3421. mnémoneuó
Lexical Summary
mnémoneuó: To remember, to call to mind, to mention

Original Word: μνημονεύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: mnémoneuó
Pronunciation: mnay-mon-YOO-oh
Phonetic Spelling: (mnay-mon-yoo'-o)
KJV: make mention; be mindful, remember
NASB: remember, bearing in mind, made mention, recall, remembered, remembering, remembers
Word Origin: [from a derivative of G3420 (μνήμη - mind)]

1. to exercise memory, i.e. recollect
2. (by implication) to punish
3. also to rehearse

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
make mention; be mindful, remember.

From a derivative of mneme; to exercise memory, i.e. Recollect; by implication, to punish; also to rehearse -- make mention; be mindful, remember.

see GREEK mneme

HELPS Word-studies

3421 mnēmoneúō – to recall by memory (without implying anything was previously forgotten).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from mnémón (mindful)
Definition
to call to mind, to make mention of
NASB Translation
bearing in mind (1), made mention (1), recall (1), remember (14), remembered (1), remembering (1), remembers (1), thinking (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3421: μνημονεύω

μνημονεύω; imperfect 3 person plural ἐμνημόνευον; 1 aorist ἐμνημόνευσα; (μνημῶν mindful); from Herodotus down; the Sept. for זָכַר;

1. to be mindful of, to remember, to call to mind: absolutely, Mark 8:18; τίνος, Luke 17:32; John 15:20; John 16:4, 21; Acts 20:35; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; (Hebrews 13:7); contextually equivalent to to think of and feel for a person or thing: with the genitive of the thing, Colossians 4:18; τῶν πτωχῶν, Galatians 2:10 (see μιμνήσκω, at the end); with an accusative of the object to hold in memory, keep in mind: τινα, 2 Timothy 2:8; τί, Matthew 16:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; τά ἀδικήματα, of God as punishing them, Revelation 18:5 (see μιμνήσκω). Cf. Matthiae, § 347 Anm. 2; Winers Grammar, p. 205 (193); (Buttmann, § 132, 14). followed by ὅτι, Acts 20:31; Ephesians 2:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:5; followed by an indirect question, Revelation 2:5; Revelation 3:3.

2. to make mention of: τίνος, Hebrews 11:15 (but others refer this to 1 above) (Plutarch, Themistius, 32; τί, Plato, de rep. 4, p. 441 d.; legg. 4, p. 723 c.); περί τίνος (as μνασθαι in classic Greek, see Matthiae, § 341 Anm. 1), Hebrews 11:22; so in Latinmemini de aliquo; cf. Ramshorn, Latin Gr. § 111 note 1; (Harpers' Latin Dictionary, under the wordmemini, I. 3; cf. English remember about, etc.).

Topical Lexicon
Foundational Idea

The verb represented by Strong’s 3421 conveys an intentional act of calling something to mind so that it shapes present response. It is far more than passive recollection; it is an act of covenant fidelity that insists the remembered reality govern current conduct, worship, and hope.

Distribution in the Canon

The twenty-one New Testament occurrences fall naturally into four spheres:

1. Personal devotion to Christ (2 Timothy 2:8; John 15:20; John 16:4, John 16:21).
2. Corporate life of the church (Ephesians 2:11; Hebrews 13:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; Colossians 4:18; Acts 20:31).
3. Moral warning and repentance (Revelation 2:5; Revelation 3:3; Luke 17:32; Matthew 16:9; Mark 8:18).
4. Redemptive-historical remembrance (Hebrews 11:15, Hebrews 11:22; Acts 20:35; Galatians 2:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:5; Revelation 18:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:3).

This spread shows that remembering is an indispensable discipline for disciples, shepherds, and entire congregations.

Christ-Centered Remembrance

“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David, as proclaimed by my gospel” (2 Timothy 2:8). Paul places the person and work of Jesus at the very core of Christian memory. All other acts of remembrance—doctrinal, ethical, historical—derive their power from the decisive saving events in Christ.

Guarding Against Spiritual Amnesia

When disciples fail to remember, spiritual dullness follows. The Lord asks, “Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand…?” (Matthew 16:9; cf. Mark 8:18). Forgetting God’s past provision breeds anxiety and unbelief; deliberate remembrance rekindles trust.

