Lexical Summary mnéma: tomb, tombs Original Word: μνῆμα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance grave, sepulcher, tomb. From mnaomai; a memorial, i.e. Sepulchral monument (burial-place) -- grave, sepulchre, tomb. see GREEK mnaomai HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 3418 mnḗma (a neuter noun derived from 3415 /mnáomai, "to remember") – the generic term for "tomb." 3418 /mnḗma ("tomb") is simply an identifiable sepulcher (the resting place of an individual). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom mnaomai (in the sense of to be mindful of) Definition a memorial, a sepulcher NASB Translation tomb (7), tombs (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3418: μνῆμαμνῆμα, μνήματος, τό (μνάομαι, perfect passive μέμνημαι); 1. a monument or memorial to perpetuate the memory of any person or thing (Homer, Pindar, Sophocles, others). 2. a sepulchral monument (Homer, Euripides, Xenophon, Plato, others). 3. a sepulchre or tomb (receptacle where a dead body is deposited (cf. Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, ii., 316f)): Mark 5:3 G L T Tr WH; In the New Testament μνῆμα (Strong’s Greek 3418) denotes a burial place—a tomb, sepulchre, or memorial vault. Whether natural cave or hewn chamber, the term always points to an identifiable location where the dead are laid and remembered. Jewish Burial Customs behind the Word First-century Judea favored rock-cut tombs outside city walls for reasons of ritual purity (Numbers 19:11-16). Bodies were wrapped in linen with spices, then sealed behind a stone. One year later the bones were collected into ossuaries, allowing the family tomb to receive additional burials. The permanent accessibility of the site explains the stress on “memory” inherent in the root μνῆ- (“to remember”). Occurrences in the Gospels 1. Demoniac of the Decapolis (Mark 5:3, 5; Luke 8:27) The possessed man dwells “in the tombs” (ἐν τοῖς μνήμασιν), dramatizing how satanic oppression pushes a person to the margins of life, community, and ceremonial purity. Christ’s liberation of the man foreshadows resurrection power that will one day empty every grave. Joseph of Arimathea lays Jesus “in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had yet been laid.” The women later return, but “found the stone rolled away from the tomb” (Luke 24:2). The narrative insists on a verifiable, locatable sepulchre so that the subsequent emptiness stands as historical evidence of bodily resurrection. Use in Apostolic Preaching Acts 2:29 contrasts David’s undisturbed grave with Christ’s empty one: “David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.” Peter’s sermon appeals to an accessible monument in Jerusalem, underscoring fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 16:10). Similarly, Stephen mentions the patriarchal “tomb” in Shechem (Acts 7:16), linking covenant history with geography to authenticate Israel’s story. Prophetic Imagery of the Last Days Revelation 11:9 pictures hostile nations refusing burial for the slain witnesses: they “will gaze upon their bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb.” The indignity heightens the triumph of the ensuing resurrection (Revelation 11:11), reminding readers that God vindicates His servants even when the world denies them the most basic honor of burial. Theological Themes • Memory and Continuity: A μνῆμα is both grave and memorial, anchoring personal identity across death’s gap. Scripture keeps physicality and remembrance together, opposing any purely spiritualized afterlife. Historical and Archaeological Corroboration First-century lintel stones, burial benches, and rolling-disk entrances found around Jerusalem confirm the descriptions in the Gospels. Ossuary inscriptions bearing familiar biblical names (e.g., “Yehosef bar Qayafa”) illustrate the continuity of family remembrance that μνῆμα conveys. Ministry Implications 1. Gospel Proclamation: The empty μνῆμα is indispensable evidence encouraging rational faith (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Eschatological Hope Every μνῆμα will eventually yield its occupant: “For the Lord Himself will descend… and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The word that once named a place of silence now summons believers to anticipate the trumpet call that will transform graves into gateways of glory. Englishman's Concordance Mark 5:3 N-DNPGRK: ἐν τοῖς μνήμασιν καὶ οὐδὲ NAS: among the tombs. And no INT: in the tombs and not even Mark 5:5 N-DNP Luke 8:27 N-DNP Luke 23:53 N-DNS Luke 24:1 N-ANS Acts 2:29 N-NNS Acts 7:16 N-DNS Revelation 11:9 N-ANS Strong's Greek 3418 |
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