The word Noach means “rest.” From this same root come the name of the prophet Nahum and the town Kfar Nachum (Capernaum).
One of the most emblematic figures in the Hebrew Scriptures is the man born in the tenth generation from Adam — Noach (Noah).
The word Noach means “rest.” From this same root come the name of the prophet Nahum and the town Kfar Nachum (Capernaum). When combined in this way, the root connects to the idea of “comfort.” The verb menachem means to comfort.
Although rest is often understood in a physical sense, when compared with other usages in Scripture, it also points to a deeper, spiritual rest — one that goes beyond the physical.
In Exodus 20:11, we read that Elohim rested (va’yanaḥ – וַיָּנַח) on the Sabbath. Likewise, in Genesis 8:4, the text says that the Ark came to rest (va’tanaḥ – וַתָּנַח) on the mountains of Ararat.
In Genesis 5:29, Lamech, the father of Noach, named his son with the hope that he “will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands.” From the Hebrew word ye’naḥamenu (יְנַחֲמֵנוּ – “he will comfort us”) comes the original form of the name Noach.
Finally, there is a beautiful verse in Genesis 6:8:
“But Noach found grace in the eyes of Yehováh.”
The word for grace is chen (חן) — formed by the same two Hebrew letters as Noach, but in reverse order. It is just one of the many pearls found in this beautifully and divinely inspired Hebrew language.