μνημ-εῖον G3419
A tomb, burial monument, or memorial for the dead
In the New Testament, this noun almost exclusively refers to burial places -- rock-cut tombs where bodies were laid. Joseph of Arimathea's new tomb (Matt 27:60) and the tombs that opened at the crucifixion (Matt 27:52) are central examples. Spanish splits between 'sepulcro' (burial vault) and 'tumba' (grave), while German 'Grab/Grabmal' preserves the connection to the older Greek sense of 'memorial.' In one pointed use (Matt 23:29), Jesus accuses the Pharisees of building 'monuments' to the prophets -- the word's original memorial sense briefly resurfaces.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The primary singular sense: a specific tomb or burial place, typically a rock-hewn chamber. Joseph's tomb (Matt 27:60), the empty tomb at the resurrection (Matt 28:8), and Lazarus's tomb (John 11:38) all fall here. French 'tombeau,' Spanish 'sepulcro,' and German 'Grab' all denote a constructed burial space rather than a simple grave in the ground. 32×
AR["القَبرِ", "الْقَبْرِ", "قَبْرٍ", "قَبْرَ", "قَبْرِ", "قَبْرِهِ"]·ben["μνημεῖον-কবর", "কবর", "কবরে", "কবরের"]·DE["Grab", "Grabmal"]·EN["a-tomb", "tomb"]·FR["tombeau"]·heb["קֶבֶר"]·HI["कब्र", "कब्र-के", "क़ब्र", "क़ब्र।"]·ID["kubur", "kuburan"]·IT["tomba"]·jav["kubur,", "kubur.", "kuburan.", "pasarean", "pasaréan"]·KO["무덤", "무덤-에", "무덤-의", "무덤로부터", "무덤에", "무덤에.", "무덤에서", "무덤으로", "무덤으로부터", "무덤을", "무덤의"]·PT["sepulcro"]·RU["гроба", "гробе", "гробнице", "гробницу", "гробницы"]·ES["sepulcro", "tumba"]·SW["kaburi"]·TR["mezara", "mezarda", "mezardan", "mezarı", "mezarın", "mezarına"]·urd["قبر", "قبر-میں", "قبر-کے"]
Matt 27:60, Matt 27:60, Matt 28:8, Mark 6:29, Mark 15:46, Mark 15:46, Mark 16:2, Mark 16:3, Mark 16:5, Mark 16:8, Luke 23:55, Luke 24:2 (+20 more)
2. sense 2 — The plural collective sense: tombs as locations associated with the dead, uncleanness, or spiritual danger. The Gadarene demoniac dwelt 'among the tombs' (Matt 8:28; Mark 5:2), and the hidden tombs of Luke 11:44 defile those who walk over them unknowingly. Spanish 'sepulcros/tumbas' in the plural carries the collective-ominous tone present in these passages. 7×
AR["القُبورِ", "الْقُبورِ", "الْقُبُورُ", "الْقُبُورِ", "قُبورَ", "قُبورِ", "قُبُورِ"]·ben["কবর", "কবরগুলি", "কবরগুলির", "কবরে"]·DE["Grab", "Grabmal"]·EN["tombs"]·FR["tombeau"]·heb["קְבָרִים", "קִבְרֵי"]·HI["कब्रें", "कब्रों", "कब्रों-को", "कब्रों-से"]·ID["kubur", "kuburan"]·IT["tomba"]·jav["kubur", "kuburan"]·KO["무덤", "무덤들", "무덤들-에서", "무덤들-이", "무덤들이", "무덤을"]·PT["sepulcros"]·RU["гробниц", "гробницах", "гробницы"]·ES["sepulcros", "tumbas"]·SW["makaburi"]·TR["mezarlar", "mezarlarda", "mezarlardan", "mezarlarını"]·urd["سنیں-گے", "قبروں", "قبروں-سے", "قبریں"]
3. sense 3 — A rare memorial-monument sense, closer to the word's classical Greek origin as 'remembrance.' In Matthew 23:29 Jesus denounces those who 'build the monuments of the prophets' -- Spanish 'monumentos' and German 'Grab' hint at the commemorative rather than funerary function, recalling the word's etymological link to memory (mneme). 1×
AR["مَقابِرَ"]·ben["স্মৃতিস্তম্ভগুলি"]·DE["Grab"]·EN["monuments"]·FR["tombeau"]·heb["מַצְּבוֹת"]·HI["स्मारक"]·ID["makam-makam"]·IT["tomba"]·jav["makam"]·KO["기념비들-을"]·RU["памятники"]·ES["monumentos"]·SW["ya-"]·TR["anıt-mezarlarını"]·urd["مقبرے"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μνημ-εῖον, Doric dialect μνᾱμεῖον, Ionic dialect μνημήϊον, τό, memorial, remembrance, record of a person or thing, μνημήϊα καταλιπέσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+; μνημεῖα ὅρκων a record of the oaths, Refs 5th c.BC+; μνημεῖα τῆς δαπάνης visible memorials, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰ παίδων μαθήματα θαυμαστὸν ἔχει τι μ. the lessons of childhood cling strangely to the memory, Refs 5th c.BC+; μνημεῖα καταλειφθῆναι τῶν…