Quick Definition
ἐμμένω v. I remain or abide in, abide by, maintain
Strong's Definition
to stay in the same place, i.e. (figuratively) persevere
Derivation: from G1722 (ἐν) and G3306 (μένω);
KJV Usage: continue
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | aor. ἐνέμεινα | μένω
85.55 · Existence in Space · Remain, Stay
to remain, to stay to remain in the same place over a period of time
68.11 · Aspect · Continue
to continue, to remain in, to keep on to continue in an activity or state In HEB 8:9 the implication of ‘to continue in a covenant’ is to adhere to the articles or stipulations of a covenant. Accordingly, one may render HEB 8:9 as ‘because they did not remain faithful to my covenant.’ In ACT 14:22 (παρακαλοῦντες ἐμμένειν τῇ πίστει ‘encourage them to remain true to the faith’), it is also possible to translate the expression ‘to remain true to the faith’ as ‘to continue to believe.’
1 There may be slight nuances of meaning in the various terms in this series, but such distinctions cannot be clearly determined from existing contexts, especially since the prefixes are redundant with other expressions of space.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐμμένω [Tdf. ἐνμένω. Acts xiv. 22; see ἐν, III. 3]; 1 aor. ἐνέμεινα ; fr. Aeschyl. and Hdt. down; (Augustine, immaneo), to remain in, continue; a. prop.ina place: ἔν τινι; Acts xxviii. 80 T Tr WH. b. to persevere in anything, a state of mind, ete.; to hold fast, be true to, abide by, keep: τῇ πίστει, Acts xiv. 22 (νόμῳ, ὅρκοις, ete. in the Grk. writ.) ; ἔν τινε (more rarely so in the classics, as ἐν ταῖς σπονδαῖς, Thue. 4, 118; ἐν τῇ πίστει. Polyb. 3, 70, 4): ἐν [so RG only] τοῖς γεγραμμένοις, Gal. iii. 10 fr. Deut. xxvii. 26; ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ, Heb. viii. 9 fr. Jer. xxxviii. (xxxi.) 32. [Cf W. $52, 4, 5.]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐμμένω emmenō 4x
pr. to remain in a place; met. to abide by, to continue firm in, persevere in, Acts 14:22; 28:30; Gal. 3:10; Heb. 8:9*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἐμμένω
[in LXX chiefly for קוּם ;]
to abide in: Ac 28:30.
to abide by, be true to: seq. ἐν; τ. πίστει, Ac 14:22; τ. διαθήκῃ, He 8:9 (LXX); c. dat., τ. γεγραμμένοις (dat. ptcp. as in legal formula; cf. Deiss., BS, 248; MM, Exp., xii): Ga 3:10 (LXX).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐμμένω. For the legal formula ἐμμένω with or without ἐν followed by the dat. of a participle, of which apparently we have a reminiscence in Gal 3°, cf. P Tor II. 881 (ii/B.c.) ἐμμένειν δὲ ἀμφοτέρους ἐν τοῖς πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς διωμολογημένοις, P Oxy I. 3815 (Α.Ὁ. 49-50) (= Selections, p. 53) τοῦ δὲ Σύρου μὴ βουλομένου ἐνμεῖναι τοῖς κεκριμένοις, ‘*Syrus, however, refuses to comply with the judgment,” BGU II. 6008 (ii/iii A.D.) évpévw πᾶσι tats προγεγραμέν[α]ις [ἐν]τολαῖς, and, as showing its persistence, the late P Flor I. 937° (a deed of divorce—A.b. 569) ἄκοντα ἐμμεῖναι πᾶσι τοῖς προγεγραμμένοις. The dat., as in Ac 1435, is found also in Sy// 8797 (end of iii/B.c.) ἐπεύχεσθαι τοῖς ἐμμένουσιν καὶ ταῖς πειθομέναις τῶιδε τῶι νόμωι εὖ εἶναι, and in the much later P Oxy J. 138%° (a.p. 610-1) τούτοις ἐμμένειν, ταῦτα διαφυλάττειν, ‘abide by these conditions and observe them.” See also P Tebt II. 38227 (B.c. 30— A.D. 1) ὀμνύο Καίσαραν θεοῦ υἱὸν Αὐτοκράτορα εἶ μὴν ἐμμενεῖν καὶ ποιήσειν πάντα KTA., ‘will truly abide by and perform all etc.,” P Oxy III. 49428 (a.p. 156) τὸν] δὲ παραβησόμενον ἐκτίνειν τῷ ἐμμένοντι τό τε βλάβος καὶ ἐπίτειμον ἀργυρίον τάλαντα δύο, ‘“‘and that he who shall transgress [the terms of a will] shall forfeit to the party abiding by it the damages and a fine of two talents of silver,” and so P Flor I. 512% (A.p. 138-61). Cf. Deissmann AS, Ρ- 248f., Berger Strafklauseln, p. 3.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐμμένω (emmenō) — to abide in/by. ἐμμένω, future -μενῶ[Refs 5th c.BC+]: perfect ἐμμεμένηκα [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—abide in a place, πολὺν χρόνον μελάθροις ἐμμένειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. abide by, stand by, cleave to, be true to, with dative, τοῖς ὁρκίοις [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις remain constant to them, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ἐ. ἐν ταῖς σπονδαῖς τὸν ἐνιαυτόν Indut. cited in [Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, stand fast be faithful, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. of things, remain fixed, stand fast, hold good, εἴ σοί γ᾽ ἅπερ φὴς ἐμμενεῖ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μάλα μοι τοῦτ᾽ ἐμμένοι may it remain fixed in my mind, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; εἴ σφι ἔτι ἐμμένει [ἡ φιλίη] [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ σιδηροφορεῖσθαι τοῖς ἠπειρώταις ἐμμεμένηκεν continued as a custom, [Refs 5th c.BC+]