ὑπονοέω (G5282) — Greek Lexicon

ὑπονοέω

hyponoéō

G5282 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To suspect, surmise, or conjecture; to form an opinion based on indirect evidence, often implying a sense of holding a belief privately or internally without open declaration. Used especially of inferring or concluding something that is not made explicit or is hidden.

Semantic Range

to suspect, to conjecture, to surmise, to infer, to suppose, to deem; to privately or inwardly think or believe

Root / Etymology

From ὑπό ('under') and νοέω ('to think, perceive, consider'), literally meaning 'to think under' or 'to think secretly.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

ὑπονοέω is a rare verb attested primarily in later Greek, including the Septuagint and Koine period texts. Its use is often tied to situations where someone infers, suspects, or presumes something not overtly stated, emphasizing deduction from circumstance rather than explicit statement. In New Testament contexts (e.g., Acts 13:25; 2 Peter 3:15), the term often carries the nuance of supposing or assuming, sometimes with a degree of caution, ambiguity, or privacy. In classical literature, similar compounds with ὑπό often signal something underlying or implicit. Standard English translations such as 'suppose' or 'imagine' capture parts of the semantic range but tend to obscure the nuance of internal or concealed mental activity indicated by the ὑπό prefix.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ὑπό and νοιέω; to think under (privately), i.e. to surmise or conjecture:--think, suppose, deem.

Root Family

ὑπονοέω (hyponoéō) — to think, to perceive, to form an opinion, to suspect, to conjecture

Root νοέω to think, to perceive, to form an opinion

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G5282-01`	ὑπενόουν	upenooun	`V IMPF ACT IND 1P SG`	suspected	I was surmising	I was suspecting	2
`G5282-02`	ὑπονοεῖτε	uponoeite	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	do you suppose	you are inwardly supposing	do you suppose	1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G5282-02`	Acts 13:25	ὑπονοεῖτε	uponoeite	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	do you suppose	you are inwardly supposing	do you suppose
`G5282-01`	Acts 25:18	ὑπενόουν	upenooun	`V IMPF ACT IND 1P SG`	suspected	I was surmising	I was suspecting
`G5282-01`	Acts 27:27	ὑπενόουν	upenooun	`V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL`	suspected	I was surmising	they were suspecting

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