Lexical Summary hémón: our, of us Original Word: ἡμῶν Strong's Exhaustive Concordance our company, us, we. Genitive case plural of ego; of (or from) us -- our (company), us, we. see GREEK ego NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origingen. pl. of egó, q.v. Topical Lexicon Scope of the Term ἡμῶν is the first-person plural, genitive personal and possessive pronoun, regularly rendered “of us” or “our.” It joins the speaker with fellow believers in a single confessional voice, stressing shared identity, shared need, and shared inheritance in Christ. Corporate Identity in Prayer and Worship In worship the pronoun gathers individual believers into one family before God. In the model prayer the Lord Jesus teaches, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9). By saying “our,” disciples confess that access to the Father is communal, grounded in grace, not in personal merit or ethnic lineage (compare Ephesians 2:18). The same corporate consciousness shapes doxologies such as “to Him who loved us and released us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5). Covenant Solidarity Throughout Scripture covenant language is corporate. “Our God” in Nehemiah 9:32 and Daniel 9:4 echoes Israel’s collective relationship with the LORD, a pattern fulfilled and expanded in the New Covenant where Christ “gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). When Paul says, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7), the possessive pronoun affirms the believer’s inclusion in the redeemed covenant people. Christological Emphasis The pronoun often binds believers directly to the person and work of Jesus Christ. “Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11) and “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13) highlight both His deity and His intimate relationship with the church. By uniting “Lord,” “God,” and “our,” the writers emphasize the church’s total reliance on Christ’s divine authority and redeeming work. Soteriological Significance The substitutionary nature of the atonement is underscored by ἡμῶν. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24) and “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3) show that sin, guilt, and punishment are corporate realities answered by a corporate salvation. Yet the pronoun remains personal: each believer is included and must respond. Pastoral and Apostolic Humility Apostles include themselves with their audiences, rejecting clerical distance. “Our gospel came to you not only in word but also in power” (1 Thessalonians 1:5) places Paul under the same saving message he proclaims. In Philemon 1:7, “the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother,” the inclusivity of ἡμῶν in other contexts reminds leaders that they stand as fellow sheep under one Shepherd. Ethical Motivation “Let us purify ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1) moves from divine promises to corporate moral obligation. The shared pronoun binds holiness to mutual accountability; sanctification is a family enterprise. Eschatological Hope Believers anticipate “the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13). The possessive pronoun guarantees participation in the coming glory: the God who will appear is already “ours,” assuring security amid present trials (see Romans 8:23). Old Testament Background Hebrew collective possessives, especially אֱלֹהֵינוּ (our God), prepare for the Greek ἡμῶν. The Septuagint regularly translates these with ἡμῶν, preserving the covenant formula from Genesis 17:7 through Psalms and Prophets. The New Testament writers, steeped in this tradition, naturally adopt ἡμῶν to express continuity between Israel and the church. Early Church Usage Patristic writings echo the New Testament pattern: Ignatius writes of “our God, Jesus the Christ,” and the Didache begins, “Our Father in heaven.” These attest that from the earliest days the church spoke of salvation, doctrine, and worship in shared pronouns, reinforcing unity across congregations. Doctrinal Confessions Historic creeds preserve the biblical usage. The Nicene Creed opens, “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty,” mirroring the collective ἡμῶν of Scripture. Reformation catechisms follow suit: “What is your only comfort in life and in death? That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.” Ministry Implications 1. Preaching should employ inclusive language that reflects the gospel’s communal nature. Summary ἡμῶν powerfully conveys collective identity, covenant belonging, and shared hope. Though a simple pronoun, it unites believers across time and culture under one Father, one Lord, one Spirit, and one gospel, calling the church to live, serve, and worship as a single redeemed people. Forms and Transliterations ημων ἡμῶν emon ēmōn hemon hemôn hēmōn hēmō̂nLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance ἡμετέραν — 1 Occ.ἡμετέρας — 1 Occ. ἡμετέρων — 1 Occ. ἡμέτεροι — 1 Occ. ἡμετέροις — 1 Occ. ἡμέτερον — 1 Occ. ἡμιθανῆ — 1 Occ. ἡμίσιά — 1 Occ. ἡμίσους — 1 Occ. ἥμισυ — 3 Occ. ἡνίκα — 2 Occ. ἤπερ — 1 Occ. ἤπιον — 1 Occ. Ἤρ — 1 Occ. ἤρεμον — 1 Occ. Ἡρῴδῃ — 3 Occ. Ἡρῴδην — 2 Occ. Ἡρῴδης — 25 Occ. Ἡρῴδου — 13 Occ. Ἡρῳδιανῶν — 3 Occ. |
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