"rest, quiet, tranquillity; a quiet, tranquil life, 2 Thess. 3:12; silence, silent attention, Acts 22:2; 1 Tim. 2:11, 12*"
Definition and meaning
rest, quiet, tranquillity; a quiet, tranquil life, 2 Thess. 3:12; silence, silent attention, Acts 22:2; 1 Tim. 2:11, 12*
In the original Greek the word is written: ἡσυχία
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of hesychia (G2271) across the King James Bible.
(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
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Common questions
Strong's G2271 (hesychia) is a Greek word that means: rest, quiet, tranquillity; a quiet, tranquil life, 2 Thess. 3:12; silence, silent attention, Acts 22:2; 1 Tim. 2:11, 12* It appears 4 times in the King James Bible.
The word hesychia (G2271) appears 4 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2271 is hesychia, a Greek word defined as: rest, quiet, tranquillity; a quiet, tranquil life, 2 Thess. 3:12; silence, silent attention, Acts 22:2; 1 Tim. 2:11, 12*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
hesychia is a Greek word found in the New Testament.