Greek word · G3540

νόημα

noēma

mind/thought

A thought, a purpose or plan; also the mind as the faculty that thinks and perceives. BDAG gives 'thought, mind, understanding' and also 'design, plot'.

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

νόημα, -τος, τό

(νοέω) [in LXX: Sirach 21:11, Baruch 2:8, 3Ma.5:30 * ;]

a thought, purpose, design: 2 Corinthians 2:11 10:5 11:3, Philippians 4:7. Meton., of the mind, 2 Corinthians 3:14 4:4.†

(AS)

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

In depth

From the study of 2 Corinthians 4:4

Range of meaning

A thought, a purpose or plan; also the mind as the faculty that thinks and perceives. BDAG gives 'thought, mind, understanding' and also 'design, plot'.

Against the English

Most versions say 'minds'. That is fair, but the word points to the activity of thinking and perceiving rather than an organ or a soul.

Used elsewhere in the period

In 2 Corinthians it appears five times: 2:11 (Satan's schemes), 3:14 (Israel's 'minds were hardened'), 4:4, 10:5 ('taking every thought captive'), and 11:3 ('your thoughts led astray' as the serpent deceived Eve). It also occurs in Phil 4:7 and in classical Greek from Homer onward.

From the study of 2 Corinthians 10:5

Range of meaning

Something thought out by the mind (νοέω): a thought, a purpose, a plan or design, sometimes a scheme. By extension it also means the mind itself as the seat of such thinking. BDAG gives (1) 'that which one has in mind, thought, purpose, design' and (2) 'mind, understanding'.

Against the English

Every major English version says 'thought'. That is right, but to modern ears 'every thought' sounds like every passing mental event: worries, urges, images. Noēma leans toward a deliberate design or settled way of thinking.

How it drifted

Popular devotional use has turned the phrase into a technique for policing one's own private, intrusive thoughts. That is a modern psychological frame, and it moves the weight from argued positions to stray inner experiences.

Used elsewhere in the period

Six of Paul's seven uses of noēma are in 2 Corinthians. In 2:11 it is Satan's 'designs'. In 3:14 Israel's 'minds were hardened'. In 4:4 'the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers'. In 11:3 Paul fears 'your minds may be led astray' from devotion to Christ. Philippians 4:7 is the seventh, where God's peace guards 'your hearts and your minds'. In classical Greek (e.g. Homer, Plato) it is a thought or purpose, sometimes a cunning plan.

From the study of 2 Corinthians 11:3

Range of meaning

What the mind produces or does: a thought, purpose, plan or design, and by extension the mind itself as a way of thinking.

Against the English

'Minds' (KJV, BSB, NIV) and 'thoughts' (ESV) are both fair. 'Minds' can sound like the faculty of thinking, while noēmata (plural) leans toward the actual thoughts, intentions and mental direction.

Used elsewhere in the period

Outside Phil 4:7, the word appears in the NT only in 2 Corinthians, where it is a running theme:

  • 2:11: we are not ignorant of Satan's noēmata (designs);
  • 3:14: their noēmata were hardened;
  • 4:4: the god of this age has blinded the noēmata of unbelievers;
  • 10:5: Paul takes every noēma captive to obey Christ.

Where it appears

2 Corinthians · 5

  1. 2 Corinthians 2:11 νοήματα schemes

    in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

    Here: Something the mind produces: a plan, an intention, a line of thinking. Here it means Satan's purposes, what he is aiming at. It is not mainly about clever tricks or tools.

  2. 2 Corinthians 3:14 νοήματα minds

    But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.

    Here: This is the mind at work: its perceptions and ways of thinking. It is the faculty that should have understood what Moses' ministry meant. The word is plural, 'their thoughts'.

  3. 2 Corinthians 4:4 νοήματα minds

    The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

    Here: Their thinking: how they perceive and reason. It is the same word as in 3:14, where Israel's 'minds were hardened' when Moses was read. Paul is extending that picture.

  4. 2 Corinthians 10:5 νόημα thought

    We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

    Here: The product of the mind: a plan, a purpose, a way of thinking. Every other time it appears in 2 Corinthians it means minds or designs aimed for or against God (2:11; 3:14; 4:4; 11:3). It is not a passing mental flicker.

  5. 2 Corinthians 11:3 νοήματα minds

    I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.

    Here: 'Thoughts' or 'minds': the ways the Corinthians think and what they aim at. In 2 Corinthians Satan repeatedly targets the noēmata (2:11; 4:4), and Paul takes every noēma captive to Christ (10:5).

Philippians · 1

  1. Philippians 4:7 νοήματα minds

    And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

    Here: What the mind produces: individual thoughts, intentions, plans. It is the same word family as 'mind' (nous) earlier in the verse. The peace that rises above every mind stands guard over your thoughts.

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