ὑπεραίρομαι (G5229) — Greek Lexicon

ὑπεραίρομαι

hyperaíromai

G5229 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

Middle voice: to raise oneself above, to become arrogant or overly proud. In figurative contexts, it connotes elevating oneself above others in status, importance, or estimation, whether internally (in one's own mind) or visibly. In the New Testament, predominantly used with the sense of becoming haughty or excessively self-important.

Semantic Range

to raise oneself above, to be exalted above measure, to become arrogant, to be haughty, to be carried above (literally, rare)

Root / Etymology

From ὑπέρ (over, above) and αἴρω (to lift, raise), in the middle voice. The compound literally means 'to lift oneself over/above.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

ὑπεραίρομαι is rare and primarily appears in Hellenistic and Koine Greek. Its meaning extends metaphorically from a literal sense of being lifted up to the figurative sense of becoming proud or conceited. In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul uses it to describe the danger of excessive pride due to spiritual privilege, reflecting the word's primary NT usage. While the literal sense of physical elevation is linguistically possible, documented usage in surviving literature (especially biblical texts) is almost exclusively figurative. English translations often render it as 'to be exalted above measure' or 'to exalt oneself', but these do not fully capture the negative nuance of arrogance or haughtiness implied in Greek usage. Classical Greek employs similar constructions with ὑπερ-, but this specific form is distinctively Hellenistic. The verb contrasts with other terms for pride (e.g., φυσιόομαι, to be puffed up), sometimes with blame attached to spiritual or social arrogance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

middle voice from ὑπέρ and αἴρω; to raise oneself over, i.e. (figuratively) to become haughty:--exalt self, be exalted above measure.

Root Family

ὑπερ-, αἴρ- (hyperaíromai) — to lift, to raise, to be over or above

Root ὑπερ-, αἴρ- to lift, to raise, to be over or above

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G5229-01`	ὑπεραίρωμαι	uperairomai	`V PRS PASS SUBJ 1P SG`	I should be exalted	that I raise myself above	I raise myself above	2
`G5229-02`	ὑπεραιρόμενος	uperairomenos	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M SG`	exalts himself	raising himself above	raising himself above	1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G5229-01`	2 Corinthians 12:7	ὑπεραίρωμαι	uperairomai	`V PRS PASS SUBJ 1P SG`	I should be exalted	that I raise myself above	I raise myself above
`G5229-01`	2 Corinthians 12:7	ὑπεραίρωμαι	uperairomai-2	`V PRS PASS SUBJ 1P SG`	I should be exalted	that I raise myself above	I raise myself above
`G5229-02`	2 Thessalonians 2:4	ὑπεραιρόμενος	uperairomenos	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M SG`	exalts himself	raising himself above	raising himself above

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