Bible Dictionary
CEASE
To cease means to stop, rest, or come to an end. Scripture applies it to labor, tears, anger, storms, wickedness, and other activities, while also describing God’s continuing providence and the believer’s rest.
Definition
To cease means to stop, leave off, rest from labor, or come to an end. It can describe the ending of activity, sound, emotion, trouble, or other conditions.
Biblical Usage
The Bible speaks of tears, work, grinding, thunder, wickedness, and anger ceasing. It also describes the cessation of manna, Christ’s calming of wind and sea, persistent teaching and preaching, and the believer’s sabbatic rest.
Historical Background
The English word represents many Hebrew and Greek terms, especially words meaning to leave off, rest from labor, or make to cease. The Hebrew word related to Sabbath emphasizes complete cessation, while Genesis uses a negative construction for God’s continuing providence in nature.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ses: A remarkable array of 20 Hebrew and 6 Greek words is so translated. In the King James Version 15 of the former and 3 of the latter are used only once with this rendering. The originals most frequently in use are chadhal, "to leave off"; shabhath "to rest from" (labor); pauomai, "to make to cease." Few words illustrate better the fertility of the Hebrew in expressing limitless shades of meaning, impoverished by the use of one English word. This extensive variety is, however, well expressed by "cease": i.e. stop, come to an end, e.g. ceasing of tears (Jer 14:17); work (Ezr 4:24); grinders (Ec 12:3); thunder (Ex 9:29); the wicked (Job 3:17); anger (Ps 37:8). The significance of shabhath lies in its being the Hebrew for Sabbath, implying complete cessation: as of manna (Jos 5:12); strife and ignominy (Pr 22:10); occurs with negative to show the ceaseless Providence of God in Nature: "summer and winter .... shall not c." (Ge 8:22). In the New Testament it illustrates Christ's power over Nature; wind and raging sea ceased (Lu 8:24); over a sinner's heart: "not ceased to kiss my feet" (dialeipo) (Lu 7:45); devotion of the early disciples, "ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ" (Ac 5:42); the eternity and blessedness of the believer's sabbatic rest (apoleipo) (Hebrews 4:10 the King James Version).</p><p>Dwight M. Pratt</p>