3377. ménuó

Lexical Summary

ménuó: To disclose, to reveal, to inform

Original Word: μηνύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ménuó
Pronunciation: may-NOO-oh
Phonetic Spelling: (may-noo'-o)
KJV: shew, tell
NASB: informed, report, showed
Word Origin: [probably from the same base as G3145 (μασσάομαι - gnawed) and G3415 (μνάομαι - to remember) (i.e. mao, to strive)]

1. to disclose (through the idea of mental effort and thus calling to mind), i.e. report, declare, intimate

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

show, tell.

Probably from the same base as massaomai and mnaomai (i.e. Mao, to strive); to disclose (through the idea of mental effort and thus calling to mind), i.e. Report, declare, intimate -- shew, tell.

see GREEK massaomai

see GREEK mnaomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
to make known, report
NASB Translation
informed (2), report (1), showed (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3377: μηνύω

μηνύω (cf. Curtius, § 429): 1 aorist ἐμηνυσα; 1 aorist passive participle feminine μηνυθεισα; as in Greek writings from Herodotus and Pindar down;

1. to disclose or make known something secret; in a forensic sense, to inform, report: followed by ποῦ ἐστιν, John 11:57; τίνι τί, passive, Acts 23:30.

2. universally, to declare, tell, make known: 1 Corinthians 10:28.

3. to indicate, intimate: of a teacher; followed by ὅτι, Luke 20:37. (A. V. uniformly show.)

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong’s Greek 3377 (μηνύω) portrays the act of making something known—whether divine truth, moral obligation, or factual information—so that hearers are placed under the responsibility of the disclosure. In Scripture the verb ranges from Moses’ inspired testimony concerning resurrection hope to the simple notification that meat has pagan origins. Across its four New Testament appearances the term unites the themes of revelation, accountability, and protection.

Biblical Occurrences

• Luke 20:37 — “But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses indicated that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’” The patriarchal covenant is “indicated” by Moses, underscoring that life after death is not speculation but revealed truth.
• John 11:57 — “Now the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where He was must report it, so that they could seize Him.” The authorities press for information to facilitate their plan against Jesus, demonstrating how disclosure can be weaponized against righteousness.
• 1 Corinthians 10:28 — “But if someone tells you, ‘This food was offered to idols,’ then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.” A fellow diner’s warning shifts the entire ethical situation; once the fact is disclosed, love and witness govern the believer’s response.
• Acts 23:30 — “When I was informed that they were plotting against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers to state their case against him before you.” The Roman commander reacts swiftly to a report, illustrating how truthful informing can preserve life and uphold justice.

Historical and Cultural Background

In the first-century Greco-Roman world the verb carried legal overtones—informing magistrates, presenting evidence, or delivering official notice. Scripture employs the same term in both civic (Acts 23:30; John 11:57) and spiritual (Luke 20:37; 1 Corinthians 10:28) contexts, reminding readers that God’s truth intersects every sphere of life.

Theological Themes

1. Revelation and Resurrection: Luke 20:37 ties the disclosure directly to resurrection doctrine. Moses’ “indication” in Exodus becomes Christ’s proof that God’s covenantal faithfulness transcends death.
2. Conscience and Community: In 1 Corinthians 10:28 the moment a matter is reported, the believer’s obligation toward weaker consciences intensifies, illustrating how knowledge received reshapes Christian liberty.
3. Evil’s Demand for Information: John 11:57 shows religious leaders seeking information to oppose Jesus, contrasting divine self-disclosure with human manipulation.
4. Providential Protection: Acts 23:30 displays God’s sovereign care using a simple report to deliver Paul from an assassination plot, fulfilling promises of witness in Rome.

Implications for Ministry

• Preaching: Faithful proclamation “makes known” God’s saving purposes, following Moses’ example of declaring the resurrection hope.
• Pastoral Care: When sensitive information is disclosed, shepherds must balance transparency, protection, and conscience, just as Paul instructs regarding food offered to idols.
• Church Discipline and Justice: Proper reporting of wrongdoing, tempered by love and truth, safeguards the body and reflects the Acts narrative.
• Evangelism: The gospel itself is God’s supreme disclosure; believers participate by clearly “informing” the world of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Practical Applications

1. Receive revealed truth with obedience, recognizing that knowledge brings responsibility.
2. Guard against using information to harm, imitating neither the Pharisees nor those who plotted against Paul.
3. Protect the vulnerable through appropriate reporting, upholding justice as an outworking of love.
4. Declare the whole counsel of God, confident that divine revelation accomplishes its purpose.

Questions for Further Study

• How does Moses’ “indication” of resurrection shape a biblical theology of life after death?
• In what ways can the misuse of information, seen in John 11:57, inform contemporary ethics regarding gossip or slander?
• How does the conscience principle in 1 Corinthians 10 apply to modern gray areas, such as digital media or environmental concerns?

By tracing μηνύω across Scripture, believers are reminded that God’s kingdom advances through faithful disclosure of truth, whether by patriarchs, apostles, or ordinary disciples who simply and courageously make known what they have seen and heard.

Forms and Transliterations

εμηνυσεν εμήνυσεν ἐμήνυσεν μηνυθεισης μηνυθείσης μηνυσαντα μηνύσαντα μηνυση μηνύση μηνύσῃ emenusen emēnusen emenysen emēnysen emḗnysen menusanta mēnusanta menuse mēnusē menutheises mēnutheisēs menysanta menýsanta mēnysanta mēnýsanta menyse mēnysē menýsei mēnýsēi menytheises menytheíses mēnytheisēs mēnytheísēs

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 20:37 V-AIA-3S
GRK: καὶ Μωυσῆς ἐμήνυσεν ἐπὶ τῆς
NAS: Moses showed, in the [passage about the burning] bush,
KJV: even Moses shewed at the bush,
INT: even Moses showed [in the part] on the

John 11:57 V-ASA-3S
GRK: ποῦ ἐστὶν μηνύσῃ ὅπως πιάσωσιν
NAS: where He was, he was to report it, so
KJV: he were, he should shew [it], that
INT: where he is he should show [it] that they might take

Acts 23:30 V-APP-GFS
GRK: μηνυθείσης δέ μοι
NAS: When I was informed that there would be a plot
KJV: And when it was told me how that
INT: it having been disclosed moreover to me

1 Corinthians 10:28 V-APA-AMS
GRK: ἐκεῖνον τὸν μηνύσαντα καὶ τὴν
NAS: of the one who informed [you], and for conscience'
KJV: his sake that shewed it, and
INT: him having shown [it] and

Strong's Greek 3377
4 Occurrences

ἐμήνυσεν — 1 Occ.
μηνύσαντα — 1 Occ.
μηνύσῃ — 1 Occ.
μηνυθείσης — 1 Occ.