Lexical Summary nous: Mind, understanding, intellect Original Word: νοῦς Strong's Exhaustive Concordance mind, understanding. Probably from the base of ginosko; the intellect, i.e. Mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling, or will); by implication, meaning -- mind, understanding. Compare psuche. see GREEK ginosko see GREEK psuche HELPS Word-studies 3563 noús (a masculine noun) – the God-given capacity of each person to think (reason); the mind; mental capacity to exercise reflective thinking. For the believer, 3563 (noús) is the organ of receiving God's thoughts, through faith. Ro 12:2,3: "2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (3563 /ólynthos), so that you may prove what the will (2307 /thélēma) of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith (4102 /pístis)" (NASU). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origincontr. of a prim. word noos (mind) Definition mind, understanding, reason NASB Translation composure (1), comprehension (1), mind (20), minds (1), understanding (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3563: νωςνως, see νοῦς. STRONGS NT 3563: νοῦςνοῦς (contracted from νως), ὁ, genitive νως,dative νοι< (so in later Greek for the earlier forms νου, νώ, contracted from νωυ, νόω; cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 453; Winers Grammar, § 8, 2 b.; (Buttmann, 12f (12))), accusative νοῦν (contracted from νῷν), the Sept. for לֵב and לֵבָב (from Homer down); mind (German Sinn), i. e. 1. the mind, comprising alike the faculties of perceiving and understanding and those of feeling, judging, determining; hence, specifically, a. the intellective faculty, the understanding: Luke 24:45 (on which see διανοίγω, 2); Philippians 4:7; Revelation 13:18; Revelation 17:9; opposed to τό πνεῦμα, the spirit intensely roused and completely absorbed with divine things, but destitute of clear ideas of them, 1 Corinthians 14:14f, 19; ἔχειν τόν νοῦν κυρίου (L text, others Χριστοῦ), to be furnished with the understanding of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16b. b. reason (German die Vernunft) in the narrower sense, as the capacity for spiritual truth, the higher powers of the soul, the faculty of perceiving dibble things, of recognizing goodness and of hating evil: Romans 1:28; Romans 7:23; Ephesians 4:17; 1 Timothy 6:5; 2 Timothy 3:8 (cf. Winers Grammar, 229 (215); Buttmann, § 134, 7); Titus 1:15; opposed to ἡ σάρξ, Romans 7:25; ἀνανεοῦσθαι τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ νως, to be so changed that the spirit which governs the mind is renewed, Ephesians 4:23; (cf. ἡ ἀνακαίνωσις τοῦ νως, Romans 12:2). c. the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially: 2 Thessalonians 2:2. 2. a particular mode of thinking and judging: Romans 14:5; 1 Corinthians 1:10; equivalent to thoughts, feelings, purposes: τοῦ κυρίου (from Isaiah 40:13), Romans 11:34; 1 Corinthians 2:16a; equivalent to desires, τῆς σαρκός, Colossians 2:18 (cf. Meyer at the passage). Strong’s Greek 3563 (νοῦς, nous) designates the seat of thought, perception, judgment, purpose, and moral reasoning. It embraces both rational intelligence and the spiritual faculty by which God’s truth is apprehended and acted upon. Hence it is never a neutral or merely cerebral term; Scripture treats the mind as a dynamic battleground where allegiance to God or rebellion against Him is decided. Old Testament Background Although νοῦς does not appear in the Hebrew canon, its functions are reflected in לֵב (lēb, “heart”) and לֵבָב (lēbāb, “inner man”), the centers of intellect, emotion, and will. Proverbs constantly exhorts the reader to incline the “heart” to wisdom, anticipating the New Testament call for a renewed mind. The Septuagint often renders these Hebrew terms with καρδία, but their conceptual overlap with νοῦς prepares the way for the fuller revelation given in Christ. Key New Testament Clusters 1. Mind Opened to Revelation 2. Darkened or Depraved Mind 3. Renewed and Transformed Mind 4. Mind in Worship and Corporate Life 5. Mind Guarded in Spiritual Warfare 6. Eschatological Discernment Theological Significance Creation: Humanity is endowed with a mind capable of knowing God (Genesis 1:26-28). Fall: Sin introduces futility of mind (Ephesians 4:17) and hostility toward God’s law (Romans 8:7). Redemption: Through the gospel, the Spirit renovates the mind, enabling repentance, faith, and obedience (Acts 17:30; Romans 12:2). Consummation: Full conformity to Christ will include perfectly aligned thoughts (1 John 3:2), ending the warfare between flesh and Spirit. Pastoral and Ministry Applications Teaching: Sound doctrine targets the mind to shape behavior (Titus 1:1). Preaching must engage intellect and call for renewed thinking. Discipleship: Memorization, meditation, and deliberate exposure to Scripture cultivate a Christ-like mind. Counseling: Identifying thought patterns rooted in unbelief enables biblical exhortation toward renewal. Apologetics: The believer, equipped with the mind of Christ, can “demolish arguments” raised against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5, using a related term διανοία). Historical Reflection Early fathers like Justin Martyr saw the gospel as the true philosophy that heals the mind. Augustine framed conversion as God “illumining the mind” to love rightly. The Reformers emphasized Scripture as the supreme means by which Christ rules the believer’s intellect. Contemporary discipleship movements continue this trajectory, stressing worldview formation under biblical authority. Summary Strong’s Greek 3563 underscores that the mind is central to the drama of redemption. Fallen reason must be rescued, renewed, and realigned to God’s revealed truth. Through union with Christ, believers receive new cognitive and moral capacities, enabling them to worship intelligibly, discern faithfully, and live obediently until the day when every thought is wholly captive to the glory of God. Englishman's Concordance Luke 24:45 N-AMSGRK: αὐτῶν τὸν νοῦν τοῦ συνιέναι NAS: He opened their minds to understand KJV: their understanding, that they might understand INT: their the mind to understand Romans 1:28 N-AMS Romans 7:23 N-GMS Romans 7:25 N-DMS Romans 11:34 N-AMS Romans 12:2 N-GMS Romans 14:5 N-DMS 1 Corinthians 1:10 N-DMS 1 Corinthians 2:16 N-AMS 1 Corinthians 2:16 N-AMS 1 Corinthians 14:14 N-NMS 1 Corinthians 14:15 N-DMS 1 Corinthians 14:15 N-DMS 1 Corinthians 14:19 N-DMS Ephesians 4:17 N-GMS Ephesians 4:23 N-GMS Philippians 4:7 N-AMS Colossians 2:18 N-GMS 2 Thessalonians 2:2 N-GMS 1 Timothy 6:5 N-AMS 2 Timothy 3:8 N-AMS Titus 1:15 N-NMS Revelation 13:18 N-AMS Revelation 17:9 N-NMS Strong's Greek 3563 |
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