ἐπιμένω G1961
To remain in a place or persist in a state; to stay on, continue, or persevere in an activity or condition.
A compound of epi ('upon') and meno ('remain'), this verb adds a sense of duration or insistence to simple staying. In narrative contexts it means to linger or tarry in a location — Paul staying on at Corinth, the disciples remaining at Tyre (Acts 21:4; 28:12). In epistolary and theological contexts it shifts to persisting in a course of action or moral state: 'Shall we continue in sin?' (Rom 6:1). French uses demeurer and German bleiben for both senses, collapsing the distinction, but Spanish helpfully separates permanecer (spatial remaining) from continuaba (ongoing persistence), tracing the semantic boundary between physical presence and moral resolve.
Senses
1. remain, stay in a place — To stay or remain in a specific location for a period of time, emphasizing physical presence. Paul remains at Caesarea (Acts 21:10), the travelers tarry at Syracuse (Acts 28:12), Peter stays on at Joppa (Acts 10:48). Spanish permanecer and German bleiben capture the locative sense well. The durative force of the epi- prefix implies a deliberate, extended stay rather than a brief stop. 10×
AR["أَقَمنا","أَقَمْنَا","أَن-يَبقَى","أَنْ-أَبْقى","أَنْ-أَمْكُثَ","أَنْ-يَمْكُثَ","مَكَثتُ","نَبقى","وَ-سَأَمْكُثُ","وَإِذْ-أَقَمْنَا"]·ben["আমরা-থাকলাম","থাকতে","থাকব","থাকলাম","থাকা","থাকাকালে","থাকিতে","থাকিলাম"]·DE["bleiben","bleibt"]·EN["I-remained","I-will-remain","remaining","to-remain","we-remained"]·FR["demeurer"]·heb["אֶשְׁהֶה","בְּהִשָּׁאֲרֵנוּ","לְהִשָּׁאֵר","לִ-שְׁהוֹת","לִשְׁהוֹת","שִׁבְעַת","שָׁהִינוּ","שָׁהִיתִי"]·HI["ठहरते-हुए","ठहरना","ठहरने","ठहरने-को","ठहरे","मैं-ठहरूँगा","मैन-रह","रहना","रेहन","हम-ठहरे"]·ID["Aku-akan-tinggal","Tinggal","aku-tinggal","kami-tinggal","tinggal"]·IT["epemeina","epimenein","rimanere"]·jav["Nalika-nginep","kendel","kula-badhé-kendel","kula-lèrèn","kula-sedaya-nginep","lereb","tetep"]·KO["머무르기","머무른-동안","머물라고","머물러-달라고","머물러-있기로","머물렀노라","머물리기를","머물리라","머물었다","우리가-머물렀다"]·PT["Permanecendo","ficamos","permanecemos","permanecer","permaneci"]·RU["Пребывающих","мы-оставались","оставаться","остались","останусь","остаться","пробыл"]·ES["Permaneciendo","permanecer","permaneceré","permanecimos","permanecí","quedarse"]·SW["Tulipokuwa-tukikaa","kubaki","kukaa","nilikaa","nitabaki","tulikaa"]·TR["Kalırken","kalacağım","kaldık","kaldım","kalmak","kalmasını","kalmaya","kalmayı"]·urd["رہا","رہنا","رہوں-گا","رہے","ٹھہرتے","ٹھہرنا","ٹھہرنے-کی","ٹھہرے"]
2. continue, persist in a state — To continue or persist in a state, action, or disposition, emphasizing ongoing commitment rather than physical location. Paul's theological questions in Romans — 'Shall we continue in sin?' (6:1), 'continue in his kindness' (11:22) — use this sense. Spanish continuaba signals the shift from spatial to behavioral persistence. In John 8:7 Jesus 'continued' questioning, and in Acts 12:16 Peter 'continued' knocking, both showing dogged perseverance in an activity. 7×
AR["أَنَستَمِرُّ","اثْبُتْ","اِستَمَرّوا","تَبْقَى","تَثبُتونَ","يَبْقَوْا","ٱسْتَمَرَّ"]·ben["আমরা-থাকি","চালিয়ে-যাচ্ছিলেন","তুমি-থাক","তোমরা-থাক","থাকে","লেগে-থাকল","স্থির-থাক"]·DE["bleiben","bleibt"]·EN["continue","continued","should-we-continue","they-continued","they-remain","you-continue","you-remain"]·FR["demeurer"]·heb["הִמְשִׁיךְ","הִמְשִׁיכוּ","הִתְמֵד","יִשְׁאֲרוּ-עַל","נַמְשִׁיךְ","תִּשְׁאַר-עַל","תַּמְשִׁיכוּ"]·HI["तिक-रह","तुम-बने-रहो","बना-रहे","बने-रहें","लगातार-खटखटाता-रहा","लगे-रहे"]·ID["bertekun","engkau-tetap","haruskah-kita-bertekun","kamu bertekun","mereka-terus","mereka-tetap","terus"]·IT["epemenon","epimene","epimenete","rimanere"]·jav["kita-tep-tepi","lajeng","padha-lestari","panjenengan-tetep","sami-tetep","tansah"]·KO["계속했다","너희가-머물면","머물러-있으면","머물러-있을가","머물러라"]·PT["continuavam","permanecerdes","permanecerem","permaneceremos","permaneceres","persevera"]·RU["будем-оставаться","иначе","не-","пребываете","пребывай","продолжал","продолжали"]·ES["continuaba","permanece","permanecen","permaneces","permanecéis","permanezcamos","persistían"]·SW["akaendelea","endelea","kuendelea","mnaendelea","tuendelee","utaendelea"]·TR["devam-edelim-mi","devam-ediyordu","devam-et","devam-ettiler","kaliyorsaniz","kalırlarsa","kalırsan"]·urd["تم-قائم-رہو","قائم-رہ","قائم-رہیں","قائم-رہے","لگا-رہا","لگے-رہے","کیا-ہم-رہیں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐπιμένω, stay on, tarry, absolutely, Refs; ἐπιμεῖναι ἐς αὔριον 11.351; ἄγε νῦν ἐπίμεινον, Ἀρήϊα τεύχεα δύω do you wait, and I will put on my armour, Refs 8th c.BC+, remain in a place, ἐ. ἐν τῇ πόλει 5th-6th c.BC: Andocides Orator 1.75, etc.; ἐπί τῇ στρατιᾷ 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 7.2.1. __2. absolutely, remain in place, continue as they are, of things, Refs; keep one's seat,…