Original Word: ὑποβάλλω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: hupoballó
Pronunciation: hoo-pob-al'-lo
Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-ob-al'-lo)
KJV: suborn
NASB: secretly induced
Word Origin: [from G5259 (ὑπό - under) and G906 (βάλλω - thrown)]

1. to throw in stealthily, i.e. introduce by collusion

secretly instigate, suborn

From hupo and ballo; to throw in stealthily, i.e. Introduce by collusion -- suborn.

see GREEK hupo

see GREEK ballo

Word Origin
from hupo and balló
Definition
to throw or put under
NASB Translation
secretly induced (1).

STRONGS NT 5260: ὑποβάλλω

ὑποβάλλω: 2 aorist ὑπέβαλον; (from Homer down);

1. to throw or put under.

2. to suggest to the mind.

3. to instruct privately, instigate, suborn: τινα, Acts 6:11 (ὑπεβληθησαν κατήγοροί, Appendix, bell. 104:1, 74; μηνυτής τίς ὑπόβλητος, Josephus, b. j. 5, 10, 4).

Summary of Usage

Strong’s Greek 5260 appears one time in the New Testament, describing the secret inducement of false witnesses against Stephen in Acts 6:11. The term highlights deliberate, covert action designed to manipulate testimony for an evil end.

Historical Background

Acts 6 records growing opposition to the early Jerusalem church. Stephen’s Spirit-filled ministry (Acts 6:8) exposed hardened hearts among certain synagogue members. Unable to refute his wisdom, adversaries resorted to clandestine tactics. Such subornation fit the period’s volatile intersection of religious authority and Roman legal oversight, where fabricated charges could lead to capital penalties.

Acts 6:11 in Context

“Then they secretly induced men to say, ‘We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.’” (Acts 6:11)

The verb underscores:
• secrecy (“secretly induced”)
• inducement (“suborned” witnesses through persuasion or bribery)
• intentional distortion of testimony.

This paved the way for a formal accusation before the Sanhedrin (Acts 6:12-14), mirroring the unjust trial of Jesus (Matthew 26:59-60).

Legal and Ethical Dimensions

Mosaic Law condemned false witness (Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 19:15-19). The requirement of two or three witnesses safeguarded justice, yet hypocritical leaders violated the very statutes they defended. Their breach illustrates how external religiosity without heart transformation produces lawlessness.

Old Testament Precedents

• Naboth’s vineyard: “They seated two scoundrels opposite him and they testified…” (1 Kings 21:13). Jezebel’s scheme prefigures the same corrupt device.
• Psalm 35:11: “False witnesses rise up; they ask me things I do not know.” David laments malicious testimony, a prophetic echo of both Stephen and Christ.

New Testament Teaching on False Witness

• Jesus names false testimony among the sins that defile (Matthew 15:19).
• Believers must have “a clear conscience” when slandered (1 Peter 3:16).
• Satan is called “the accuser of our brothers” (Revelation 12:10), showing the ultimate spiritual source behind suborned lies.

Theological Significance

The lone occurrence of Strong’s 5260 underscores an important pattern: the gospel often advances amid malicious opposition. Stephen’s martyrdom, triggered by suborned testimony, becomes the catalyst for the church’s wider mission (Acts 8:1,4). God turns human deceit into redemptive purpose.

Implications for Church Leadership

• Expect resistance framed in misrepresentation; integrity and Spirit-empowered wisdom remain essential.
• Church courts or disciplinary processes must guard against partiality or hearsay (1 Timothy 5:19).
• Prayerful dependence rather than political maneuvering honors Christ when falsely accused.

Personal and Corporate Application

• Examine speech: “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech” (Psalm 34:13).
• Pursue truth in love; refuse gossip or manipulative persuasion.
• Strengthen faith communities to support those maligned for righteousness’ sake (Matthew 5:11-12).

Related Concepts and Scriptures

False Witness: Proverbs 6:16-19; Proverbs 19:5

Slander: Titus 3:2; James 4:11

Persecution: John 15:20; 2 Timothy 3:12

Martyrdom of Stephen: Acts 6:8-7:60

υπεβαλον υπέβαλον ὑπέβαλον υποβλεπόμενος υπόγαιον hypebalon hypébalon upebalonInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts