μνημόσυνον (mnēmosunon)
mnēmosunon
memorial
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun mnēmosynon simply means a memorial or a remembrance. It derives from a root related to being mindful, pointing to something that preserves the memory of a person or event. In the New Testament, this word appears in only three verses, primarily within the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, as well as in Acts.
Its most striking usage occurs when Jesus speaks of the woman anointing him with expensive perfume. He declares that wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her (Matthew 26:13; Mark 14:9). This transforms a quiet act of devotion into a permanent historical marker, linking her specific gesture to the global spread of the message.
The sources also note that this term often translates Hebrew words for memorial offerings in the Old Testament, such as the grain offering burned as a pleasing aroma (Leviticus 2:9). In Acts 10:4, prayers are described as a memorial before God, echoing this sacrificial imagery. The word emphasizes not just recollection, but an act that keeps someone or something present in active thought.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we think of memorials, we often picture stone monuments or dates carved in history books. Yet this Greek word points to something more intimate: an act that keeps a person present in our active thought. It is not merely about looking back at the past, but allowing that memory to shape how we live now. The woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume did not seek fame; she offered her best in a quiet moment of devotion.
Jesus turned that private gesture into a lasting witness, promising it would be told wherever the gospel goes. This reminds us that our small acts of love and worship are never lost on God. They become part of the story He is writing through His people. Even our prayers and gifts to those in need rise as a memorial before Him, showing that every sincere offering matters in His eyes.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a memorial3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μνημόσυνον3×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 26:13
Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.”
Jesus uses this word to guarantee that the woman’s act of devotion will be remembered globally as long as the gospel is preached.
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Mark 14:9
Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be spoken of for a memorial of her.”
This parallel account reinforces that her specific gesture serves as a permanent marker of faithful love linked to the spread of the Good News.
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Acts 10:4
He, fastening his eyes on him and being frightened, said, “What is it, Lord?” He said to him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a memorial before God.
Peter’s vision describes Cornelius’s prayers and gifts as a memorial, showing that acts of worship and charity are actively remembered by God.