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μεριμνάω

merimnáō

G3309 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To be anxious, to worry, to be concerned or preoccupied with the care of something; primary sense is to experience or feel anxiety, with broader contextual senses including attentive concern, solicitude, or thoughtful consideration, depending on whether the context is negative (distress, worry) or neutral/positive (thoughtful care for another).

Semantic Range

to be anxious, to be worried, to be concerned, to care for, to take thought, to be unduly distracted by care

Root / Etymology

From the noun μέριμνα (care, anxiety, concern), which itself is derived from μερίς (part, portion, share); μεριμνάω originally conveys the idea of being fragmented or divided in attention due to cares or worries.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, μεριμνάω is relatively rare and primarily found with the sense of being troubled or distracted by cares. In the Septuagint (LXX), it translates Hebrew terms meaning to be anxious or worried, often used with a negative connotation of being distracted from trust in God by life's concerns. In the New Testament, the verb frequently carries the sense of worry or anxiety (e.g., Matthew 6:25, "Do not be anxious about your life"), but it can also refer to responsible concern for others (e.g., 1 Corinthians 7:32-34; 12:25), where concern is not condemned but depicted as appropriate care or solicitude. English translations often render μεριμνάω with 'worry,' 'be anxious,' or 'be concerned,' but 'to be anxious' best fits the common Koine usage where the emotion of distress is central. The shift from neutral 'care' to negative 'worry' is contextually determined and should be discerned in each occurrence. Unlike φροντίζω (to take thought, to be attentive), μεριμνάω emphasizes the emotional or psychological experience of being troubled by care.

Translation Consistency

primary "worry" 6 occurrences

Merimnáō's primary sense in Greek is to experience anxiety or be preoccupied with care. 'Worry' is the natural, everyday English verb that most directly captures that core meaning (and can be inflected to render all grammatical forms). It also allows contextual shading (e.g., 'worry about' for negative anxiety vs. 'be concerned' phrased around it) while keeping a single consistent base verb.

Alternatives (13 occurrences):
"worry, all of" (5x) "anxious" (3x) "concerned" (3x) "care" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from μέριμνα; to be anxious about:--(be, have) care(-ful), take thought.

Root Family

μεριμν- (amérimnos) — to be anxious, to care, to be concerned

Root μεριμν- to be anxious, to care, to worry
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G275 ἀμέριμνος unworried ones
G4305 προμεριμνάω be anxious beforehand

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3309-03 μεριμνᾶτε merimnate V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL be anxious be anxious worry, all of you 5
G3309-01 μεριμνᾷ merimna V PRS ACT IND 3P SG cares anxious care is concerned 4
G3309-05 μεριμνήσητε merimnesete V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL worry you should worry you should worry 4
G3309-04 μεριμνήσει merimnesei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG will be anxious will be anxious will care 2
G3309-06 μεριμνῶν merimnon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG being anxious being anxious being anxious 2
G3309-02 μεριμνᾷς merimnas V PRS ACT IND 2P SG you are worried you are anxious you are anxious 1
G3309-07 μεριμνῶσι merimnosi V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P PL may have care they may be anxious may have care 1

Occurrences in Scripture

19 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3309-03 Matthew 6:25 μεριμνᾶτε merimnate V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL be anxious be anxious worry, all of you
G3309-06 Matthew 6:27 μεριμνῶν merimnon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG being anxious being anxious being anxious
G3309-03 Matthew 6:28 μεριμνᾶτε merimnate V PRS ACT IND 2P PL are you worrying be anxious worry, all of you
G3309-05 Matthew 6:31 μεριμνήσητε merimnesete V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL worry you should worry you should worry
G3309-05 Matthew 6:34 μεριμνήσητε merimnesete V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL be anxious you should worry you should worry
G3309-04 Matthew 6:34 μεριμνήσει merimnesei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG will be anxious will be anxious he/she/it will worry
G3309-05 Matthew 10:19 μεριμνήσητε merimnesete V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL worry you should worry you should worry
G3309-02 Luke 10:41 μεριμνᾷς merimnas V PRS ACT IND 2P SG you are worried you are anxious you are anxious
G3309-05 Luke 12:11 μεριμνήσητε merimnesete V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL be anxious you should worry you should worry
G3309-03 Luke 12:22 μεριμνᾶτε merimnate V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL be anxious be anxious worry, all of you
G3309-06 Luke 12:25 μεριμνῶν merimnon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG worrying being anxious being anxious
G3309-03 Luke 12:26 μεριμνᾶτε merimnate V PRS ACT IND 2P PL do you worry be anxious worry, all of you
G3309-01 1 Corinthians 7:32 μεριμνᾷ merimna V PRS ACT IND 3P SG is concerned anxious care is concerned
G3309-01 1 Corinthians 7:33 μεριμνᾷ merimna V PRS ACT IND 3P SG cares anxious care worry
G3309-01 1 Corinthians 7:34 μεριμνᾷ merimna V PRS ACT IND 3P SG cares anxious care is concerned
G3309-01 1 Corinthians 7:34 μεριμνᾷ merimna-2 V PRS ACT IND 3P SG cares anxious care is concerned
G3309-07 1 Corinthians 12:25 μεριμνῶσι merimnosi V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P PL may have care they may be anxious may have care
G3309-04 Philippians 2:20 μεριμνήσει merimnesei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG will care will be anxious will care
G3309-03 Philippians 4:6 μεριμνᾶτε merimnate V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL be anxious be anxious worry, all of you
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