noun · feminine
hupomonas
Strong’sG5281
endurance, steadfastness
stem hupomon-32 times in the New Testamentin 13 of 27 books4 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Patient endurance, steadfastness under trial, suffering, or opposition is the meaning this word carries throughout the New Testament 14. It describes a settled capacity to hold on through hardship, sometimes with a note of hopeful expectation rather than mere resignation — hence renderings such as "cheerful (or hopeful) endurance," "constancy," and "patient continuance (waiting)" 2.
Outside this biblical use, the word could also describe simply remaining behind or staying in place, a sense found in classical Greek writers but not used this way in the New Testament 13. Classical usage also occasionally applied the word in a negative sense to mean obstinacy, and used it of things like a sword's or a plant's capacity to withstand blows or hardship 3.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
ὑπο-μονή, -ῆς, ἡ
(ὑπομένω) [in LXX for מִקְוֶה and cogn. forms; freq. in IV Mac;]
SYN.: v.s. μακροθυμία, and cf. Hort on Ja 1:3
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G5281 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidhoop-om-on-ay'
cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy
Fromfrom G5278;
King Jamesenduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
remaining behind, Refs 4th c.BC+
II endurance, τῶν ἀκουσίων πόνων Refs 5th c.BC+; [θανάτου] Refs 1st c.AD+; ἡ τῆς μαχαίρας ὑ. τῶν πληγῶν the sword's power to sustain blows, Refs 2nd c.BC+
II.2 in bad sense, obstinacy, Refs 2nd c.BC+
II.3 of plants, power to endure, Refs 4th c.BC+
III enduring to do, αἰσχρῶν ἔργων Refs
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | hupomonas4×ὑπομονὴ | hupomonais |
| object accusative | hupomonan11×ὑπομονὴν | hupomonain |
| direct address vocative | hupomonar | hupomonair |
| of, belonging to genitive | hupomonau8×ὑπομονῆς | hupomonaiu |
| to, for dative | hupomona9×ὑπομονῇ | hupomonai |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
hupomona is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
32 occurrences, every one of them listed
hupomonas“endurance”subjectnominative singular4×
Romans 5:4“endurance”tas de hupomonas dokiman, tas de dokimas elpidan.perseverance, character; and character, hope.
James 1:4“endurance”tas de hupomonas ergem teleiem echatōr, hina aveiō teleiois …… its work, so that you may be mature and complete …
Revelation 13:10“endurance”… en machaira apoktenira. hōde atō tas hupomonas kai tas pistias toiu hagioiu.… sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.
Revelation 14:12“endurance”Hōde tas hupomonas toiu hagioiu atō, tois tērarōntois tain …Here is a call for the perseverance of the saints, who keep the commandments of …
hupomonan“endurance”objectaccusative singular11×
Romans 2:7“persistence”toi men kata hupomonan ergeu agatheu doxan kai timan kai …To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He …
Romans 5:3“endurance”… tai thlipsiai, oidarēntois hoti tas thlipsias hupomonan katergazotō,… in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
Colossians 1:11… kratem tau doxau autou eis pantan hupomonan kai makrothumian meta charau,… so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
2 Thessalonians 3:5“steadfastness”… agapan tou theou kai eis tan hupomonan tou Christou.… into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
1 Timothy 6:11“endurance”… diōkasōr de dikaiosunan, eusebeian, pistian, agapan, hupomonan, praupathian.… these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
James 1:3“endurance”… tem dokimiem vu tau pistiau katergazotō hupomonan;… know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
James 5:11“endurance”idou makarizanō toin hupomenarantoin; tan hupomonan Iōb akouava, kai tem telem kuriou …… we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord …
2 Peter 1:6… enkrateian, en de ta enkrateia tan hupomonan, en de ta hupomona tan eusebeian,… to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
Revelation 2:2“patient endurance”… su, kai ton kopon kai tan hupomonan su, kai hoti ouk dunosō bastazara …I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as …
Revelation 2:3kai hupomonan echasō, kai bastazasa dia tem onomem …Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the …
Revelation 2:19“patient endurance”… pistian kai tan diakonian kai tan hupomonan su, kai teim ergeim su teim …… love, your faith, your service, your perseverance — and your latest deeds are greater than your first.
hupomonau“endurance”of, belonging togenitive singular8×
Romans 8:25“patience”… de hem ouk blepanō elpizanō, dia hupomonau apekdechonō.But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 15:4… hēmeteran didaskalian grafita, hina dia tau hupomonau kai dia tau paraklēsiau taiu grafaiu …… for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures …
Romans 15:5tos de theos tau hupomonau kai tau paraklēsiau dōatoia vi tem …Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with …
1 Thessalonians 1:3“steadfastness”… tou kopou tau agapau kai tau hupomonau tau elpidau tou kuriou nu Iēsu …… our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:4… tai ekklēsai tou theou huper tau hupomonau vu kai pistiau en pantoi toi …… boast among God’s churches about your perseverance and faith in the face of …
Hebrews 10:36“endurance”hupomonau gar echavō chreian hina tem thelēmem …You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God …
Hebrews 12:1… panton kai tan euperistatan hamartan, dia hupomonau trechaneiō ton prokeiorōnton ni agōnon,… entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.
Revelation 3:10“patient endurance”hoti tērasa ton logon tau hupomonau mu, kamis sin tērami ek tau …Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world …
hupomona“endurance”to, fordative singular9×
Luke 8:15“patient endurance”… ton logon katechalō kai karpoforalō en hupomona.… hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering …
Luke 21:19en ta hupomona vu ktevar tain psuchain vu.By your patient endurance you will gain your souls.
2 Corinthians 1:6… tau vu paraklēsiau tau energorōntau en hupomona teiu auteiu pathēmeiu heiu kai nis …… your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience.
2 Corinthians 6:4… sustēarōntois heautoin hōs theou diakonois; en hupomona polla, en thlipsiai, en anankai, en …… ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;
2 Corinthians 12:12… apostolou katergazita en vi en panta hupomona, sēmei tē kai teratei kai dunamiai.… were performed among you with great perseverance.
2 Timothy 3:10“endurance”… pistia, ta makrothumia, ta agapa, ta hupomona,… purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance,
Titus 2:2“endurance”… hugiainarōntoin ta pistia, ta agapa, ta hupomona.… self-controlled, and sound in faith, love, and perseverance.
2 Peter 1:6… enkrateia tan hupomonan, en de ta hupomona tan eusebeian,… and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
Revelation 1:9“patient endurance”… en ta thlipsia kai basileia kai hupomona en Iēso, genema en ta nēsa …… and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of …