Greek · G5219 · unreviewed

ὑπακούω

To obey

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ὑπακούω G5219
Pronunciation hypakoúō

What does ὑπακούω (hypakoúō) mean in the Bible?

ὑπακούω (hypakoúō) is a Greek word meaning "to obey". ὑπακούω [in LXX: chiefly for שָׁמַע ;] to listen, attend, hence, __(a) to answer a knock at a door (Plat.

Full entry for ὑπακούω (G5219) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to obey
Extended definition

Obedience rooted in listening and submission to authority, not mere compliance.

to listen, attend, hence,

ato answer a knock at a door (Plat., Xen., al.): Act.12:13;
bto attend to, submit to, obey (Hdt., Thuc., al.): absol., Php.2:12; with inf., Heb.11:8; with dative of person(s) (Plat., al.; but more frequently with genitive), Mat.8:27, Mrk.1:27 4:41, Luk.8:25 17:6, Rom.6:16, Eph.6:1, 5, Col.3:20, 22, Heb.5:9, 1Pe.3:6; with dative of thing(s), Act.6:7, Rom.6:12 10:16, 2Th.1:8 3:14; before εἰς (by attraction, for dative; see ICC, in l), Rom.6:17.
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Present Aorist Imperfect
Voices
Active
Imperative command or strong request
Present Active Eph 6:1 · Eph 6:5 · Col 3:20 · Col 3:22
Indicative states a fact or reality 13×
Present Active Matt 8:27 · Mark 1:27 · Luke 8:25 · Mark 4:41 · 2 Thess 3:14 · Rom 6:16
Aorist Active Luke 17:6 · Heb 11:8 · 1 Pet 3:6 · Rom 6:17 · Phil 2:12 · Rom 10:16
Imperfect Active Acts 6:7
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality
Present Active 2 Thess 1:8 · Heb 5:9
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract
Aorist Active Acts 12:13
Present Active Rom 6:12
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 21 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 6 ongoing 6 imperative 4 background 1 infinitive 2 participle 2
Tense
present 13 aorist 7 imperfect 1
Voice
active 21
Mood
indicative 13 imperative 4 participle 2 infinitive 2

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Biblical Occurrences
Word Pictures (Robertson)
Sources