ὑπέρακμος
hypérakmos
G5230 predicate adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Having passed one's peak or prime period, especially of age or physical maturity; specifically used of a woman as being beyond the optimal age for marriage (i.e., no longer in the youthful stage considered the 'flower of age'). In some contexts, it can be generalized to mean past the prime of life or the zenith of strength or capability.
Semantic Range
past the prime of life, beyond the peak or bloom, specifically (of a woman) past the optimal age for marriage, out of the prime youthful stage
Root / Etymology
From ὑπέρ ('over, beyond') and the stem ἀκμ- from ἀκμή ('point, prime, peak, zenith'). Literally, 'beyond the acme/zenith.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἀκμή refers to the highest point, prime, or bloom—frequently referencing age, physical power, or timing (e.g., the prime of life or the ripeness of fruit). The compound ὑπέρακμος is not attested in earlier classical sources, but in later and Koine usage (notably in the New Testament—in 1 Corinthians 7:36) it serves an idiomatic role describing a woman who has reached or passed the socially recognized ideal age for marriage. The term emerges from social customs in Greek and wider Mediterranean society, where a clear period was identified as appropriate for marriage, and someone ὑπέρακμος was considered to have passed that period. In this usage, 'past the flower of age' is a conventional translation, but lacks the precision of the original, which is bounded by community expectations about marriageable age. The semantic field does not include senescence or true old age, but indicates someone has moved past the socially recognized optimum—especially relating to eligible daughters. English translations traditionally paraphrase with terms such as 'pass the flower of her age,' but this may not adequately capture the precise social dimension the term held for Greek-speakers. The word remains rare, with technical specificity in New Testament/Septuagint use, and does not reflect broader connotations of being elderly or feeble, but rather, out of the socially desired stage for a certain role (typically, marriage). Contrasts with ἀκμή (prime, zenith), and ἐπιτήδειος (suitable, fit), highlighting a temporal or social threshold.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ὑπέρ and the base of ἀκμήν; beyond the "acme", i.e. figuratively (of a daughter) past the bloom (prime) of youth:--+ pass the flower of (her) age.
Root Family
ἀκμ- (akmázō) — point, peak, maturity, ripeness
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5230-01 |
ὑπέρακμος | uperakmos | ADJ.P NOM F SG |
past her youth | beyond the prime | beyond the prime | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5230-01 |
1 Corinthians 7:36 | ὑπέρακμος | uperakmos | ADJ.P NOM F SG |
past her youth | beyond the prime | beyond the prime |