ὑποστολή
hypostolḗ
G5289 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An act of drawing back or shrinking, typically manifesting as hesitancy, reserve, or timidity; by extension, an action characterized by withdrawing, specifically a failure to act boldly or to continue with resolve in a given commitment. In some contexts, the term may indicate religious or social withdrawal, suggesting abandonment or apostasy, although this is a developed sense.
Semantic Range
an act of drawing back; timidity; reserve; hesitancy; withdrawal from obligation; in some contexts, abandonment or apostasy; failure to persevere or remain steadfast
Root / Etymology
From ὑποστέλλω (hypostellō), meaning 'to draw back, withdraw, shrink,' itself composed of ὑπό ('under') and στέλλω ('to send, to set, to arrange'); the noun form is abstract, denoting the state or action of drawing back.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ὑποστολή is a rare noun, attested in Koine Greek primarily in texts like Hebrews 10:39, where it denotes the act of drawing back or shrinking in faith or resolve. In the broader Hellenistic period, the verb ὑποστέλλω means to withdraw, shrink from danger, or avoid commitment, but the noun is almost unattested outside early Christian literature. The term is best understood in the context of moral or social timidity, hesitancy, or a lack of perseverance. Later translation traditions sometimes render this as 'apostasy' or 'falling away,' but this sense is contextual rather than inherent to the word; the primary meaning relates to withdrawing or shrinking back, not specifically to theological renunciation. In earlier Greek usage, neither ὑποστολή nor its verbal root had a strictly religious sense, but in the New Testament the word may acquire a developed nuance of failing to continue faithfully.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ὑποστέλλω; shrinkage (timidity), i.e. (by implication) apostasy:--draw back.
Root Family
ὑποστολή (hypostolē) — drawing back, withdrawal, shrinking, holding back, timidity
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5289-01 |
ὑποστολῆς | upostoles | N GEN F SG |
of shrinking back | of withdrawal | of withdrawal | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5289-01 |
Hebrews 10:39 | ὑποστολῆς | upostoles | N GEN F SG |
of shrinking back | of withdrawal | of withdrawal |