275. amerimnos
Lexical Summary
amerimnos: Free from care, without anxiety

Original Word: ἀμέριμνος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: amerimnos
Pronunciation: ah-MER-im-nos
Phonetic Spelling: (am-er'-im-nos)
KJV: without care(-fulness), secure
NASB: free from concern, trouble
Word Origin: [from G1 (α - Alpha) (as a negative particle) and G3308 (μέριμνα - worries)]

1. not anxious

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
without care, secure.

From a (as a negative particle) and merimna; not anxious -- without care(-fulness), secure.

see GREEK a

see GREEK merimna

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and merimna
Definition
free from care
NASB Translation
free from concern (1), trouble (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 275: ἀμέριμνος

ἀμέριμνος, , (μέριμνα), free from anxiety, free from care: Matthew 28:14; 1 Corinthians 7:32 (free from earthly cares). (Wis. 6:16 Wis. 7:23; Herodian, 2, 4, 3; 3, 7, 11; Anth. 9, 309, 5; (in passive sense, Sophocles Ajax 1206).)

Topical Lexicon
Concept and Essence

The word describes a state of being unfettered by distracting worry, able to act without paralyzing concern about earthly consequences. Rather than passive indifference, it pictures an inner freedom that clears a person to focus single-mindedly on the responsibilities God sets before him.

Occurrences in the New Testament

Matthew 28:14 – The chief priests assure the soldiers that if Pilate hears the report of Jesus’ resurrection, “we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” Their promise is to render the guards ἀμερίμνους—unworried about legal repercussions.
1 Corinthians 7:32 – Paul counsels the Corinthian believers: “I want you to be free from concern.” The unmarried Christian is depicted as ἀμερίμνους with respect to worldly ties, able to serve the Lord with undivided attention.

Contextual Insights

Matthew places the term on the lips of corrupt religious leaders, revealing how earthly power can purchase a counterfeit peace—temporary relief from anxiety bought at the price of truth. In stark contrast, Paul employs the same word to commend a genuine freedom that arises from wholehearted devotion to Christ. The juxtaposition highlights two rival sources of “carefreeness”: human manipulation versus trust in divine purposes. Scripture thereby warns that freedom from anxiety is not automatically virtuous; its moral quality depends on the wellspring from which it flows.

Theological Trajectory

1. Divine Provision. Throughout Scripture, freedom from crippling worry is grounded in God’s sovereign care (Matthew 6:25–34; Philippians 4:6–7). The term in 1 Corinthians 7 connects that promise to vocational singleness, illustrating how God may call believers into life-situations that maximize their availability for kingdom work.
2. Undivided Devotion. Paul’s larger argument (1 Corinthians 7:32–35) treats earthly entanglements as potential rivals to wholehearted service. The term serves his pastoral goal of securing believers’ “undivided devotion to the Lord.”
3. Moral Responsibility. The soldiers’ attempt to escape trouble by suppressing truth shows that anxiety relief secured by sin is illusory. Authentic ἀμερίμνους aligns with righteousness and submission to God’s will.

Practical Ministry Implications

• Vocational Guidance. Leaders may encourage single believers to value their heightened flexibility for mission, while also assuring married believers that God intends freedom from anxiety within their calling as well.
• Counseling on Worry. The word reminds pastors that the biblical remedy for anxiety is not mere emotional detachment but purposeful trust and obedience.
• Ethical Discernment. When ministries seek to avoid trouble through compromise, Matthew 28:14 warns that such “peace” is counterfeit and ultimately self-destructive.

Historical Reflection

Early church writers linked Paul’s use of the term to the monastic ideal of single-minded devotion, yet they also cautioned against elevating celibacy above marriage in worth. The Reformers reasserted that true anxiety-free service is a matter of faith, not institutional status, applying the term to every vocation when undertaken “coram Deo.”

Related Biblical Themes

Freedom from worldly care – Luke 10:41–42; Psalm 55:22

Anxiety and prayer – Philippians 4:6–7

Singleness and ministry – 1 Corinthians 7:7, 7:35

False security – Proverbs 1:32; Amos 6:1

Forms and Transliterations
αμεριμνους αμερίμνους ἀμερίμνους amerimnous amerímnous
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 28:14 Adj-AMP
GRK: καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀμερίμνους ποιήσομεν
NAS: and keep you out of trouble.
KJV: him, and secure you.
INT: and you out of trouble will keep

1 Corinthians 7:32 Adj-AMP
GRK: δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀμερίμνους εἶναι ὁ
NAS: But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried
KJV: you without carefulness. He that is unmarried
INT: moreover you without care to be The

Strong's Greek 275
2 Occurrences


ἀμερίμνους — 2 Occ.

274
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