3115. makrothumia
Berean Strong's Lexicon
makrothumia: Patience, Long-suffering, Forbearance

Original Word: μακροθυμία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: makrothumia
Pronunciation: mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah)
Definition: Patience, Long-suffering, Forbearance
Meaning: patience, forbearance, longsuffering.

Word Origin: Derived from μακρός (makros, meaning "long") and θυμός (thumos, meaning "temper" or "passion")

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H750: אֶרֶךְ (erek) - Often translated as "long-suffering" or "slow to anger," reflecting a similar concept of patience and forbearance.

- H639: אַף (aph) - While primarily meaning "nose" or "anger," it is used in contexts where God is described as "slow to anger."

Usage: Makrothumia refers to the quality of being patient and enduring, especially in the face of provocation or difficulty. It is often translated as "patience" or "long-suffering" in English. This term emphasizes a self-restraint that does not hastily retaliate or punish, especially when faced with offenses or challenges. In the New Testament, makrothumia is frequently associated with the character of God and the expected behavior of believers, highlighting the virtue of enduring trials and showing mercy.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, patience was not always considered a virtue, as strength and immediate action were often valued. However, in Jewish and early Christian thought, patience was seen as a reflection of divine character. The concept of makrothumia was counter-cultural, promoting a lifestyle of endurance and forgiveness rather than revenge or immediate justice. This virtue was particularly important for early Christians who faced persecution and needed to maintain their faith and witness under pressure.

HELPS Word-studies

3115 makrothymía (from 3117 /makrós, "long" and 2372 /thymós, "passion, anger") – properly, long-passion, i.e. waiting sufficient time before expressing anger. This avoids the premature use of force (retribution) that rises out of improper anger (a personal reaction).

3115 /makrothymía ("divinely-regulated patience") is used of God Himself (see 1 Pet 3:20; 2 Pet 3:15). Indeed, only the Lord produces 3115 /makrothymía ("true patience, longsuffering") in us and hence is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22).

"3115 (makrothymía) embraces steadfastness and staying-power. If in English we had an adjective 'long-tempered' as a counterpart to 'short-tempered,' then makrothymia could be called the quality of being 'long-tempered'. . . . which is a quality of God (LXX, Ex 34:6)" (F. F. Bruce, Commentary on Galatians, 253).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from makros and thumos
Definition
patience, long-suffering
NASB Translation
patience (14).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3115: μακροθυμία

μακροθυμία, μακροθυμίας, (μακρόθυμος (cf. μακροθυμέω)) (Vulg.longanimitas, etc.), i. e.:

1. patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance; especially as shown in bearing troubles and ills (Plutarch, Luc. 32f; ἄνθρωπος ὤν μηδέποτε τήν ἀλυπιαν αἰτου παρά θεῶν, ἀλλά μακροθυμίαν, Menander fragment 19, p. 203, Meineke edition (vol. iv., p. 238 Frag. comic. Graec. (Berl. 1841))): Colossians 1:11; 2 Timothy 3:10; Hebrews 6:12; James 5:10; Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 64 [ET]; the Epistle of Barnabas 2, 2 [ET]; (Isaiah 57:15; Josephus, b. j. 6, 1, 5; cf. 1 Macc. 8:4).

2. patience, forbearance, long-suffering, slowness in avenging wrongs, (for אַפַּיִם אֶרֶך, Jeremiah 15:15): Romans 2:4; Romans 9:22; 2 Corinthians 6:6; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12; 1 Timothy 1:16 (cf. Buttmann, 120 (105)); 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:15; (Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 13, 1 [ET]; Ignatius ad Eph. 3, 1 [ET]). [SYNONYMS: μακροθυμία, ὑπομονή (occur together or in the same context in Colossians 1:11; 2 Corinthians 6:4, 6; 2 Timothy 3:10; James 5:10, 11; cf. Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 64 [ET]: Ignatius ad Eph. 3, 1 [ET]): Lightfoot remarks (on Colossians, the passage cited), "The difference of meaning is best seen in their opposites. While ὑπομονή is the temper which does not easily succumb under suffering, μακροθυμία is the self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong. The one is opposed to cowardice or despondency, the other to wrath or revenge (Proverbs 15:18; Proverbs 16:32) ... This distinction, though it applies generally, is not true without exception" ...; cf. also his note on Colossians 3:12, and see (more at length) Trench, N. T. Synonyms, § liii.]

