2254. hémin

Lexical Summary

hémin: us, to us, for us

Original Word: ἡμῖν
Part of Speech: Pronoun, Dative Case
Transliteration: hémin
Pronunciation: hay-MEEN
Phonetic Spelling: (hay-meen')
KJV: our, (for) us, we
Word Origin: [dative case plural of G1473 (ἐγώ - myself)]

1. to (or for, with, by) us

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

our, for us, we.

Dative case plural of ego; to (or for, with, by) us -- our, (for) us, we.

see GREEK ego

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
dat. pl. of egó, q.v.

Topical Lexicon

Form and Function in Scripture

Ἡμῖν embodies the dative idea “to us / for us,” stressing direction, benefit, or relationship. In both Testaments this simple pronoun anchors the corporate consciousness of God’s people, reminding them that the Lord’s acts, promises, warnings, and comforts are not merely individual but communal.

Old Testament Foundations

1. Covenant Promise

Isaiah 9:6 heralds the birth of Messiah “to us,” tying every future redemptive act to the covenant community that began with Abraham.
2. Deliverance and Protection

Psalm 124:1-2 rejoices, “If the LORD had not been on our side … ” The pronoun signals that victory over enemies is God’s gracious intervention for His people as a whole.
3. Worship and Blessing

Psalm 67:1 petitions, “May God be gracious to us and bless us,” teaching Israel to seek collective favor and to become a blessing to the nations.
4. Instruction and Law

Deuteronomy 6:24 recalls, “The LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes,” rooting obedience in a shared identity formed by grace.

New Testament Resonance

Although this particular Strong’s number is not separately tagged in the Greek New Testament, the concept appears everywhere. Gospel writers, apostles, and the Lord Himself continuously speak in the first-person plural, reinforcing the community created by Christ.

1. Incarnation and Revelation

John 14:22: “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” The disciples assume that divine disclosure is designed for the redeemed community.
2. Atonement and Justification

Romans 5:8: “Christ died for us.” The saving death is corporate in scope yet intensely personal for every believer within that body.
3. Provision and Prayer

Matthew 6:11-12: “Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts.” The model prayer unites believers in common dependence and repentance.
4. Mission and Witness

Acts 4:20: “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” The apostolic “we” testifies that proclamation is a shared mandate.

Theological Significance

1. Corporate Solidarity

Scripture never allows a purely individualistic faith. By repeatedly employing “to us / for us,” the Spirit weaves each saint into the larger fabric of the redeemed.
2. Covenant Continuity

The pronoun links Old and New Covenants. The God who spoke “to us” through the prophets (Hebrews 1:1) now speaks “to us” in His Son (Hebrews 1:2), proving the coherence of redemptive history.
3. Substitutionary Emphasis

Verses like 2 Corinthians 5:21 (“that in Him we might become the righteousness of God”) underline that what Christ accomplishes He accomplishes “for us,” securing salvation on behalf of the community.
4. Assurance and Hope

Romans 8:31-32 climaxes with “If God is for us, who can be against us?”—a rhetorical fortress built on the pronoun’s covenant weight.

Communal Life and Ministry

1. Worship Gatherings

The Psalms model how congregations approach God together: confession (“Forgive us”), petition (“Bless us”), and praise (“He has done great things for us,” Psalm 126:3).
2. Mutual Care

Galatians 6:10 urges believers to “do good to everyone, and especially to the household of faith.” The shared “us” compels sacrificial service within the body.
3. Teaching and Discipleship

Pastors and teachers echo Paul’s pattern: “What you have heard from me… entrust to faithful men” (2 Timothy 2:2). The learning community extends from the apostolic circle to every generation.
4. Missionary Partnership

Philippians 1:7 speaks of the Philippians being “partners with me in grace.” Collective pronoun usage sustains cooperative evangelism, reminding churches that gospel advance is never a solo endeavor.

Pastoral Application

• When preaching, highlight “us” passages to cultivate congregational identity and gratitude.
• In counseling, shift attention from isolated struggles to the resources God supplies “to us” as a family.
• In prayer meetings, frame intercession with corporate language, following the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer.
• In missions, present the Great Commission as Christ’s charge to the whole church, not merely elite workers.

Conclusion

Ἡμῖν is a small word with vast theological reach. It binds believers to one another, locates them within God’s unfolding covenant, and continually directs their gaze to the One who loved the church and gave Himself “for us.”

Forms and Transliterations

ημίεφθον ημιν ἡμῖν ημίονοι ημίονον ημίονος ημιόνου ημιόνους ημιόνων ημίσευμα ημισεύματος ημισεύσωσι emin ēmin hemin hemîn hēmin hēmîn

Englishman's Concordance

ἡμέρας — 127 Occ.
ἡμερῶν — 22 Occ.
ἡμετέρα — 1 Occ.
ἡμετέραις — 1 Occ.
ἡμετέραν — 1 Occ.
ἡμετέρας — 1 Occ.
ἡμετέρων — 1 Occ.
ἡμέτεροι — 1 Occ.
ἡμετέροις — 1 Occ.
ἡμέτερον — 1 Occ.
ἡμίσιά — 1 Occ.
ἡμίσους — 1 Occ.
ἥμισυ — 3 Occ.
ἡμιώριον — 1 Occ.
ἡνίκα — 2 Occ.
ἤπερ — 1 Occ.
ἤπιον — 1 Occ.
Ἤρ — 1 Occ.
ἤρεμον — 1 Occ.
Ἡρῴδῃ — 3 Occ.