συνυποκρίνομαι

synypokrínomai

G4942 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To join with another in feigning, pretending, or acting with insincerity; to collaborate in dissimulation. The primary meaning is to participate together in behavior that conceals true motives or beliefs, especially by outwardly conforming while inwardly not truly agreeing. In context, often refers to adopting a hypocritical stance in concert with others, typically for the sake of appearance or social pressure.

Semantic Range

to join in acting hypocritically, to feign together, to act in insincerity with others, to collectively dissimulate, to participate in coordinated pretense

Root / Etymology

From σύν (with, together) and ὑποκρίνομαι (to pretend, to feign, to act hypocritically). The compound formation intensifies the action, emphasizing joint or mutual pretense.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The verb συνυποκρίνομαι is rare in extant Greek literature and is notably attested in the New Testament at Galatians 2:13, where it describes the behavior of individuals who, together with Peter (Πέτρος), engaged in public hypocrisy regarding table fellowship with Gentiles. The core idea is not simply individual hypocrisy but collective or coordinated dissimulation, typically under social or communal influences. The word inherits from ὑποκρίνομαι the theatrical sense of 'acting' or adopting a role, but in Hellenistic Jewish and early Christian usage, it strongly connotes moral and social insincerity rather than mere performance. English translations such as 'dissemble with' or 'join in hypocrisy' capture some but not all nuances; the underlying concept involves both social conformity and deliberate misrepresentation, often under peer influence or pressure to align with a group's external expectations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from σύν and ὑποκρίνομαι; to act hypocritically in concert with:--dissemble with.

Root Family

ὑποκριν- (synypokrínomai) — to feign, to pretend, to act, to dissemble

Root ὑποκριν- to feign, to pretend, to act, to dissemble
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G5273 ὑποκριτής pretender

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4942-01 συνυπεκρίθησαν sunupekrithesan V AOR PASS IND 3P PL joined in hypocrisy they feigned together they joined in hypocrisy 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4942-01 Galatians 2:13 συνυπεκρίθησαν sunupekrithesan V AOR PASS IND 3P PL joined in hypocrisy they feigned together they joined in hypocrisy