ὑπήκοος
hypḗkoos
G5255 predicate adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Having the characteristic of listening attentively to or being responsive to one in authority; subject to the commands or direction of another. It denotes readiness to hear, heed, or comply with instructions, often implying submission to a superior or to an established order. Extended senses in various contexts include being subject, compliant, or yielding one's will to another, particularly in the context of social, household, or hierarchical relationships.
Semantic Range
obedient, subject to authority, responsive to commands, attentive listener, compliant, subordinate, ready to heed, yielding to direction
Root / Etymology
Derived from the verb ὑπακούω (to listen, to heed, to obey), composed of ὑπό ('under') and ἀκούω ('to hear'). The adjective form (ὑπήκοος) thus literally describes one who is 'under hearing' (i.e., heeding or obedient).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Classical Greek, ὑπήκοος frequently refers to someone under authority, such as a subordinate, subject, or dependent—especially in political, civic, or even medical contexts (e.g., a part of the body responding to treatment). In Hellenistic and Koine Greek (Septuagint, New Testament), the term shifts toward the moral and relational sphere—particularly describing children or servants in relation to their parents or masters (e.g., Ephesians 6:1; Hebrews 5:8). It is applied both to literal obedience and figurative responsiveness, such as obedience to God or the message. Standard English translations like 'obedient' can narrow the sense: ὑπήκοος conveys not merely external compliance but active attentiveness and readiness to respond, sometimes with a sense of attentiveness or receptivity, not slavish subservience. Distinct from ἄπειθος ('disobedient') or παράκοος ('disregarding, refusing to hear'). The term can also denote those belonging to or aligned with a group in a position of subordination (e.g., a city or nation subject to another).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ὑπακούω; attentively listening, i.e. (by implication) submissive:--obedient.
Root Family
ὑπήκοος (hypēkoos) — to heed, to listen under, to obey
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5255-01 |
ὑπήκοοι | upekooi | ADJ.P NOM M PL |
obedient | obedient ones | 2 |
G5255-02 |
ὑπήκοος | upekoos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
obedient | obedient | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5255-01 |
Acts 7:39 | ὑπήκοοι | upekooi | ADJ.P NOM M PL |
obedient | obedient ones |
G5255-01 |
2 Corinthians 2:9 | ὑπήκοοί | upekooi | ADJ.P NOM M PL |
obedient ones | |
G5255-02 |
Philippians 2:8 | ὑπήκοος | upekoos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
obedient | obedient |