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
longsuffering, patience.

From the same as makrothumos; longanimity, i.e. (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude -- longsuffering, patience.

see GREEK makrothumos

Forms and Transliterations
μακροθυμια μακροθυμία μακροθυμίᾳ μακροθυμιαν μακροθυμίαν μακροθυμιας μακροθυμίας μακρόθυμος makrothumia makrothumian makrothumias makrothymia makrothymía makrothymíāi makrothymian makrothymían makrothymias makrothymías
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Romans 2:4 N-GFS
GRK: καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας καταφρονεῖς ἀγνοῶν
NAS: and tolerance and patience, not knowing
KJV: and longsuffering; not knowing
INT: and the patience despise you not knowing

Romans 9:22 N-DFS
GRK: ἐν πολλῇ μακροθυμίᾳ σκεύη ὀργῆς
NAS: with much patience vessels
KJV: much longsuffering the vessels
INT: in much patience vessels of wrath

2 Corinthians 6:6 N-DFS
GRK: γνώσει ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ ἐν χρηστότητι
NAS: in knowledge, in patience, in kindness,
KJV: by longsuffering, by
INT: knowledge in patience in kindness

Galatians 5:22 N-NFS
GRK: χαρά εἰρήνη μακροθυμία χρηστότης ἀγαθωσύνη
NAS: peace, patience, kindness,
KJV: peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
INT: joy peace patience kindness goodness

Ephesians 4:2 N-GFS
GRK: πραΰτητος μετὰ μακροθυμίας ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων
NAS: and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance
KJV: with longsuffering, forbearing
INT: gentleness with patience bearing with one another

Colossians 1:11 N-AFS
GRK: ὑπομονὴν καὶ μακροθυμίαν μετὰ χαρᾶς
NAS: steadfastness and patience; joyously
KJV: and longsuffering with
INT: endurance and patience with joy

Colossians 3:12 N-AFS
GRK: ταπεινοφροσύνην πραΰτητα μακροθυμίαν
NAS: humility, gentleness and patience;
KJV: meekness, longsuffering;
INT: humility gentleness patience

1 Timothy 1:16 N-AFS
GRK: τὴν ἅπασαν μακροθυμίαν πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν
NAS: His perfect patience as an example
KJV: all longsuffering, for
INT: the perfect patience for a pattern

2 Timothy 3:10 N-DFS
GRK: πίστει τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ τῇ ἀγάπῃ
NAS: faith, patience, love,
KJV: faith, longsuffering, charity,
INT: faith the patience the love

2 Timothy 4:2 N-DFS
GRK: ἐν πάσῃ μακροθυμίᾳ καὶ διδαχῇ
NAS: with great patience and instruction.
KJV: with all longsuffering and doctrine.
INT: with all patience and teaching

Hebrews 6:12 N-GFS
GRK: πίστεως καὶ μακροθυμίας κληρονομούντων τὰς
NAS: faith and patience inherit
KJV: and patience inherit
INT: faith and patience inherit the

James 5:10 N-GFS
GRK: καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας τοὺς προφήτας
NAS: of suffering and patience, take
KJV: and of patience.
INT: and of patience the prophets

1 Peter 3:20 N-NFS
GRK: τοῦ θεοῦ μακροθυμία ἐν ἡμέραις
NAS: when the patience of God
KJV: once the longsuffering of God
INT: of God patience in [the] days

2 Peter 3:15 N-AFS
GRK: κυρίου ἡμῶν μακροθυμίαν σωτηρίαν ἡγεῖσθε
NAS: and regard the patience of our Lord
KJV: account [that] the longsuffering of our
INT: Lord of us patience salvation esteem you

Strong's Greek 3115
14 Occurrences


μακροθυμίᾳ — 6 Occ.
μακροθυμίαν — 4 Occ.
μακροθυμίας — 4 Occ.

















3114
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