Repentance and Renewal

The risen Christ tells the church in Ephesus, “Therefore remember from where you have fallen; repent and perform the deeds you did at first” (Revelation 2:5). Memory here is the engine of repentance—tracing the distance between former devotion and present compromise, then turning back. Likewise in Revelation 3:3: “Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent.” Remembrance safeguards orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

Pastoral Responsibility

Leaders must both practice and provoke remembrance. Paul models this in Acts 20:31: “Be on guard and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Hebrews echoes the call: “Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you” (Hebrews 13:7). Sound shepherding joins exhortation with example so that truth is etched on the collective memory of the flock.

Mission and Compassion

Galatians 2:10 records that the Jerusalem pillars asked Paul “to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” Remembrance thus fuels tangible mercy. In Acts 20:35 Paul quotes Jesus—“It is more blessed to give than to receive”—and frames the citation with an imperative to remember. Kingdom generosity flows from recalling Christ’s own words and pattern.

Identity of the People of God

“Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles…were separate from Christ…But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near” (Ephesians 2:11-13). Memory anchors the believer’s identity: once alienated, now reconciled. This corporate remembrance demolishes pride and sustains unity.

Eschatological Justice

Revelation 18:5 speaks of Babylon: “Her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” Divine remembrance guarantees that no rebellion escapes judgment. What the ungodly prefer to forget, God keeps on His books until the appointed day.

Faith’s Perspective on History

Hebrews 11:22 recounts that Joseph, nearing death, “remembered the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.” Faith remembers promises not yet seen and orders present decisions accordingly. By contrast, Hebrews 11:15 notes that the patriarchs could have “remembered” their former homeland and returned, but faith kept their focus forward.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Regularly rehearse the gospel’s central facts so the congregation “remembers” rather than drifts.
• Worship: Incorporate readings and songs that call to mind God’s mighty acts.
• Counseling: Help believers confront sin by remembering earlier zeal and divine deliverance.
• Missions and mercy: Keep the poor, the unreached, and the persecuted before the church’s memory to sustain prayer and generosity.
• Personal devotion: Form habits—journaling, Scripture memorization, the Lord’s Supper—that carve God’s faithfulness into the soul.

Conclusion

Strong’s 3421 depicts remembrance as an active, covenantal discipline that undergirds faith, fuels obedience, and preserves both orthodoxy and compassion. To remember rightly is to align the present with God’s past deeds and future promises, thereby living in wholehearted devotion to Jesus Christ until He comes.

Forms and Transliterations
εμνημονευον εμνημόνευον εμνημόνευόν ἐμνημόνευον εμνημόνευσε εμνημονευσεν εμνημόνευσεν ἐμνημόνευσεν μνημονευε μνημόνευε μνημονευει μνημονεύει μνημονευειν μνημονεύειν μνημονευετε μνημονεύετε μνημονεύετέ μνημονευητε μνημονεύητε μνημονευοντες μνημονεύοντες μνημονεύσω μνημονεύω μνημονευωμεν μνημονεύωμεν μνημονεύων μνησθήτω emnemoneuon emnemóneuon emnēmoneuon emnēmóneuon emnemoneusen emnemóneusen emnēmoneusen emnēmóneusen mnemoneue mnemóneue mnēmoneue mnēmóneue mnemoneuei mnemoneúei mnēmoneuei mnēmoneúei mnemoneuein mnemoneúein mnēmoneuein mnēmoneúein mnemoneuete mnemoneúete mnemoneúeté mnēmoneuete mnēmoneuēte mnēmoneúete mnēmoneúeté mnēmoneúēte mnemoneuomen mnemoneúomen mnēmoneuōmen mnēmoneúōmen mnemoneuontes mnemoneúontes mnēmoneuontes mnēmoneúontes
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 16:9 V-PIA-2P
GRK: νοεῖτε οὐδὲ μνημονεύετε τοὺς πέντε
NAS: understand or remember the five loaves
KJV: neither remember the five
INT: Do you yet understand nor remember the five

Mark 8:18 V-PIA-2P
GRK: καὶ οὐ μνημονεύετε
NAS: DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember,
KJV: do ye not remember?
INT: and not do you remember

Luke 17:32 V-PMA-2P
GRK: μνημονεύετε τῆς γυναικὸς
NAS: Remember Lot's wife.
KJV: Remember Lot's wife.
INT: Remember the wife

John 15:20 V-PMA-2P
GRK: μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου
NAS: Remember the word that I said
KJV: Remember the word that
INT: Remember the word

