5215. humnos

Lexicon

humnos: Hymn

Original Word: ὕμνος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: humnos
Pronunciation: HOOM-nos
Phonetic Spelling: (hoom'-nos)
Definition: Hymn
Meaning: a hymn, sacred song, song of praise to God.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

hymn.

Apparently from a simpler (obsolete) form of hudeo (to celebrate; probably akin to aido; compare abowt); a "hymn" or religious ode (one of the Psalms) -- hymn.

see GREEK aido

see HEBREW abowt

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 5215 hýmnos (from hydeō, "to celebrate") – a song that gives honor, praise, or thanksgiving (transliterated into English as "hymn"). 5215 /hýmnos ("hymn") in antiquity was a song celebrating (praising) pagan gods, heroes, and conquerors.

In the NT, 5215 /hýmnos ("hymns") is used only of praising the triune God, manifested in the flesh in Jesus Christ, the God-man. It occurs twice in the NT (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16), pointing to well-known songs of praise to God that became established hymns for the early Christians. See 5214 (hymneō).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
a hymn
NASB Translation
hymns (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5215: ὕμνος

ὕμνος, ὑμνου, ὁ, in Greek writings from Homer down, a song in praise of gods, heroes, conquerors (cf. Trench, as below, p. 297), but in the Scriptures of God; a sacred song, hymn: plural, Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16. (1 Macc. 4:33; 2 Macc. 1:30 2Macc. 10:7; (Judges 16:13), etc.; of the Psalms of David, Josephus, Antiquities 7, 12, 3; for תְּהִלָּה, Psalm 39:4 (); Psalm 64:2 (); for שִׁיר, Isaiah 42:10.) [SYNONYMS: ὕμνος, ψαλμός, ᾠδή: ᾠδή is the generic term; ψαλμός and ὕμνος are specific, the former designating a song which took its general character from the O. T. 'Psalms' (although not restricted to them, see 1 Corinthians 14:15, 26), the latter a song of praise. "While the leading idea of ψαλμός is a musical accompaniment, and that of ὕμνος praise to God, ᾠδή is the general word for a song, whether accompanied or unaccompanied, whether of praise or on any other subject. Thus it was quite possible for the same song to be at once ψαλμός, ὕμνος and ᾠδή (Lightfoot on Colossians 3:16). The words occur together in Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19. See Trench, Synonyms, § lxxviii.]

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from a primary word of uncertain affinity.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for ὕμνος, the concept of a hymn as a song of praise is closely related to several Hebrew terms used in the Old Testament, such as:

• H8416 תְּהִלָּה (tehillah): Meaning "praise," often used in the context of songs or hymns of praise to God.
• H4210 מִזְמוֹר (mizmor): Meaning "psalm," a term used for sacred songs or hymns, particularly those found in the Book of Psalms.

These Hebrew terms reflect the rich tradition of musical worship that informed the early Christian practice of hymn-singing, underscoring the continuity of praise across both Testaments.

Usage: The term ὕμνος is used in the New Testament to refer to songs of praise directed towards God. It is often associated with worship and thanksgiving within the Christian community.

Context: The Greek word ὕμνος (hymnos) appears in the New Testament as a term for a song of praise, typically directed towards God. In the context of early Christian worship, hymns were an integral part of communal gatherings, serving both as expressions of faith and as a means of teaching and reinforcing doctrinal truths.

The use of hymns in the New Testament is evidenced in passages such as Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. In Ephesians 5:19, believers are encouraged to "speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord." Similarly, Colossians 3:16 exhorts the faithful to "let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

These passages highlight the role of hymns as a means of mutual edification and spiritual enrichment within the body of Christ. Hymns were not only a form of worship but also a vehicle for the transmission of theological truths and the fostering of community among believers.

The tradition of hymn-singing in the early church likely drew from Jewish practices, where psalms and other forms of musical praise were central to worship. The Christian adaptation of this practice reflects the continuity and fulfillment of Old Testament worship in the light of Christ's redemptive work.

Forms and Transliterations

ύμνοι υμνοις ύμνοις ὕμνοις ύμνον ύμνος υμνωδούντες hymnois hýmnois umnois

Englishman's Concordance

Ephesians 5:19 N-DMP
GRK: ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς
NAS: in psalms and hymns and spiritual
KJV: in psalms and hymns and spiritual
INT: psalms and hymns and songs

Colossians 3:16 N-DMP
GRK: ἑαυτοὺς ψαλμοῖς ὕμνοις ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς
NAS: with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual
KJV: in psalms and hymns and spiritual
INT: each other in psalms hymns songs spiritual

Strong's Greek 5215
2 Occurrences

ὕμνοις — 2 Occ.