3201. memphomai

Lexicon

memphomai: To blame, to find fault with, to reproach

Original Word: μέμφομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: memphomai
Pronunciation: MEM-foh-my
Phonetic Spelling: (mem'-fom-ahee)
Definition: To blame, to find fault with, to reproach
Meaning: I blame, censure, find fault.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

find fault.

Middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to blame -- find fault.

HELPS Word-studies

3201 mémphomai (from mempteos, "rejected because condemned") – find fault, see as fully blameworthy (disgraceful, condemnable); hence, rejected because deep wrongs by omission or commission.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to blame, find fault
NASB Translation
find fault (1), finding fault (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3201: μέμφομαι

μέμφομαι; 1 aorist ἐμεμψαμην; in classical Greek from Hesiod (Works, 184) down; to blame, find fault: absolutely, Romans 9:19; the thing found fault with being evident from what precedes, Mark 7:2 Rec.; αὐτούς, Hebrews 8:8 L T Tr marginal reading WH text, where R G Tr text WH marginal reading αὐτοῖς, which many join with μεμφόμενος (for the person or thing blamed is added by Greek writings now in the dative, now in the accusative; see Passow (or Liddell and Scott), under the word, cf. Krüger, § 46, 7, 3); but it is more correct to supply αὐτήν, i. e. διαθήκην, which the writer wishes to prove was not faultless (cf. 7), and to join αὐτοῖς with λέγει; (Buttmann, § 133, 9).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root μέμφομαι, which is related to the concept of blame or censure.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of blame or reproach in the Hebrew Bible is often expressed through words such as חָרַף (charaph • Strong's Hebrew 2778), which means to reproach or taunt, and יָכַח (yakach • Strong's Hebrew 3198), which means to reprove or correct. These terms capture similar themes of disapproval and correction found in the Greek μέμφομαι, illustrating the continuity of this moral and ethical concept across the biblical canon.

Usage: The verb μέμφομαι is used in the New Testament to express the act of blaming or finding fault with someone or something. It conveys a sense of disapproval or reproach.

Context: The Greek verb μέμφομαι appears in the New Testament in contexts where blame or fault-finding is a central theme. It is used to describe the act of expressing disapproval or reproach towards an individual or group. This term is often associated with moral or ethical judgments, where one party holds another accountable for perceived wrongs or shortcomings.

In the Berean Standard Bible, μέμφομαι is found in Hebrews 8:8, where it is used in the context of God's reproach towards the people of Israel for their failure to uphold the covenant. The verse reads: "But God found fault with the people and said: 'The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.'" Here, μέμφομαι underscores the divine disapproval that necessitates the establishment of a new covenant, highlighting the seriousness of the people's shortcomings.

The use of μέμφομαι in the New Testament reflects a broader biblical theme of accountability and the need for repentance and renewal. It serves as a reminder of the human tendency to fall short of divine standards and the consequent need for divine intervention and grace.

Forms and Transliterations

εμέμψαντο μεμφεται μέμφεται μεμφομενος μεμφόμενος memphetai mémphetai memphomenos memphómenos

Englishman's Concordance

Romans 9:19 V-PIM/P-3S
GRK: οὖν ἔτι μέμφεται τῷ γὰρ
NAS: does He still find fault? For who
KJV: Why doth he yet find fault? For who
INT: then yet does he find fault the indeed

Hebrews 8:8 V-PPM/P-NMS
GRK: μεμφόμενος γὰρ αὐτοὺς
NAS: For finding fault with them, He says,
KJV: For finding fault with them, he saith,
INT: finding fault indeed to them

Strong's Greek 3201
2 Occurrences

μέμφεται — 1 Occ.
μεμφόμενος — 1 Occ.