Section 1: Passages That Explicitly Use Sleep Language
For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest. (Job 3:13 BSB)
so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep. (Job 14:12 BSB)
Consider me and respond, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death, (Psa. 13:3 BSB)
So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. (1 Kings 2:10 KJV)
And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 11:43 KJV)
And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 14:20 KJV)
And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 14:31 KJV)
And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 15:8 KJV)
And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 15:24 KJV)
So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 16:6 KJV)
So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 16:28 KJV)
So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 22:40 KJV)
And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 22:50 KJV)
And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 8:24 KJV)
And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 10:35 KJV)
And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 13:9 KJV)
And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. (2 Kings 13:13 KJV)
And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 14:16 KJV)
He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. (2 Kings 14:22 KJV)
And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 14:29 KJV)
So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 15:7 KJV)
And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 15:22 KJV)
And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 15:38 KJV)
And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 16:20 KJV)
And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 20:21 KJV)
And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 21:18 KJV)
So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 24:6 KJV)
And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. (2 Chr. 9:31 KJV)
And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead. (2 Chr. 12:16 KJV)
So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years. (2 Chr. 14:1 KJV)
And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. (2 Chr. 16:13 KJV)
Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. (2 Chr. 21:1 KJV)
He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. (2 Chr. 26:2 KJV)
So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead. (2 Chr. 26:23 KJV)
And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead. (2 Chr. 27:9 KJV)
And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. (2 Chr. 28:27 KJV)
And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead. (2 Chr. 32:33 KJV)
So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead. (2 Chr. 33:20 KJV)
Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead. (Isa. 26:19 BSB)
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Dan. 12:2 BSB)
“Go away,” He told them. “The girl is not dead, but asleep.” And they laughed at Him. (Matt. 9:24 BSB)
The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. (Matt. 27:52 BSB)
He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.” (Mark 5:39 BSB)
Meanwhile, everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But Jesus said, “Stop weeping; she is not dead but asleep.” (Luke 8:52 BSB)
After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.” They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus. So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” (John 11:11-14 BSB)
Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:60 BSB)
For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep and was buried with his fathers and saw decay. (Acts 13:36 BSB)
After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. (1 Cor. 15:6 BSB)
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. (1 Cor. 15:18 BSB)
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Cor. 15:20 BSB)
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— (1 Cor. 15:51 BSB)
Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. (1 Thess. 4:13-16 BSB)
Ever since our fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. (2 Pet. 3:4 BSB)
Section 2: Passages That Imply Sleep
For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol? (Psa. 6:5 BSB)
What gain is there in my bloodshed, in my descent to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness? (Psa. 30:9 BSB)
Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You? … Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion? (Psa. 88:10-12 BSB)
It is not the dead who praise the LORD, nor any who descend into silence. (Psa. 115:17 BSB)
His breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. (Psa. 146:4 KJV)
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten. (Ecc. 9:5 BSB)
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going. (Ecc. 9:10 BSB)
For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You; those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today. (Isa. 38:18-19 BSB)
Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out. (John 5:28-29 BSB)
[Jesus describes the dead as being in the graves awaiting His voice at the resurrection. The framing assumes they are simply there until called forth.]
Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day … For David did not ascend into heaven. (Acts 2:29, 34 BSB)
[Peter argues that Psalm 16 cannot refer to David, since David died, was buried, and has not ascended to heaven; he remains in that state until the resurrection.]