5280. hupomnésis

Lexical Summary

hupomnésis: Reminder, remembrance

Original Word: ὑπόμνησις
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: hupomnésis
Pronunciation: hoo-pom'-nay-sis
Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-om'-nay-sis)
KJV: remembrance
NASB: reminder, mindful
Word Origin: [from G5279 (ὑπομιμνήσκω - remind)]

1. a reminding or (reflexively) recollection

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

remembrance.

From hupomimnesko; a reminding or (reflexively) recollection -- remembrance.

see GREEK hupomimnesko

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 5280 hypómnēsis – a remembrance, prompted by the Holy Spirit, urging someone to recall a good memory, etc. This stimulates them to give thanks (take action, etc.). See 5279 (hypomimnēskō).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from hupomimnéskó
Definition
a reminding, reminder
NASB Translation
mindful (1), reminder (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5280: ὑπόμνησις

ὑπόμνησις, ὑπομνήσεως, ἡ (ὑπομιμνῄσκω), from Euripides, Thur., Plato down;

a. transitively (Vulg.commonitio), a reminding (2 Macc. 6:17): ἐν ὑπομνήσει, by putting you in remembrance, 2 Peter 1:13; 2 Peter 3:1 (Winers Grammar, § 61, 3 b.).

b. intransitive, remembrance: with a genitive of the object 2 Timothy 1:5 ((R. V. having been reminded of etc.); others adhere to the transitive sense (see Ellicott, Huther, Holtzmann at the passage). Synonym: see ἀνάμνησις, at the end.)

Topical Lexicon

Concept of Sacred Remembrance

Hypomnēsis (Strong’s Greek 5280) describes the deliberate act of calling truth back to mind. In Scripture remembrance is never a passive mental flicker; it is an intentional engagement with previously received revelation so that life, doctrine, and conduct are kept in alignment with God’s purposes. The term belongs to a broader biblical theology in which memory safeguards covenant faithfulness, fuels worship, and anchors hope.

Occurrences in the New Testament

• 2 Peter 1:13 – Peter, anticipating his imminent departure, pledges “to stir you up by way of reminder”, indicating that the most urgent service he can render the churches is to awaken their minds to what they already know.
• 2 Peter 3:1 – In his final letter he repeats the pattern: “Beloved, this is now my second letter to you. Both of them are reminders to stir you to wholesome thinking”. Apostolic writing itself is framed as an enduring reminder.
• 2 Timothy 1:5 – Paul writes, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelled in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well”. The apostle’s recollection of Timothy’s lineage models how personal remembrance encourages perseverance.

Apostolic Pattern of Stirring Up Memory

1. Apostolic authority reinforces, not replaces, previously received truth.
2. Spiritual leaders are stewards of memory, repeatedly placing the gospel before believers lest it drift from heart and practice (compare Hebrews 2:1).
3. Reminder is a means of spiritual awakening; doctrinal repetition safeguards against error and moral laxity.

Remembrance within the Continuity of Revelation

The call to remember runs through Scripture—Moses’ warning in Deuteronomy 6:12, Jesus’ command in Luke 22:19, Christ’s admonition in Revelation 3:3. Hypomnēsis in the Epistles shows the same divine strategy: revelation is given once for all, yet must be continually reappropriated.

Legacy and Intergenerational Faith

Paul’s use in 2 Timothy 1:5 links generations. Gospel transmission is not merely doctrinal but relational: grandmother, mother, and son bound together by a remembered faith (compare Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Ephesians 6:4).

Liturgical and Doctrinal Significance

Early Christian worship wove reminder into its fabric—the reading of apostolic letters, the breaking of bread, the recitation of creed and psalm. Right doctrine was preserved through repetition; heresy often thrived where remembrance failed.

Pastoral and Homiletical Implications

• Preaching should not fear repetition; revisiting foundational truths is biblical.
• Pastors imitate Peter when they view their ministry as stirring up memory rather than offering novelty.
• Personal devotions, family worship, and corporate liturgy benefit from structured acts of remembrance—testimony, Scripture memory, written covenants.

Practical Counsel for Contemporary Believers

• Memorize key passages; internalized Scripture fuels holy living (Psalm 119:11).
• Keep written journals of God’s providence to foster thanksgiving.
• Regularly rehearse the gospel narrative, especially at Communion.
• Cultivate intergenerational conversations so that older saints articulate God’s faithfulness to the young (Psalm 78:4).

Conclusion

Strong’s 5280 encapsulates a vital biblical dynamic: truth once revealed must be repeatedly summoned to mind so that faith remains vibrant and obedience steadfast. Through inspired reminders the apostles still awaken God’s people, ensuring that the gospel never becomes yesterday’s news but abides as today’s governing reality.

Forms and Transliterations

υπομνησει υπομνήσει ὑπομνήσει υπομνησιν υπόμνησιν ὑπόμνησιν hypomnesei hypomnēsei hypomnḗsei hypomnesin hypomnēsin hypómnesin hypómnēsin upomnesei upomnēsei upomnesin upomnēsin

Englishman's Concordance

2 Timothy 1:5 N-AFS
GRK: ὑπόμνησιν λαβὼν τῆς
NAS: For I am mindful of the sincere faith
KJV: When I call to remembrance the unfeigned
INT: remembrance having taken of the

2 Peter 1:13 N-DFS
GRK: ὑμᾶς ἐν ὑπομνήσει
NAS: to stir you up by way of reminder,
KJV: up by putting [you] in remembrance;
INT: you by putting [you] in remembrance

2 Peter 3:1 N-DFS
GRK: ὑμῶν ἐν ὑπομνήσει τὴν εἰλικρινῆ
NAS: mind by way of reminder,
KJV: minds by way of remembrance:
INT: of you in putting [you] in remembrance pure

Strong's Greek 5280
3 Occurrences

ὑπομνήσει — 2 Occ.
ὑπόμνησιν — 1 Occ.