can read all of these verses about rest — and the whole Bible, offline, in your preferred translation — free in the Quiethaven app for iPhone.