Greek word · G3417

μνεία

mneia

remembrance

Remembrance, memory; also mention, especially in prayer ('making mention of you').

Appears 7 times in 7 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

μνεία, -ας, ἡ

(μιμνήσκω), [in LXX for זָכַר, its parts and derivatives ;]

remembrance, mention (= μνήμη) : Philippians 1:3; μ. ποιεῖσθαι, with genitive of person(s), Romans 1:9, Ephesians 1:16, 1 Thessalonians 1:2, Phm 4 (cf. Psalms 111:4); μ. ἔχειν, with genitive of person(s), 1 Thessalonians 3:6, 2 Timothy 1:3 (on the seel. in Romans 12:13, see ICC, in I.; Field, Notes, 163).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: Remembrance, memory; also mention, especially in prayer ('making mention of you').
Against the English: KJV/YLT 'good remembrance', WEB 'good memories', BSB 'fond memories you have preserved'. Some modern versions turn it into 'think kindly of us' or 'remember us kindly', which captures the favourable attitude well.
Used elsewhere in the period: Used in letter conventions of the period for remembering someone (often in prayers). Paul uses it in 1:2 'making mention of you in our prayers'; also Romans 1:9, Philippians 1:3.

Range of meaning: μνεία can mean (1) remembrance or memory, as in Philippians 1:3 and 2 Timothy 1:3, or (2) mention. With ποιεῖσθαι ("to make") it forms the idiom "to make mention of." BDAG s.v. μνεία 2 lists this idiom, especially for mentioning someone in prayer.
Against the English: KJV, WEB, YLT and NASB have "making mention," which keeps the idiom. BSB, NIV and ESV have "remembering you," which is smoother English but tilts toward an inner act of memory. NLT folds the phrase into "I pray for you constantly."
How it drifted: Modern English "remember someone in prayer" can mean only thinking of them. The Greek phrase describes speaking about them, naming them before God.
Used elsewhere in the period: The same phrase in a prayer setting appears in Romans 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:2 and Philemon 4. It is also standard in papyrus letters, e.g. BGU II 632, "making mention of you before the gods here." Deissmann (Light from the Ancient East) and later studies of Paul's thanksgiving sections (Schubert 1939; O'Brien 1977) took it to be a stock phrase of letter-writing.

Range of meaning: (1) Remembrance, memory; (2) mention. The phrase mneian poieisthai, "to make mention," is a set idiom for mentioning or naming someone (BDAG s.v. μνεία 2).
Against the English: KJV, YLT and WEB keep "making mention / mentioning." BSB's "remembering you" makes the action sound inward and mental, when the idiom points to speaking the people's names in prayer.
How it drifted: Not a historical drift. It is a translation choice: "remember" in English suggests thinking, while the Greek idiom suggests speaking.
Used elsewhere in the period: The same idiom appears in Paul's other thanksgiving openings (Rom 1:9; Eph 1:16; Phlm 4). Papyrus letters also have the formula of mentioning the recipient before the gods, e.g. "making mention of you before the gods here" (cited from BGU II 632 in standard treatments of letter form).

Romans · 1

Romans 1:9 μνείαν mention

God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you

Here: Remembering someone by naming them, here before God in prayer. It was a stock phrase in ancient letters.

Ephesians · 1

Ephesians 1:16 μνείαν mention

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,

Here: Paired with ποιούμενος it forms a fixed phrase, "to make mention." The idea is saying people's names aloud before God in prayer, not only thinking of them privately.

Philippians · 1

Philippians 1:3 μνείᾳ remembrance

I thank my God every time I remember you.

Here: Calling someone to mind, often in the form of naming them before God in prayer. Verse 4 goes straight on to prayer.

1 Thessalonians · 2

1 Thessalonians 1:2 μνείαν mention

We always thank God for all of you, remembering you in our prayers

Here: Together with the next word it forms a fixed idiom, "to make mention": naming someone, here aloud before God in prayer, not only privately calling them to mind.
1 Thessalonians 3:6 μνείαν a remembrance

But just now, Timothy has returned from his visit with the good news about your faith, your love, and the fond memories you have preserved, longing to see us just as we long to see you.

Here: Memory of someone, often the kind that is spoken aloud (as in prayer, 1:2). They think and speak of Paul and his team.

2 Timothy · 1

2 Timothy 1:3 μνείαν remembrance

I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers.

Here: Both calling someone to mind and naming them aloud before God. In letters of the time, 'making mention of you' in prayer was a stock expression of loyal affection.

Philemon · 1

Philemon 1:4 μνείαν mention

I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,

Here: With 'making' it forms a fixed phrase found in ordinary letters of the time: to make mention of someone, here by naming them before God in prayer. It means more than privately thinking of someone.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.