Strong’s Greek 5270 occurs eleven times in the New Testament and consistently conveys spatial position that highlights theological truths about authority, humility, concealment, and cosmic scope. Whether describing crumbs “under the table,” lamps “under a bed,” or everything placed “under His feet,” ὑποκάτω frames an “under-ness” that reveals the glory of Christ and directs believers toward humble, obedient living.

Gospel Contexts

1. Authority Under Messiah (Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36). Quoting Psalm 110:1, Jesus applies David’s prophecy to Himself: “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.’” The preposition accents a total subjugation promised by the Father, affirming Christ’s divine sonship and Messianic kingship.
2. Humble Dependency (Mark 7:28). The Syrophoenician woman pleads, “Yes, Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Her posture “under the table” dramatizes Gentile humility and faith, anticipating the gospel’s reach beyond Israel.
3. Hidden Light (Luke 8:16; Mark 6:11). The lamp “covered with a jar or placed under a bed” illustrates that revelation is not meant to remain concealed. The imagery warns disciples against suppressing witness and underscores accountability: “It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment for that town” where dust is shaken off “under your feet.”
4. Promise of Greater Vision (John 1:50). Jesus tells Nathanael, “You will see greater things than these,” immediately contrasting the earthly fig tree under which Nathanael sat with the heavenly ladder yet to be shown. The spatial shift from “under” the tree to “heaven open” intensifies expectation of revelation.

Epistolary and Expository Usage

Hebrews 2:8 cites Psalm 8, teaching that God “put everything in subjection under His feet.” The writer applies the psalm to Jesus, affirming His exaltation as the Last Adam while acknowledging the already/not-yet tension: “At present we do not yet see everything subject to Him.” The term therefore supports both inaugurated victory and future consummation.

Apocalyptic Vision

1. Cosmic Access Denied (Revelation 5:3). “No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it.” The threefold sphere—heaven, earth, and under the earth—encompasses all creation, magnifying the exclusive worthiness of the Lamb.
2. Universal Praise (Revelation 5:13). The same triad reappears when every creature “in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea” blesses the enthroned God and the Lamb, demonstrating total cosmic worship.
3. Martyrs Awaiting Justice (Revelation 6:9). The souls “under the altar” cry out for vindication, linking sacrificial imagery with eschatological hope. Their placement underlines both security (protected by altar) and the yet-to-be-fulfilled plan of God.
4. Heavenly Sign (Revelation 12:1). The woman clothed with the sun stands with “the moon under her feet,” depicting victorious dominion granted by God to His covenant community.

Thematic Insights

• Authority and Subjection. ὑποκάτω underscores the Father’s promise to place all creation beneath the Messiah’s sovereign feet (Psalm 110; Hebrews 2). Believers can rest in His present reign and anticipate its visible completion.
• Humility and Faith. The Syrophoenician woman’s plea models a posture that receives grace. Those who take the lowest place are exalted by Christ.
• Hiddenness and Revelation. A lamp under a bed or a scroll sealed to all under the earth stresses that only God can bring true illumination; disciples must therefore display, not obscure, the light entrusted to them.
• Cosmic Scope of Redemption. Revelation’s repeated triad—heaven, earth, under the earth—shows that nothing escapes the reach of Christ’s redemptive work or final judgment.
• Sanctified Waiting. Martyrs under the altar exemplify patient endurance. Their location signals that sacrificial faithfulness is precious to God and will be honored at the proper time.

Ministry Application

• Preach Christ’s unquestioned supremacy; every enemy will ultimately lie under His feet.
• Cultivate servant-hearted humility, recognizing that crumbs from the Master’s table are abundant grace.
• Refuse to hide the gospel light; instead, place it prominently through witness and good works.
• Offer pastoral comfort to the persecuted, reminding them that, like the souls under the altar, their cries are heard and will be answered.
• Encourage worship that anticipates the universal chorus in Revelation, gathering voices from every sphere of creation.

Believers who grasp the layered significance of ὑποκάτω learn to live beneath Christ’s lordship while lifting His light high for the world to see.