G5302 — ὑστερέω (hustereo / hystereo)¶
Core Data¶
- Strong's: G5302
- Original: ὑστερέω
- Transliteration: hustereo (tool: hustĕrĕō; common: hystereo)
- Pronunciation: hoos-ter-eh
- Part of Speech: Verb
- Root Note: Lexicon root field is blank; definition gives the posterior/comparative sense "to be later," hence "behind" or "deficient"
- Occurrences: 17 tokens in 16 unique NT verses across 9 books
- First Occurrence: Matt 19:20 — "what lack I yet?"
- Hapax Legomenon: No
Lexicon Definition¶
-o; from ; to be later, i.e. (by implication) to be inferior; generally, to fall short (be deficient): -- come behind (short), be destitute, fail, lack, suffer need, (be in) want, be the worse.
Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶
- Domain 057.005: Need, Lack
- Domain 087.004: Low Status or Rank
- Domain 065.005: Advantageous, Not Advantageous
- Domain 013.001: State
- Broader domains: 057 Possess, Transfer, Exchange; 087 Status; 065 Value; 013 Be, Become, Exist, Happen
- Need/Lack neighbors from tool output: ἀποστερέω (G650), ἐκλείπω (G1587), ἐλαττονέω (G1641), ἐπιτήδειος (G2006), κενός (G2756), λείπω (G3007), προσδέομαι (G4326), ὑστέρημα (G5303), ὑστέρησις (G5304), χρεία (G5532)
Domain Neighbors (013.001 — State)¶
| Strong's | Lemma | Total Verses | Primary KJV Translation(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| G115 | ἀθέτησις | 2 | a disannulling, put away |
| G179 | ἀκατάλυτος | 1 | of an endless |
| G330 | ἀναθάλλω | 1 | hath flourished again |
| G373 | ἀναπαύω | 6 | rest, are refreshed |
| G525 | ἀπαλλάσσω | 3 | deliver, departed |
| G553 | ἀπεκδέχομαι | 4 | wait for, look for |
| G577 | ἀποβάλλω | 3 | cast, away |
| G615 | ἀποκτείνω | 25 | to kill, kill |
| G616 | ἀποκυέω | 2 | begat he, bringeth forth |
| G761 | ἀσάλευτος | 2 | unmoveable, which cannot be moved |
| G851 | ἀφαιρέω | 4 | cut off, take away |
| G863 | ἀφίημι | 36 | left, forgive |
Translation Distribution (KJV)¶
| Translation | Tokens | % |
|---|---|---|
| lack | 1 | 5.9% |
| lackest | 1 | 5.9% |
| to be in want | 1 | 5.9% |
| lacked ye | 1 | 5.9% |
| come short | 1 | 5.9% |
| come behind | 1 | 5.9% |
| are we the worse | 1 | 5.9% |
| which lacked | 1 | 5.9% |
| I was | 1 | 5.9% |
| behind | 1 | 5.9% |
| wanted | 1 | 5.9% |
| am I behind | 1 | 5.9% |
| to come short of it | 1 | 5.9% |
| being destitute | 1 | 5.9% |
| fail | 1 | 5.9% |
| when they wanted | 1 | 5.9% |
| to suffer need | 1 | 5.9% |
Summary: the KJV renders G5302 with lack/want language, comparative "behind/worse" language, and "come short/fail" language. The double rendering in 2 Cor 11:5 accounts for 17 tokens in 16 verses.
Distribution by Book¶
| Book | Count | Per 100 Verses |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Corinthians | 3 | 1.2 |
| Hebrews | 3 | 1.0 |
| Philippians | 1 | 1.0 |
| 1 Corinthians | 3 | 0.7 |
| Luke | 2 | 0.2 |
| Romans | 1 | 0.2 |
| Matthew | 1 | 0.1 |
| Mark | 1 | 0.1 |
| John | 1 | 0.1 |
Pauline usage accounts for 8 of the 16 verses. Hebrews has the highest non-Pauline concentration, using the word for failing to attain promised rest, destitution, and failing of grace.
Greek Parsing Distribution¶
| Category | Count | Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 10 | PAI, PPI, PPN, PPP, PAP |
| Aorist | 4 | AAI, AAP, APP |
| Perfect | 2 | RAN |
| Active Voice | 8 | Matt 19:20; Mark 10:21; Luke 22:35; John 2:3; 2 Cor 11:5; 2 Cor 12:11; Heb 4:1; Heb 12:15 |
| Passive Voice | 8 | Luke 15:14; Rom 3:23; 1 Cor 1:7; 1 Cor 8:8; 1 Cor 12:24; 2 Cor 11:9; Phil 4:12; Heb 11:37 |
The active forms commonly ask or assert whether someone lacks, falls behind, or fails. Passive forms often describe being in a state of need, disadvantage, or deficiency.
Semantic Categories¶
1. Personal Lack in Discipleship¶
The word can identify a remaining deficiency in an otherwise observant life. - Matt 19:20 — "All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?" - Mark 10:21 — "One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast..."
