νουμηνία
noumēnía
G3561 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The day marking the beginning of a lunar month, observed as the New Moon; in various contexts, the new moon festival (the first day of the lunar month), sometimes with associated sacrificial, cultic, and communal practices. Also refers more broadly to the occasion or celebration signaling the start of a new month in calendars using lunar reckoning.
Semantic Range
new moon (astronomical event), first day of the lunar month, festival or celebration marking the new month, official observance at the start of the lunar month
Root / Etymology
From νέος (new) + μήν (moon, month), forming νουμηνία as a compound designating 'new month' or 'new moon'; literally 'new [month's] moon.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, νουμηνία referred simply to the day of the new moon, which, in many Greek cities and regions, was considered the beginning of the month and sometimes celebrated with rituals or official events. In the Septuagint, νουμηνία is used to render Hebrew חֹדֶשׁ (ḥōdeš), particularly in cultic or calendrical passages, denoting the first day of the lunar month (commonly called 'New Moon'). In the broader Greco-Roman world, many cultures reckoned months according to lunar phases, but the prominence and religious significance attached to the day varied. In the Israelite and Judean contexts, as reflected in the LXX and New Testament, νουμηνία formed part of the liturgical calendar alongside sabbaths and annual festivals, often involving specific sacrifices (Numbers 28:11–15) and assemblies. Later English translations commonly render the term as 'new moon,' but this does not always convey the full sense of its role as a calendrical and sometimes festive marker. Unlike terms such as σαββατον (Sabbath), νουμηνία specifically designates the calendrical commencement marked by the lunar cycle and its associated observances.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of a compound of νέος and μήν (as noun by implication, of ἡμέρα); the festival of new moon:--new moon.
Root Family
νουμηνία (noumēnia) — new moon, beginning of month, festival marking new month
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3561-01 |
νουμηνίας | noumenias | N GEN F SG |
new moon | of the new-moon festival | of the new moon | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3561-01 |
Colossians 2:16 | νουμηνίας | noumenias | N GEN F SG |
new moon | of the new-moon festival | of the new moon |