New Testament Words Explained: Psalms - Rest

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Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs.
These occur in Ephesians 5:1919Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; (Ephesians 5:19) and Colossians 3:1616Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16), but although they have here each only one corresponding Greek word, still it may be well briefly to point out the essential difference between them. Psalmos meant primarily to touch, then to touch a harp, then the harp itself, and finally it came to mean the song that was sung with the music. In the above passages the Psalms no doubt are those of David, Asaph etc., contained in the Old Testament. Humnos (hymn) originally was always in praise of God, never being merely descriptive or occupied with complaint or lamentation, as a Psalm, but always full of praise. The early Fathers taught that there were three essentials to a hymn, which we would do well to remember. First, it must be sung, Second, it must be praise, Third, it must be to God. We find hymns, in Luke 1:46-55; 68-79; Acts 4:24; 16:2524And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: (Acts 4:24)
25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. (Acts 16:25). Odee (Spiritual Song) was originally a song used on a festive occasion, as for example at harvest time, after battle, etc. It is a freer composition than a hymn, and the meaning is well represented by the word used.
Remission.
The general word used for this is aphesis, but in Romans 3:2525Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25) however, we find another word paresis, which means not a remission of sins or a putting them away, but a praetermission, or a putting them by, which was the case with the sins of Old Testament saints until by the sacrifice of Christ their sins were put away. Since the death of Christ, the word aphesis and not paresis is applied to us.
Rebuke.
Repent.
Metanoeo, one of the two words thus translated, means literally “to know after;” this after knowledge came to mean a “change of mind” for a second thought often differs from a first. It then implied regret, and lastly a change of conduct arising from the change of mind. But outside Scripture all this might be for evil equally as well as for good,—thus a murderer who spares a child, but afterward goes back to kill it, is said to repent in this sense. In Scripture, however, metanoeo always means a change of mind for the better. Metamelomai (Matthew 27:33Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, (Matthew 27:3); Hebrews 7:2121(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) (Hebrews 7:21) etc.), while it may be used in the same sense as metanoeo, literally means an “after care,” and hence a repentance often arising more from a dread of consequences than from a real inward change of mind.
Rest.
The two Greek words both translated “rest” are not exactly alike in meaning. The one anapausis means “ceasing from labor” and is the word used most appropriately by the Lord in Matthew 11:28, 2928Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:28‑29). Paul on the contrary, as in 2 Thessalonians 1:77And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (2 Thessalonians 1:7), uses the other word anesis, which has the force literally of relaxation, that is, the loosing of cords of endurance.