2. Material Want, Supply, and Destitution¶
G5302 often names shortage or deprivation of ordinary resources. - Luke 15:14 — "he began to be in want." - John 2:3 — "And when they wanted wine..." - 2 Cor 11:9 — "that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied" - Phil 4:12 — "both to abound and to suffer need."
3. Comparative Inferiority or Disadvantage¶
The word can mark being "behind," "worse," or lacking relative to another state or group. - 1 Cor 1:7 — "ye come behind in no gift" - 1 Cor 8:8 — "if we eat not, are we the worse" - 2 Cor 11:5 — "I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles" - 2 Cor 12:11 — "in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles"
4. Falling Short of a Stated Divine Gift, Promise, or Standard¶
In these texts the lack is measured against glory, promised rest, or grace. - Rom 3:23 — "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" - Heb 4:1 — "lest... any of you should seem to come short of it" - Heb 12:15 — "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God"
Common Collocations¶
| Word | Strong's | Co-occurrences | Typical Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| πᾶς (pas) | G3956 | 5x (31%) | Comprehensive frame: "all," "any," or whole-group comparison |
| θεός (theos) | G2316 | 4x (25%) | Deficiency measured before God, supplied by God, or related to God's grace/glory |
| ἔχω (echo) | G2192 | 3x (19%) | Possession/lack contrast: having, lacking, or having no need |
| Ἰησοῦς (Iesous) | G2424 | 3x (19%) | Jesus addresses or frames the lack in Gospel narratives |
| ἀπόστολος (apostolos) | G652 | 2x (12%) | Paul's "not behind the chiefest apostles" comparison |
| γίνομαι (ginomai) | G1096 | 2x (12%) | Entering or being in a deficient state |
| δίδωμι (didomi) | G1325 | 2x (12%) | Giving/supply in response to lack |
| περισσεύω (perisseuo) | G4052 | 2x (12%) | Abound/suffer-need contrast, especially in comparative sufficiency contexts |
Related Words¶
Word Family / Cognates¶
- G5303 ὑστέρημα (husterema) — deficit, lack, want, penury (9 BLB count)
- G5304 ὑστέρησις (husteresis) — falling short, want (2 BLB count)
- G5305 ὕστερον (husteron) — afterward, later, last; same posterior family but temporal rather than deficit usage
- G5306 ὕστερος (husteros) — later/latter; same "behind/later" family
Synonyms and Near Neighbors¶
- G1641 ἐλαττονέω (elattoneo) — to diminish, fall short, have lack
- G3007 λείπω (leipo) — to leave, be lacking, fail
- G1587 ἐκλείπω (ekleipo) — to fail, cease
- G650 ἀποστερέω (apostereo) — to deprive, defraud, leave destitute
- G5532 χρεία (chreia) — need, necessity
Antonyms¶
- G4052 περισσεύω (perisseuo) — to abound, superabound, be in excess
- προτερέω (protereo) — returned by
search_relationships.pyas an antonym, but no matching NT Strong's entry was found in the local lexicon
Easily Confused Words¶
| Word | Strong's | Shared Translation | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| λείπω (leipo) | G3007 | lack, lackest | leipo emphasizes something missing or left wanting; hustereo emphasizes being behind, deficient, or short of a measure |
| ἐλαττονέω (elattoneo) | G1641 | lack | elattoneo means to be diminished or reduced; hustereo is broader and includes comparative inferiority, poverty, and failure to attain |
| ἐκλείπω (ekleipo) | G1587 | fail | ekleipo often means cease or fail out; hustereo is normally deficit/shortfall rather than cessation |
| ὑστέρημα (husterema) | G5303 | lack, want | husterema is the noun, the deficit or want itself; hustereo is the verbal act/state of lacking or falling short |
| χρεία (chreia) | G5532 | need/lack overlap | chreia names need or necessity; hustereo describes lacking, wanting, or falling behind |
Hebrew Source (via LXX)¶
| Hebrew Source | Strong's | Co-occurrences | PMI | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חָסֵר (chacer) | H2637 | 3 | 8.27 | 11.47 |
| מוֹעֵד (moed) | H4150 | 3 | 4.87 | 6.76 |
| נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh) | H5315 | 3 | 3.24 | 4.49 |
| הוּא (hu) | H1931 | 4 | 2.41 | 3.88 |
| לֹא (lo) | H3808 | 5 | 1.41 | 2.53 |
| אִישׁ (ish) | H376 | 3 | 1.79 | 2.48 |
| יְהֹוָה (Yhwh) | H3068 | 4 | 0.60 | 0.96 |
| כֹּל (kol) | H3605 | 3 | 0.58 | 0.80 |
Primary semantic Hebrew bridge in the tool output is H2637 חָסֵר (chacer), "to lack/fail/want," though the co-occurrence count is only 3, so there is no dominant LXX bridge.
Generated from: gather_word_data.py, greek_parser.py, search_relationships.py, search_strongs.py, louw_nida.db Last updated: 2026-05-15