Quick Definition
ἄνεσις, εως, ἡ n.f. relief, remission, indulgence, freedom, rest
Strong's Definition
from 447; relaxation or (figuratively) relief
KJV Usage: eased, liberty, rest
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, f. | -εως | ἵημι (send, set in motion)
22.36 · Trouble, Hardship, Relief, Favorable Circumstances · Relief from Trouble
relief relief as a cessation or suspension of trouble and difficulty In rendering ‘relief to you who suffer,’ it may be necessary to restructure the semantic relations, for example, ‘to cause you who suffer not to have to suffer longer’ or ‘to cause you to no longer have to suffer.’
37.137 · Control, Rule · Release, Set Free
some freedom, some liberty a partial degree of liberty or freedom
1 It would also be possible to treat ἄνεσις[b] in Subdomain A Control, Restrain (Domain 37 Control, Rule) on the basis that ἄνεσις[b] would suggest the relaxing of controls.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἄν-εσις, -ews, 7, (ἀνίημι to let loose, slacken, anything tense, 6. g. a bow), a loosening, relaxing; spoken of a more tolerable condition in captivity: ἔχειν ἄνεσιν to be held in less rigorous confinement [R. V. have indulgence], Acts xxiv. 23, (Joseph. antt. 18, 6, 10 φυλακὴ μὲν yap καὶ τήρησις ἦν, μετὰ μέντοι ἀνέσεως τῆς εἰς δίαιταν). relief, rest, from persecutions, 2 Th. i. 7; from the troubles of poverty, 2 Co. viii. 13; relief from anxiety, quiet, 2 Co. ii. 13 (12); vii.5. (Sept.; in Grk. writ. fr. Thue. [Hat. 5, 28] down.) [Sy¥n. see ἀνάπαυσις, fin.]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἄνεσις anesis 5x
pr. the relaxing of a state of constraint; relaxation of rigor of confinement, Acts 24:23; met. ease, rest, peace, tranquility, 2 Cor. 2:13; 7:5; 8:13; 2 Thess. 1:7*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἄνεσις, -εως, ἡ,
(< ἀνίημι), [in LXX: II Es 4:22 (שָׁלוּ), II Ch 23:15, I Es 4:62, Wi 13:13, Si 15:20 26:10*;]
a loosening, relaxation: Ac 24:23 (RV, indulgence; cf. MM, VGT, s.v.); by St. Paul, opp. to θλίψις, expressed or understood, relief: II Co 2:12 7:5 8:13, II Th 1:7.†
SYN.: ἀνάπαυσις (q.v.).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἄνεσις. This word, which with the exception of Ac 2439 is used in the NT only by Paul, and always with the contrast to θλίψις either stated or implied (see Milligan on 2 Thess 17), is found in a more general sense in P Tebt I. 247% (B.C. 117) ἀν[έ]σει γεγονότας, ‘ becoming remiss,” asin the paradoxical phrase ἐμπειρίᾳ ἀνέσεως, Wisd 13%; cf. also Sy// 5331° (iii/A.D. zzzz.), 93253 (76.), where it is used of ‘‘ relief” from taxation. P Ryl II. 84° (a.p. 146) ὅπως φροντίσῃς - - τὴν ἄνεσιν τὴν διὰ τοῦτο γενομένην τῶν ὑπαρχόντων γενέσθαι, “Sin order ὑπαὶ... the ensuing remission of the lands be effected” (Edd., comparing Chrest. I. 363 introd.). For the phrase in Ac 247% ἔχειν τε ἄνεσιν, where the RV renders “ should have indulgence,” cf. P Giss I. 59 (A.D. 119-20), where a number of persons are enrolled as having vacatio munerum (Χευτουργιῶν), as ἄνεσιν ἐσχηκότες ἑπταετίας τῆς ἀπὸ ts (ἔτους) [16th year of Trajan] ἕως νῦν, and others, one of ἃ τριετία. Can the ἄνεσις in Ac Zc. bea kind of /ébeva custodia? Moffatt renders the clause, ‘‘ allow him some freedom.” avetalo. In P Oxy I. 34/38 (A.D. 127) a prefect uses this word in directing Government clerks whose business it was to “‘ examine” documents and glue them into τόμοι. This is one of the words which Grimm characterizes as ‘‘not found in prof. auth.,” occurring first in LXX. The compound (Ac 22% 29), now vindicated as sufficiently ‘‘ profane,” was as rare as its simplex (cf. Wisd 219) ; it may be suspected that the common ἐξετάζω ‘“‘to get out the truth,” (éreds—see Boisacq Dzct. Etym., p. 291) was the original from which both ἐτάζω and ἀνετάζω (and παρέτάζω in Arcadian) were devised.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἄνεσις (anesis) — rest. ἄνεσις, genitive εως, Ionic dialect ιος, ἡ: (ἀνιημι):— loosening, relaxing, τῶν χορδῶν of the strings, opposed to ἐπίτασις, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; coupled with χάλασις,[Refs 4th c.BC+]; πάγων ἄ., i.e. a thaw, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; of the ebb-tide, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
2. metaphorically, remission, abatement, κακῶν[Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to θλῖψις, [NT]; λύπης, μοχθηρίας, etc., [Refs 1st c.BC+]; ἄ. φόρων, τελῶν, remission of tribute, taxes, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; of fevers, opposed to παροξυσμός, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
3. relaxation, recreation, opposed to σπουδή, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
4. solution, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
5. ={τὸ τελευταῖον τῆς παρακμῆς} [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II. indulgence, licence, ἡδονῶν[Refs 5th c.BC+]; relaxation of custody, [NT]
III. of musical pitch, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; of an unaccented syllable, [Refs 1st c.BC+]