3422. mnémosunon

Lexical Summary

mnémosunon: Memorial, remembrance

Original Word: μνημόσυνον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: mnémosunon
Pronunciation: mnay-MOS-oo-non
Phonetic Spelling: (mnay-mos'-oo-non)
KJV: memorial
NASB: memory, memorial
Word Origin: [from G3421 (μνημονεύω - remember)]

1. a reminder (memorandum), i.e. record

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

memorial.

From mnemoneuo; a reminder (memorandum), i.e. Record -- memorial.

see GREEK mnemoneuo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as mnémoneuó
Definition
a memorial
NASB Translation
memorial (1), memory (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3422: μνημόσυνον

μνημόσυνον, μνημοσύνου, τό (μνημῶν), a memorial (that by which the memory of any person or thing is preserved), a remembrance: εἰς μνημόσυνον τίνος, to perpetuate one's memory, Matthew 26:13; Mark 14:9; αἱ προσευχαί σου ... ἀνέβησαν εἰς μνημόσυνον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ (without the figure) have become known to God, so that he heeds and is about to help thee, Acts 10:4. (Herodotus, Aristophanes, Thucydides, Plutarch, others; the Sept. for זֶכֶר, זִכָּרון; also for אַזְכָּרָה, i. e. that part of a sacrifice which was burned on the altar together with the frankincense, that its fragrance might ascend to heaven and commend the offerer to God's remembrance, Leviticus 2:9, 16; Leviticus 5:12; Numbers 5:26; hence, εὐωδία εἰς μνημόσυνον, Sir. 45:16; and often in Siracid., 1 Macc., etc.)

Topical Lexicon

Occurrence in the New Testament

Strong’s Greek 3422 appears three times:
• Matthew 26:13
• Mark 14:9
• Acts 10:4

In each setting it signals a deed that God or His people will actively remember, carrying forward its spiritual impact beyond the moment itself.

Old Testament Background

The idea of a “memorial” is deeply rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures. Grain offerings included a “memorial portion” burned on the altar (Leviticus 2:2), and stones were set up at the Jordan to be “a memorial to the sons of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:7). Such commemorations did not merely call events to mind; they testified that God’s past acts and human response remain living realities in the covenant relationship.

Christ’s Commendation of Sacrificial Devotion (Matthew 26:13; Mark 14:9)

When the woman in Bethany poured costly perfume on Jesus, He declared, “Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her” (Matthew 26:13). Her act became indissolubly linked to the proclamation of the gospel.

1. It highlights that heartfelt devotion to Christ is never lost in the flow of history; heaven records it.
2. The memorial is tied to the gospel itself, showing that sacrificial love illustrates and adorns the good news.
3. By promising worldwide remembrance, Jesus implicitly affirms the future global mission of the Church.

Divine Recognition of Almsgiving and Prayer (Acts 10:4)

To Cornelius the angel announced, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God” (Acts 10:4).

1. The language echoes Old Testament sacrificial imagery: the smoke of the offering rising before God.
2. Prayer and charity are accepted by God and memorialized in His presence even prior to Cornelius receiving the fuller revelation of the gospel.
3. The verse functions as a bridge between God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel and the inclusion of the Gentiles, underscoring that God notes sincere faith wherever it appears.

Theological Implications

• God’s memory is personal and covenantal. Human acts done in faith are not transitory but participate in the eternal plan of God.
• A memorial is not self-promotion; it is God’s initiative to honor faith and obedience.
• Both worship (the woman’s anointing) and mercy (Cornelius’s almsgiving) qualify for divine remembrance, portraying a balanced spirituality.

Application for Contemporary Ministry

1. Encourage believers that unseen acts of love are eternally significant; the Lord Himself preserves their testimony.
2. Integrate narratives of sacrificial devotion into gospel proclamation, following Jesus’ own directive.
3. Foster ministries of prayer and compassion with the confidence that they “ascend” before God and contribute to His redemptive work.

Intercanonical Consistency

The three occurrences harmonize with the broader biblical theme that God “is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name” (Hebrews 6:10). Whether under the old covenant sacrificial system, in the earthly ministry of Christ, or in the expansion of the Church to the Gentiles, God consistently honors faith expressed in tangible deeds.

Summary

Strong’s 3422 points to acts that God Himself memorializes. In Bethany it seals a woman’s lavish devotion into the gospel record; in Caesarea it heralds Gentile inclusion through remembered prayers and alms. Together these passages assure the Church that genuine love for God and neighbor is never lost but is preserved in God’s eternal remembrance, inspiring ongoing worship, service, and mission.

Forms and Transliterations

εμνησικάκησαν μνημόσυνα μνημόσυνά μνημοσυνον μνημοσύνον μνημόσυνον μνημόσυνόν μνημοσύνου μνημοσύνων μνησικακεί μνησικακείτε μνησικακείτω μνησικακήση μνησικάκων mnemosunon mnēmosunon mnemosynon mnemósynon mnēmosynon mnēmósynon

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 26:13 N-ANS
GRK: αὕτη εἰς μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς
NAS: be spoken of in memory of her.
KJV: be told for a memorial of her.
INT: this [woman] for a memorial of her

Mark 14:9 N-ANS
GRK: λαληθήσεται εἰς μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς
NAS: be spoken of in memory of her.
KJV: of for a memorial of her.
INT: will be spoken of for a memorial of her

Acts 10:4 N-ANS
GRK: ἀνέβησαν εἰς μνημόσυνον ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ
NAS: have ascended as a memorial before
KJV: are come up for a memorial before God.
INT: are gone up for a memorial before

Strong's Greek 3422
3 Occurrences

μνημόσυνον — 3 Occ.