νόημα
nóēma
G3540 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Mental faculty or result of mental activity; primarily denotes thought, understanding, intention, or design; can refer to an individual thought, a perception formed by thinking, an intention or plan, or the faculty of the mind that plans or perceives.
Semantic Range
thought, perception, purpose, design, intention, mind (faculty), mind (thoughts), plan, device, scheme (esp. a harmful or cunning plan), conception, understanding
Root / Etymology
From νοέω (to think, perceive, consider, understand), derived from νοῦς (mind, understanding, thought) with the nominal suffix -μα indicating the result or product of an action. Thus, νόημα denotes that which is conceived or thought out.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, νόημα commonly refers to 'what is thought,' 'thought,' or 'idea,' and may denote intellectual insight, a conceptualization, or a particular thought or intention (see Plato, Xenophon). During the Hellenistic and Koine periods, it comes to include broader senses such as 'design,' 'intention,' or even 'purposeful plan.' In the Septuagint, νόημα can render Hebrew terms for intention or plan. In the New Testament (e.g., 2 Corinthians), νόημα often indicates the 'mind,' the seat of thought or intention, but also what the mind produces—plans, thoughts, even schemes (sometimes with negative connotation, e.g., 'schemes' of adversaries, 2 Cor 2:11). English translations as 'mind,' 'thought,' 'purpose,' or 'design' vary with context; 'device' is used for hostile intentions, reflecting possible nuance of plotting or scheming. Care must be taken not to restrict νόημα to intellect alone; it can signify both the organ/faculty and its products (thoughts, designs, intentions), depending on context.
Translation Consistency
Nóēma primarily denotes a mental item—a thought, perception, intention, or plan. "Thought" is the most natural, flexible English choice that covers singular/plural uses and the typical senses (idea, intention, design) without sounding formal or awkward; it matches the attested renderings and supports consistent translation across contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from νοιέω; a perception, i.e. purpose, or (by implication) the intellect, disposition, itself:--device, mind, thought.
Root Family
νοή- (nóēma) — to perceive, to think, to understand
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3540-02 |
νοήματα | noemata | N ACC N PL |
minds | thoughts | thoughts | 5 |
G3540-01 |
νόημα | noema | N ACC N SG |
thought | a conceived thought | thought | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3540-02 |
2 Corinthians 2:11 | νοήματα | noemata | N ACC N PL |
schemes | thoughts | thoughts |
G3540-02 |
2 Corinthians 3:14 | νοήματα | noemata | N NOM N PL |
minds | thoughts | thoughts |
G3540-02 |
2 Corinthians 4:4 | νοήματα | noemata | N ACC N PL |
minds | thoughts | thoughts |
G3540-01 |
2 Corinthians 10:5 | νόημα | noema | N ACC N SG |
thought | a conceived thought | thought |
G3540-02 |
2 Corinthians 11:3 | νοήματα | noemata | N NOM N PL |
minds | thoughts | thoughts |
G3540-02 |
Philippians 4:7 | νοήματα | noemata | N ACC N PL |
minds | thoughts | thoughts |