verb
merimnamō
Greekμεριμνάω (merimnaō)
Strong’sG3309
I am anxious, distracted
stem merimn-19 times in the New Testamentin 4 of 27 books8 forms occur
Translated as
What it means
μεριμνάω, -ῶ
(< μέριμνα), [in LXX: Ps 37 (38):18 (דּאג), etc.;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3309 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidmer-im-nah'-o
to be anxious about
Fromfrom G3308;
King James(be, have) care(-ful), take thought.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Forms in the New Testament
| Form and the Greek behind it | What it is | Usually | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| merimnasōμεριμνᾷς | happening now · youpresent active indicative 2nd person singular | worried | 1× |
| merimnatōμεριμνᾷ | happening now · he/she/itpresent active indicative 3rd person singular | concerned about | 4× |
| merimnavōμεριμνᾶτε | happening now · yepresent active indicative 2nd person plural | worry | 2× |
| merimnatiμεριμνήσει | will happen · he/she/itfuture active indicative 3rd person singular | worry | 2× |
| merimnaleiōμεριμνῶσι | happening now · theypresent active subjunctive 3rd person plural | have … care | 1× |
| merimnaveiaμεριμνήσητε | happened · yeaorist active subjunctive 2nd person plural | worry | 4× |
| merimnavōrμεριμνᾶτε | happening now · yepresent active imperative 2nd person plural | worry about | 3× |
| merimnarōtosμεριμνῶν | happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative singular masculine | worrying | 2× |
Every form the New Testament uses, in paradigm order. What the system can build beyond them — the whole of this verb, whether the text happens to use it or not — is in the tables below.
Every form the system can build — all 86, by mood, including the ones the New Testament never uses
Statements — indicative mood, 9 occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | merimnamō | merimname | merimnami | merimnama | merimnamē | merimnamelē |
| you 2nd person singular | merimnasō1×μεριμνᾷς | merimnase | merimnasi | merimnasa | merimnasē | merimnaselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | merimnatō4×μεριμνᾷ | merimnate | merimnati2×μεριμνήσει | merimnata | merimnatē | merimnatelē |
| we 1st person plural | merimnanō | merimnane | merimnani | merimnana | merimnanē | merimnanelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | merimnavō2×μεριμνᾶτε | merimnave | merimnavi | merimnava | merimnavē | merimnavelē |
| they 3rd person plural | merimnalō | merimnale | merimnali | merimnala | merimnalē | merimnalelē |
May, might — subjunctive mood, 5 occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | merimnameiō | merimnameia | merimnameiē |
| you 2nd person singular | merimnaseiō | merimnaseia | merimnaseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | merimnateiō | merimnateia | merimnateiē |
| we 1st person plural | merimnaneiō | merimnaneia | merimnaneiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | merimnaveiō | merimnaveia4×μεριμνήσητε | merimnaveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | merimnaleiō1×μεριμνῶσι | merimnaleia | merimnaleiē |
Commands — imperative mood, 3 occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | merimnasōr | merimnasar | merimnasēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | merimnatōr | merimnatar | merimnatēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | merimnavōr3×μεριμνᾶτε | merimnavar | merimnavēr |
| they 3rd person plural | merimnalōr | merimnalar | merimnalēr |
Wishes — optative mood, no occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | merimnamoiō | merimnamoia |
| you 2nd person singular | merimnasoiō | merimnasoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | merimnatoiō | merimnatoia |
| we 1st person plural | merimnanoiō | merimnanoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | merimnavoiō | merimnavoia |
| they 3rd person plural | merimnaloiō | merimnaloia |
The “to …” form — infinitive, no occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | merimnarō | merimnari | merimnara | merimnarē |
Used as an adjective — participle, 2 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | merimnarōtos2×μεριμνῶν | merimnaritos | merimnaratos | merimnarētos |
Each is given in the form it takes as a subject. From there a participle carries the ordinary noun endings, in every case, number and gender — so these four columns are the whole of what the verb contributes.
