Word studies · Greek · Strong's G5281
ὑπομονή · hypomonḗ · appears 32 times in the New Testament
In one line: Staying faithful under pressure, not just waiting it out.
Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
Romans 5:3-4
Hypomonē is endurance — staying under a weight rather than escaping it, the patient constancy that outlasts pressure.
The New Testament treats endurance as proof and product of genuine faith: suffering produces it, it produces character, and Revelation repeatedly calls for “the endurance of the saints.” It is not passive waiting but holding position under load.
Hypomonē is built from hypo, “under,” and menō, “to remain” — literally a remaining-under. Greek used it for the steadiness of a soldier holding a line or a person bearing hardship without giving way, an active quality rather than resignation.
English “patience” suggests waiting quietly; the Greek picture is closer to load-bearing. It is why hypomonē is so often paired with hope: what keeps someone under the weight is knowing what is coming, not indifference to the weight.
Hypomonē (G5281) appears 32 times in the New Testament, and Hebrews 12:1 uses its verb form for running the race “with endurance.”
Making endurance the evidence of faith reframes suffering: it is not a sign of God's absence but the arena in which character is formed and hope is proved. Christ Himself is the model, who “endured the cross” for the joy set before Him.
Identify the weight you most want out from under, and ask what staying faithfully under it for another week would require. Endurance is usually not a decision but a series of them.
cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy
But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Luke 8:15To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.
Romans 2:7If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience.
2 Corinthians 1:6being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
Colossians 1:11and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:3That is why we boast among God’s churches about your perseverance and faith in the face of all the persecution and affliction you are enduring.
2 Thessalonians 1:4Press and hold endurance in any chapter and this study opens on the verse you are reading, with the lexicons, every occurrence and the commentaries beside it. The Bible is free to read.
Scripture quoted from the Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Strong's definitions are public domain. Counts come from The Pillar's own tagged text.