Greek word · G5279

ὑπομιμνήσκω

hypomimnēskō

to remind

To remind, bring to mind or call back to memory. It is used of recalling known teaching so it shapes life (2 Timothy 2:14; Titus 3:1; 2 Peter 1:12; Jude 5).

Appears 7 times in 7 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ὑπο-μιμνήσκω

[in LXX: 1 Kings 4:3 B ( hi.), Wisdom of Solomon 12:1 18:22, 4Ma.18:14 * ;]

to cause one to remember, put one in mind or remind one of: with accusative of thing(s), 2 Timothy 2:14, 3 John 10; with dupl. accusative (Thus., al.), John 14:26; with accusative of person(s), before περί, 2 Peter 1:12; id., before ὅτι, Jude 1:5; with inf., Titus 3:1; pass., with genitive of thing(s), Luke 22:61.†

(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 John 14:26

Range of meaning

To remind, bring to mind or call back to memory. It is used of recalling known teaching so it shapes life (2 Timothy 2:14; Titus 3:1; 2 Peter 1:12; Jude 5).

Against the English

BSB, WEB and YLT have "remind". KJV has "bring all things to your remembrance". Both are accurate, but the English "remind" may sound like simply jogging a memory.

Used elsewhere in the period

Remembering is central to Israel's faith ("Remember...", Deuteronomy 8:2, 18). John's Gospel shows the disciples remembering Jesus' words or Scripture only after the resurrection and then grasping their meaning (2:17, 22; 12:16).

From the study of 2 Peter 1:12

Range of meaning

To remind, call to mind, bring back to memory. The related noun ὑπόμνησις (v. 13; 3:1) means 'a reminder, a reminding.' The word assumes the hearer already has the knowledge.

Against the English

'Remind' is accurate. Modern English can hear 'remind' as trivial ('just a reminder'). In ancient moral teaching and in Jewish tradition, reminding was a weighty act. Remembering meant letting what you knew shape what you did.

Used elsewhere in the period

Reminding was a standard function of moral exhortation in Greek and Roman writers. Seneca (Epistle 94) argues that people mostly need reminding, not new teaching. In the NT, compare Jude 5 ('I want to remind you, though you once fully knew it'), Rom 15:15, 2 Tim 2:14, Titus 3:1, and John 14:26, where the Spirit 'will remind you.' Moses' farewell speeches in Deuteronomy keep calling Israel to 'remember' (e.g. Deut 8:2, 18).

From the study of 2 Timothy 2:14

Range of meaning

To remind, bring to mind, cause to remember.

Against the English

'Remind' is accurate. English may miss the continuous force of the present imperative, 'keep reminding'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Also Titus 3:1; 2 Pet 1:12 ('I will always remind you of these things, though you know them'); Jude 5. Reminding of received tradition was a standard role of the teacher in both Jewish and Greco-Roman moral teaching.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 22:61 ὑπεμνήσθη remembered

    And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word that the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”

    Here: Literally 'was reminded'. The passive form suggests the memory was brought back to him: the look did the reminding. It is usually translated simply 'remembered'.

John · 1

  1. John 14:26 ὑπομνήσει He will bring to remembrance

    But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.

    Here: "Will bring back to mind". The word appears only here in John. In this Gospel, remembering after Easter goes with finally understanding (2:22; 12:16).

2 Timothy · 1

  1. 2 Timothy 2:14 ὑπομίμνῃσκε do remind [them]

    Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin.

    Here: A present command: keep on reminding. Timothy is not to bring new teaching but to keep putting before people what they already received. Who is reminded is not stated; the context points to the trusted teachers of 2:2 and the congregation they serve (BSB supplies 'the believers').

Titus · 1

  1. Titus 3:1 Ὑπομίμνῃσκε do remind

    Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,

    Here: A present-tense command: 'keep reminding them.' The word assumes they already know this. Titus is to keep bringing back teaching the believers already have, not tell them something new.

2 Peter · 1

  1. 2 Peter 1:12 ὑπομιμνῄσκειν to remind

    Therefore I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.

    Here: The present tense suggests repeated, continuing reminding. It means calling back to mind something already received, not teaching something new. This is the keynote of the whole letter (1:13, 15; 3:1–2).

3 John · 1

  1. 3 John 1:10 ὑπομνήσω I will bring to remembrance

    So if I come, I will call attention to his malicious slander against us. And unsatisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and forbids those who want to do so, even putting them out of the church.

Jude · 1

  1. Jude 1:5 Ὑπομνῆσαι To remind

    Although you are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after Jesus had delivered His people out of the land of Egypt, He destroyed those who did not believe.

    Here: To bring back to mind something already known. It comes first in the sentence for emphasis: Jude is not teaching anything new but calling up a story they already know.

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