1. steadfastness, constancy, endurance (Vulg. in 1 Thessalonians 1:3sustinentia, in James 5:11sufferentia); in the N. T. the characteristic of a man who is unswerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings: Luke 8:15; Luke 21:19; Romans 5:3; Romans 15:4; 2 Corinthians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Colossians 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 3:10; Titus 2:2; Hebrews 10:36; James 1:3; James 5:11; 2 Peter 1:6; Revelation 2:2f, 19; Revelation 13:10; Revelation 14:12 (cf. 4 Macc. 1:11; 9:8, 30; 15:30(27); ); with a genitive of the thing persevered in (Winer's Grammar, § 30, 1 at the end): τοῦ ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ, Romans 2:7; τῆς ἐλπίδος, 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (cf. Buttmann, 155 (136)); δἰ ὑπομονῆς (with patience (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 51, 1 b.) i. e.) patiently and steadfastly, Romans 8:25; Hebrews 12:1.

2. a patient, steadfast waiting for; (others question this sense in the New Testament, and render the genitive by 'characterizing', 'in respect to', etc.): Χριστοῦ (genitive of the object), the return of Christ from heaven, 2 Thessalonians 3:5; Revelation 1:9 (where L T Tr WH ἐν Ἰησοῦ (which is in Jesus)); (cf. Psalm 38:8 (); for מִקְוֶה, expectation, hope, 2 Esdr. 10:2; Jeremiah 14:8; Jeremiah 17:13; for תִּקְוָה, hope, Ps. (); (); (); (Job 14:19); for תּוחֶלֶת, Proverbs 10:28 Symm.; ὑπομένειν τινα, Xenophon, an. 4, 1, 21; Appendix,

b. 104:5, 81).

3. a patient enduring, sustaining: τῶν παθημάτων, 2 Corinthians 1:6 (λύπης, Plato, definition, p. 412 c.; θανάτου, Plutarch, Pelop. 1). (Synonym: see μακροθυμία, at the end.)