God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen...
I've already posted about this song once this Christmas season, but it is my favorite holiday tune. So, I want to add a little more by kicking off a short series that focuses entirely on the first line, and title, of the tune.
Rest has a few different definitions. Check out the dictionary.com and Hebrew definitions.
One definition that immediately jumped out at me was this one:
noun: a support for alance
Origin:1490–1500; variant of arrest
Now, I'm not saying that this is specifically the definition the unknown author of this darling song was leaning on; but it could be. Especially given the context and the etymology of the last two words in the line (which is what my next two blogs are about).
Out of all the definitions of rest that I've read this one makes the most sense. It basically means God rests you in Him. No, not a nap. Not a vacation. God holds you close. He puts you where you need to be so that you can live up to your proper use.
A lance would be "rested" between the arm and side as the advancing combatant was preparing to drive his long sharpened stick through an enemy. Not exactly what we think of when we think of rest. "Rest" for a lance was the moment of placement before impact.
God rest me indeed.
