What does God say about rest? The word God uses for "rested" in Genesis 2:2 is "sabat", which means to repose or to desist from exertion. It's where we get the word Shabbat or Sabbath. In Exodus 2:11, the word "nuah" is translated "rested". It means to settle down. So rest is very Biblical. He sanctified, or set apart, the seventh day for the purpose of rest. Rest is more than just taking a nap, although that may be part of it. Rest is settling down, stopping to breathe. I have read that when God rested, there was a connotation of delight. He stopped, looked at what He had created, and delighted in it. It is important to just be still, breathe, delight in the Lord. He created our physical bodies in such a way that rest is needed to restore, regenerate, and rejuvenate. I believe our soul (mind, will, emotions) and spirit also need rest for the same reasons.