Word Study for G1961 (ἐπιμένω)

epiménō /ep-ee-men'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἐπί and μένω

Meaningto stay over, i.e. remain (figuratively, persevere)

KJV usageabide (in), continue (in), tarry.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of epiménō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word epimenō, represented by G1961, is defined as to stay over, remain, or figuratively, to persevere. It appears 19 times in 18 unique verses, conveying a sense of enduring presence, whether physically tarrying in a place or steadfastly continuing in a state or condition. Its usage is a blend of the literal act of staying and the theological act of abiding.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its literal sense, G1961 is used to describe a physical stay. Paul states his intention to tarry at Ephesus 1 Corinthians 16:8, and after going up to Jerusalem, he abode with Peter for fifteen days Galatians 1:18. This same meaning is seen when disciples are found and the apostles tarried with them for several days (Acts 21:4, Acts 28:14). Figuratively, the word carries significant theological weight, as seen in Paul's question, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" Romans 6:1. It also describes the believer's call to continue in the faith Colossians 1:23, in God's goodness Romans 11:22, and in His grace Acts 13:43.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the nature and object of this perseverance:

G1476 hedraîos (settled, stedfast): This describes the quality of the continuation. It means to be immovable and is used alongside G1961 to exhort believers to continue in the faith, grounded and settled Colossians 1:23.
G4102 pístis (faith): As the system of religious truth and reliance upon Christ, faith is a primary state in which believers are called to continue Colossians 1:23.
G5485 cháris (grace): This is the divine influence on the heart. Paul and Barnabas persuaded new believers to continue in the grace of God Acts 13:43, contrasting sharply with the notion of continuing in sin Romans 6:1.
G1319 didaskalía (doctrine): Referring to instruction and teaching, this is another crucial area for perseverance. Timothy is urged to take heed to the doctrine and continue in them to save himself and his hearers 1 Timothy 4:16.

Theological Significance

The theological importance of G1961 is demonstrated through its use in several key arguments.

Perseverance in Faith: The word is foundational to the concept of enduring faith. Believers are called to continue in the faith, grounded and settled G1476, and not be moved away from the hope of the gospel Colossians 1:23.
Rejection of Antinomianism: Paul uses G1961 to directly confront the idea that grace permits a lifestyle of sin. The rhetorical question, "Shall we continue in sin?" expects a resounding "no," establishing that grace and sin are incompatible paths Romans 6:1.
Conditional Abiding: The call to remain is sometimes tied to consequences. Believers are to continue in God's goodness G5544; otherwise, they too will be cut off G1581 Romans 11:22. Similarly, if the branches of Israel do not abide in unbelief, they can be graffed in again Romans 11:23.
Persistent Action: The word can describe simple, determined action, such as when Peter continued knocking at the door until it was opened Acts 12:16 or when the crowd continued asking Jesus a question John 8:7.

Summary

In summary, G1961 is a vital term that moves from a simple, literal meaning of tarrying to a profound spiritual imperative. It defines the active and persistent nature of the Christian walk, demanding a steadfast continuance in faith, grace, and sound doctrine. Its use in scripture highlights that true belief is not a momentary decision but an enduring state of abiding in God's goodness and turning away from the path of sin.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 18 occurrences, inflected in 13 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Infinitive 4×
Aorist Active Indicative 1st Plural 2×
Present Active Infinitive 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Future Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Imperfect Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Imperfect Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Active Imperative 2nd Singular 1×
Present Active Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×
Present Active Subjunctive 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Subjunctive 2nd Singular 1×

+ 1 rarer form

Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 18 verses across 8 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (8 verses); never once in the other 19.

John

Acts

Romans

1 Corinthians

Galatians

Philippians

Colossians

1 Timothy

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.