Spiritual Disease: ὑπερηφανία (Strong’s G5243: hyperēphania) Reveals Heart’s Corruption

Strong’s G5243: A feminine noun derived from ὑπερήφανος (proud), meaning “arrogance, pride, haughtiness.” Used in the New Testament to describe a destructive spiritual condition that manifests in showing oneself above others and despising divine authority.

U – Unveiling the Word

The noun ὑπερηφανία represents one of the most dangerous spiritual conditions: pride that manifests in showing oneself above others. Derived from ὑπερήφανος (appearing above others), it describes an attitude that elevates self while looking down on others and ultimately defying God. In the New Testament, Jesus lists this among the evil things that come from within and defile a person. The early church recognized this as a particularly destructive sin, seeing it as the root of many other spiritual failures. Today, this word continues to warn believers about the danger of self-exaltation and the importance of cultivating humility.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: ὑπερηφανία, hyperēphania, /hy.pe.rē.pha.ni.a/
• Detailed pronunciation: hü-pe-rā-fä-nē’-ä (where ü as in German über, ā as in father)
• Part of Speech: Noun

Etymology:

• From ὑπερήφανος (hyperēphanos)
• Prefix: ὑπέρ (hyper) meaning “above”
• Root: φαίνω (phainō) meaning “to appear/show”
• Suffix: -ία (-ia) forming abstract nouns

D – Defining Meanings

• Pride
• Arrogance
• Haughtiness
• Self-exaltation

For compound words: The combination creates the concept of appearing or showing oneself above others, with the abstract noun ending making it a quality or state.

Translation Options:

• “arrogance” – emphasizes attitude of superiority
• “haughty pride” – captures both internal and external aspects
• “self-exaltation” – highlights elevation of self above others

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ἀλαζονεία (alazoneia) /a.la.zo.nei.a/ – boastful pride – See G212
• τύφος (typhos) /ty.phos/ – conceit – See G5187
• ὕβρις (hybris) /hy.bris/ – insolence – See G5196

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Features of this noun:

• Case: Nominative
• Number: Singular
• Gender: Feminine
• Declension: First

The noun can appear as:

• ὑπερηφανία (nominative)
• ὑπερηφανίας (genitive)
• ὑπερηφανίᾳ (dative)
• ὑπερηφανίαν (accusative)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

The lexicons provide rich insight into ὑπερηφανία’s meaning and significance. BDAG emphasizes its character as a particularly serious vice in biblical thought. Thayer’s notes its development from appearing above others to internal attitude of superiority. LSJ traces its usage in classical literature as a particularly offensive form of pride. Vine’s highlights its place in Jesus’ list of defiling evils. Strong’s emphasizes its connection to visible manifestation of pride. Moulton and Milligan document its use in describing particularly offensive displays of arrogance.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
Mark 7:22: “deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride [ὑπερηφανία] and foolishness.”

Additional References:
This is the only occurrence of ὑπερηφανία in the New Testament.

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

The word ὑπερηφανία powerfully reveals the destructive nature of pride in spiritual life. Jesus identifies it as one of the evil things that defile a person from within. This word proclaims the good news by showing us what to avoid and pointing us to the Messiah’s example of humility. It reminds us that the Kingdom belongs to the humble and that God actively opposes the proud while giving grace to the humble.

D – Did You Know?

• ὑπερηφανία appears only once in the New Testament
• It’s listed among the most serious spiritual defects
• The word influenced early Christian teaching on humility

Strong’s G5243: A feminine noun derived from ὑπερήφανος (proud), meaning “arrogance, pride, haughtiness.” Used in the New Testament to describe a destructive spiritual condition that manifests in showing oneself above others and despising divine authority.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: pride, arrogance, spiritual corruption, sin, heart condition, biblical Greek, New Testament Greek, character defect, humility, spiritual warfare​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​