John 16:4 V-PSA-2P
GRK: ὥρα αὐτῶν μνημονεύητε αὐτῶν ὅτι
NAS: comes, you may remember that I told
KJV: shall come, ye may remember that
INT: hour of them you might remember them that

John 16:21 V-PIA-3S
GRK: παιδίον οὐκέτι μνημονεύει τῆς θλίψεως
NAS: she no longer remembers the anguish
KJV: of the child, she remembereth no more
INT: child no longer she remembers the tribulation

Acts 20:31 V-PPA-NMP
GRK: διὸ γρηγορεῖτε μνημονεύοντες ὅτι τριετίαν
NAS: be on the alert, remembering that night
KJV: watch, and remember, that
INT: Therefore watch remembering that three years

Acts 20:35 V-PNA
GRK: τῶν ἀσθενούντων μνημονεύειν τε τῶν
NAS: the weak and remember the words
KJV: and to remember the words
INT: those being weak to remember also the

Galatians 2:10 V-PSA-1P
GRK: πτωχῶν ἵνα μνημονεύωμεν ὃ καὶ
NAS: [They] only [asked] us to remember the poor--
KJV: [they would] that we should remember the poor;
INT: poor that we should remember which also

Ephesians 2:11 V-PMA-2P
GRK: Διὸ μνημονεύετε ὅτι ποτὲ
NAS: Therefore remember that formerly
KJV: Wherefore remember, that ye
INT: Therefore remember that once

Colossians 4:18 V-PMA-2P
GRK: χειρὶ Παύλου μνημονεύετέ μου τῶν
NAS: hand. Remember my imprisonment.
KJV: of me Paul. Remember my bonds.
INT: hand of Paul Remember my

1 Thessalonians 1:3 V-PPA-NMP
GRK: ἀδιαλείπτως μνημονεύοντες ὑμῶν τοῦ
NAS: constantly bearing in mind your work
KJV: Remembering without ceasing your
INT: unceasingly remembering your

1 Thessalonians 2:9 V-PIA-2P
GRK: μνημονεύετε γάρ ἀδελφοί
NAS: For you recall, brethren, our labor
KJV: For ye remember, brethren, our
INT: you remember indeed brothers

2 Thessalonians 2:5 V-PIA-2P
GRK: Οὐ μνημονεύετε ὅτι ἔτι
NAS: Do you not remember that while I was still
KJV: Remember ye not, that,
INT: not do you remember that yet

2 Timothy 2:8 V-PMA-2S
GRK: μνημόνευε Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν
NAS: Remember Jesus Christ,
KJV: Remember that Jesus Christ
INT: Remember Jesus Christ

Hebrews 11:15 V-IIA-3P
GRK: μὲν ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον ἀφ' ἧς
NAS: if they had been thinking of that [country] from which
KJV: if they had been mindful of that
INT: indeed that they were remembering from where

Hebrews 11:22 V-AIA-3S
GRK: υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐμνημόνευσεν καὶ περὶ
NAS: when he was dying, made mention of the exodus
KJV: when he died, made mention of
INT: sons of Israel made mention and concerning

Hebrews 13:7 V-PMA-2P
GRK: Μνημονεύετε τῶν ἡγουμένων
NAS: Remember those who led
KJV: Remember them which have the rule
INT: Remember the leaders

Revelation 2:5 V-PMA-2S
GRK: μνημόνευε οὖν πόθεν
NAS: Therefore remember from where
KJV: Remember therefore from whence
INT: Remember therefore from where

Revelation 3:3 V-PMA-2S
GRK: μνημόνευε οὖν πῶς
NAS: So remember what you have received
KJV: Remember therefore how
INT: Remember therefore how

Revelation 18:5 V-AIA-3S
GRK: οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἐμνημόνευσεν ὁ θεὸς
NAS: and God has remembered her iniquities.
KJV: God hath remembered her
INT: heaven and remembered God

Strong's Greek 3421
21 Occurrences


ἐμνημόνευον — 1 Occ.
ἐμνημόνευσεν — 2 Occ.
μνημόνευε — 3 Occ.
μνημονεύητε — 1 Occ.
μνημονεύει — 1 Occ.
μνημονεύειν — 1 Occ.
μνημονεύετε — 9 Occ.
μνημονεύωμεν — 1 Occ.
μνημονεύοντες — 2 Occ.

3420
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