καταπαύω (katapauō)
katapauō
to keep from
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb katapauō describes bringing something to a state of rest or causing an action to cease. In the New Testament, it appears in only four verses, yet its usage carries significant weight. In Acts 14:18, it is used transitively to describe God restraining or stopping the crowd from offering sacrifices, effectively causing them to desist from their frantic activity.
Its most profound application occurs in Hebrews, where it draws on the Old Testament concept of entering God’s rest. Here, the word points to the spiritual cessation of one’s own works, mirroring how God rested after creation (Hebrews 4:10). It is not merely physical relaxation but a deliberate stopping of striving, inviting believers into a quiet abode of faith.
The term combines a prefix implying completion with a root meaning to rest. This structure emphasizes the finality of the rest granted. Whether used to halt a crowd or to describe the soul’s peace in Christ, katapauō signifies a transition from motion to stillness, marking a definitive end to effort and a beginning of divine repose.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word katapauō carries the sense of bringing an action to a halt or settling into a state of rest. In Acts 14:18, we see this power in action as the apostles struggle to stop a crowd from worshipping them, highlighting how God can interrupt human frenzy. This verb does not suggest a lazy pause but a decisive end to striving.
Hebrews expands this idea into a spiritual promise. Entering God’s rest means ceasing from your own works just as He rested after creation (Hebrews 4:10). It is an invitation to trust that His finished work is enough for you. You do not need to earn peace through constant effort; you can simply stop and receive the grace already provided.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- rested2×
- they stopped1×
- gave rest,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κατέπαυσεν2×
- κατέπαυσεν,1×
- κατέπαυσαν1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 14:18
Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them.
This verse shows the word used transitively to describe God actively restraining a crowd from frantic religious behavior.
-
Hebrews 4:10
For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his.
Here the term defines the believer's spiritual state as resting from personal works, mirroring God's rest after creation.
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Hebrews 4:8
For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day.
The author uses this concept to argue that Joshua’s historical victory did not provide the ultimate spiritual rest promised later.