Divine Sufficiency: ὑστερέω (Strong’s G5302: hustereo) Reveals Complete Fulfillment

Strong’s G5302: From husteros (latter, behind), hustereo means to come late, lack, or fall short. In NT usage, it describes both material and spiritual deficiency, highlighting human inadequacy while pointing to God’s complete provision in Messiah.

U- Unveiling the Word

The verb ὑστερέω (hustereo) encompasses the concept of lacking, falling short, or coming too late. In the New Testament, it appears in contexts ranging from material poverty to spiritual deficiency. Its first appearance comes in the rich young ruler’s question about what he still lacks for eternal life, setting up a profound theological theme about human inadequacy and divine sufficiency. The word plays a crucial role in Paul’s teaching about universal sin (Romans 3:23) where all have “fallen short” of God’s glory. Early church fathers used this word to emphasize humanity’s need for divine grace. Today, it continues to highlight both our inherent insufficiency and God’s complete provision in Messiah.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: ὑστερέω, hustereo, hoo-ste-RE-o
• Detailed Pronunciation: hoo (as in “who”) – ste (as in “stay”) – RE (as in “ray”) – o (as in “oh”)
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:
From ὕστερος (husteros) meaning “latter, behind”:

• Root word: ὕστερος (husteros) – later, following, deficient
• -έω (-eo) – verb-forming suffix

D – Defining Meanings

• To come too late
• To lack, be deficient
• To fall short of a standard

For compound words:
Not a compound word; derived from ὕστερος with a verb-forming suffix.

Translation Options:

• “lack” – Emphasizes deficiency or need
• “fall short” – Best captures the sense of inadequacy
• “come behind” – More literal but less common translation

E – Exploring Similar Words

• λείπω (leipo, LI-po) – to leave, lack, be destitute
  See G3007
• ἐλαττόω (elattoo, e-lat-TO-o) – to decrease, make lower
  See G1642
• ἀπορέω (aporeo, a-po-RE-o) – to be at a loss, perplexed
  See G639

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

For this verb:

• Tense: Present, Future, Aorist, Perfect
• Voice: Active, Middle, Passive
• Mood: Indicative, Subjunctive, Infinitive, Participle
• Person: First, Second, Third
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Aspect: Continuous (Present), Punctiliar (Aorist)

Example forms:

• ὑστερῶ – I lack (Present Active Indicative)
• ὑστέρησα – I lacked (Aorist Active Indicative)
• ὑστερούμενος – lacking (Present Middle/Passive Participle)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

Lexical study reveals ὑστερέω’s rich theological implications. BDAG emphasizes its use in both material and spiritual contexts. Thayer’s notes its development from temporal lateness to qualitative deficiency. LSJ documents its classical usage for falling behind or being inferior. Vine’s highlights its importance in describing universal human sinfulness. Moulton and Milligan cite papyri showing its use in financial contexts. Strong’s connects it to the concept of being “later” or “behind,” while LEH notes its Septuagint usage for both material and spiritual poverty. This evidence shows a term that bridges physical and spiritual deficiency.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
Matthew 19:20 “The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack [ὑστερέω] I yet?”

Additional References:
Mark 10:21, Luke 15:14, John 2:3, Romans 3:23, 1 Corinthians 1:7, 2 Corinthians 11:9, Philippians 4:12

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

The word ὑστερέω powerfully illustrates humanity’s universal condition of falling short while pointing to God’s complete provision in Messiah. It appears in contexts ranging from material poverty to spiritual inadequacy, ultimately highlighting our need for divine grace. This word proclaims the good news by showing that while we all fall short of God’s glory, His provision in Messiah fills every lack. It reminds us that our insufficiency is met by His all-sufficiency.

D – Did You Know?

1. This word appears in the famous “wedding at Cana” story when they “lacked” wine.
2. Paul uses this word to describe his learning to be content whether in abundance or need.
3. It appears in one of the most quoted verses about universal sin in Romans 3:23.

Strong’s G5302: From husteros (latter, behind), hustereo means to come late, lack, or fall short. In NT usage, it describes both material and spiritual deficiency, highlighting human inadequacy while pointing to God’s complete provision in Messiah.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: lack, deficiency, falling-short, inadequacy, provision, divine-sufficiency, poverty, need, spiritual-poverty, human-condition, universal-sin, divine-grace​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​