How every form is built — the slots that make them
merimn 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
Words built on the same stem
Where it appears
19 occurrences, every one of them listed
merimnasō“worried”happening now · youpresent active indicative 2nd person singular1×
Luke 10:41“worried”apokriniratos de legata auta tos kurios; Marthar Marthar, merimnasō kai thorubazisō peri polleim,“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things.
merimnatō“concerned about”happening now · he/she/itpresent active indicative 3rd person singular4×
1 Corinthians 7:32“cares for”Thelamō de vin amerimnoin arō. tos agamos merimnatō teim tou kuriou, pōs areskateia to kurio;I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:33“concerned about”tos de gamaratos merimnatō teim tou kosmou, pōs areskateia ta gunaika,But the married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can please his wife,
1 Corinthians 7:34“concerned about”kai merizitē. kai tas gunaikas tas agamas kai tas parthenas merimnatō teim tou kuriou, hina ateiō hagias kai te sōme kai te pneume; tas de gamaratas merimnatō teim tou kosmou, pōs areskateia to anēro.and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the work of the Lord, how she can be holy in both body and spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, how she can please her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:34“concerned about”kai merizitē. kai tas gunaikas tas agamas kai tas parthenas merimnatō teim tou kuriou, hina ateiō hagias kai te sōme kai te pneume; tas de gamaratas merimnatō teim tou kosmou, pōs areskateia to anēro.and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the work of the Lord, how she can be holy in both body and spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, how she can please her husband.
merimnavō“worry”happening now · yepresent active indicative 2nd person plural2×
Matthew 6:28“worry”kai peri endumeu tinem merimnavō? katamathavar teim krineim tou agrou pōs auxanalō; ouk kopialō oude nēthalō;And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.
Luke 12:26“anxious”ei oun oude elachistem dunevō, tinem peri teiu loipeiu merimnavō?So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest?
merimnati“worry”will happen · he/she/itfuture active indicative 3rd person singular2×
Matthew 6:34“worry”mē oun merimnaveia eis tan aurion, tas gar aurion merimnati heautau; arketem ta hēmera tas kakias autau.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.[’’]
Philippians 2:20“concerned”oudenon gar echamō isopsuchon hotinos gnēsiōs teim peri vu merimnati,I have nobody else like him who will genuinely care for your needs.
merimnaleiō“have … care”happening now · theypresent active subjunctive 3rd person plural1×
1 Corinthians 12:25“have … care”hina mē ateiō schismem en te sōme, alla tem autem huper allēloiu merimnaleiō teim meleim.so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.
merimnaveia“worry”happened · yeaorist active subjunctive 2nd person plural4×
Matthew 6:31“worry”mē oun merimnaveia legarōtois; Tinem esthianeia? ē; Tinem pinaneia? ē; Tinem periballeneia?Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
Matthew 6:34“worry”mē oun merimnaveia eis tan aurion, tas gar aurion merimnati heautau; arketem ta hēmera tas kakias autau.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.[’’]
Matthew 10:19“worry about”hotan de paradōaleia vin, mē merimnaveia pōs ē tinem lalaveia; dōiti gar vi en ekeina ta hōra tinem lalaveia;But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say.
Luke 12:11“worry about”hotan de eisferaleiō vin epi tain sunagōgain kai tain archain kai tain exousiain, mē merimnaveia pōs ē tinem apologeveia ē tinem legaveia;When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say.
merimnavōr“worry about”happening now · yepresent active imperative 2nd person plural3×
Matthew 6:25“worry”Dia houtem legamō vi; mē merimnavōr ta psucha vu tinem esthiaveia, mēde te sōme vu tinem endueveia; ouchi tas psuchas polloterem atō tau trofēau kai tem sōmem teu endumeu?Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
Luke 12:22“worry about”Legata de pros toin mathētoin autou; Dia houtem legamō vi, mē merimnavōr ta psucha tinem esthiaveia, mēde te sōme tinem endueveia.Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.
Philippians 4:6“worry about”mēdenem merimnavōr, alla en pante ta proseucha kai ta deēsia meta eucharistiau teim aitēmeim vu gnōrizitōr pros ton theon;Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
merimnarōtos“worrying”happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative singular masculine2×
Matthew 6:27“worrying”tinos de ek vu merimnarōtos dunetō prostithara epi tan hēlikian autou pēchon henon?Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Luke 12:25“worrying”tinos de ek vu merimnarōtos dunetō epi tan hēlikian autou prostithara pēchon?Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?