ὑποκρίνομαι (G5271) — Greek Lexicon

ὑποκρίνομαι

hypokrínomai

G5271 verb

SILEX Entry

Root ὑπο-κριν- to answer, to interpret, to judge, to pretend

Definition

To pretend, to feign, to present something falsely; in various contexts, to take on a role, to assume a false appearance or feeling, or to act under pretense. The word signifies making a show of something not actually possessed or felt, whether through speech, gesture, or conduct.

Semantic Range

to act, to play a part (stage); to respond as an interpreter; to pretend, to simulate, to feign, to dissemble

Root / Etymology

From ὑπό (under) and κρίνω (to judge, to decide). The etymological sense is 'to answer under,' i.e., to make a reply from behind or beneath a guise, which developed the sense of 'to feign,' 'to pretend,' or 'to play a part.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

ὑποκρίνομαι is first attested in classical Greek drama, where it referred to an actor answering or interpreting a role on stage. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, the verb expanded metaphorically to mean assuming a role or persona not genuinely one's own, thus taking on the sense of 'to pretend' or 'to feign.' In the Septuagint and New Testament, it most commonly means to present oneself or one's actions falsely, often with the implication of deliberate deceit, although it can also involve self-delusion. In later rabbinic Greek, and in English translation traditions, related nouns were rendered 'hypocrite,' but the verb itself is more fundamentally about enacting or embodying a part that is not authentic. The standard English translations such as 'feign' and 'pretend' broadly capture the meaning, but may miss the performative and dramatized nuance that the stage-derived etymology holds in older Greek usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

middle voice from ὑπό and κρίνω; to decide (speak or act) under a false part, i.e. (figuratively) dissemble (pretend):--feign.

Root Family

ὑποκρίνομαι (hypokrinomai) — to answer, to interpret, to judge, to pretend

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`G5271-01`	ὑποκρινομένους	upokrinomenous	`V PRS MID PTCP ACC M PL`	pretending	those feigning	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`G5271-01`	Luke 20:20	ὑποκρινομένους	upokrinomenous	`V PRS MID PTCP ACC M PL`	pretending	those feigning

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