Ease

Ease - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

EASE, n. s as z. [L. otium.]

1. Rest; an undisturbed state. Applied to the body, freedom from pain, disturbance, excitement or annoyance. He sits at his ease. He takes his ease.

2. Applied to the mind, a quiet state; tranquillity; freedom from pain, concern, anxiety, solicitude, or any thing that frets or ruffles the mind.

His soul shall dwell at ease. Psa 25.

Wo to them that are at ease in Zion. Amos 6.

3. Rest from labor.

4. Facility; freedom from difficulty or great labor. One man will perform this service with ease. This author writes with ease.

5. Freedom from stiffness, harshness, forced expressions, or unnatural arrangement; as the ease of style.

6. Freedom from constraint or formality; unaffectedness; as ease of behavior.

At ease, in an undisturbed state; free from pain or anxiety.

EASE

, v.t. To free from pain or any disquiet or annoyance, as the body; to relieve; to give rest to; as, the medicine has eased the patient.

1. To free from anxiety, care or disturbance, as the mind; as, the late news has eased my mind.

2. To remove a burden from, either of body or mind; to relieve; with of. Ease me of this load; ease them of their burdens.

3. To mitigate; to alleviate; to assuage; to abate or remove in part any burden, pain, grief, anxiety or disturbance.

Ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father. 2 Chr 10.

4. To quiet; to allay; to destroy; as, to ease pain.

To ease off or ease away, in seamen's language, is to slacken a rope gradually.

To ease a ship, is to put the helm hard alee, to prevent her pitching, when close hauled.

ez (sha'anan, shal'anan, chiefly, "at ease"):

Used 19 times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament, most frequently meaning tranquillity, security or comfort of mind; in an ethical sense, indicating carelessness or indifference with reference to one's moral or religious interests.

The prophet Jeremiah used the phrase as an indication of national or tribal indifference: "Moab hath been at ease from his youth" (Jer 48:11); "I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease" (Zec 1:15). Frequent allusions are made also by various prophets to individuals or groups of individuals, as "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion" (Am 6:1); "Rise up, ye women that are at ease" (Isa 32:9), and "Tremble, ye women that are at ease" (Isa 32:11).

The word in another form is used also in a verbal sense and to apply to physical ease and comfort, as "My couch shall ease my complaint" (Job 7:13 compare especially 2Ch 10:4,9). Simple mental tranquillity or peace of mind is also expressed by it (Jer 46:27).

The single instance of its use in the New Testament is illustrative of its figurative but most common usage in the Old Testament, where it refers to moral indifference in the parable of the Rich Fool: "Soul .... take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry" (Lu 12:19).

Walter G. Clippinger