Original Word: ὑστερέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: hustereó
Pronunciation: hoos-ter-eh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (hoos-ter-eh'-o)
Definition: To lack, to fall short, to be in need, to fail.
Meaning: I fall behind, am lacking, fall short, suffer need, am inferior to.

to lack, need

From husteros; to be later, i.e. (by implication) to be inferior; generally, to fall short (be deficient) -- come behind (short), be destitute, fail, lack, suffer need, (be in) want, be the worse.

see GREEK husteros

5302 hysteréō (from 5306 /hýsteros, "last") – properly, at "the end," i.e. coming behind (to "be posterior, late"); (figuratively) coming behind and therefore left out; left wanting (falling short).

5302 /hysteréō ("failing to fulfill a goal") means to be in lack and hence, unable to meet the need at hand because depleted ("all run out"). This state of lack (insufficiency, privation) naturally results when a person misses out on what is vital.

Word Origin
from husteros
Definition
to come late, be behind, come short
NASB Translation
am...lacking (1), come short (1), comes short (1), destitute (1), fall short (1), impoverished (1), inferior (2), lack (2), lacked (1), lacking (1), need (1), ran (1), suffering need (1), worse (1).

STRONGS NT 5302: ὑστερέω

ὑστερέω, ὑστερῶ; 1 aorist ὑστέρησα; perfect ὑστέρηκα; passive, present ὑστεροῦμαι; 1 aorist participle ὑστερηθείς; (ὕστερος);

1. Active, "to be ὕστερος i. e. behind; i. e.

a. to come late or too tardily" (so in secular authors from Herodotus down): Hebrews 4:1; to be left behind in the race and so fail to reach the goal, to fall short of the end; with ἀπό and the genitive indicating the end, metaphorically, fail to become a partaker: ἀπό τῆς χάριτος, Hebrews 12:15 (others render here fall back (i. e. away) from; cf. Winers Grammar, § 30, 6 b.; Buttmann, 322f (276f) cf. § 132, 5) (Ecclesiastes 6:2).

b. to be inferior, in power, influence, rank, 1 Corinthians 12:24 (where L T Tr WH passive, ὑστερουμένῳ); in virtue, τί ἔτι ὑστερῶ; in what am I still deficient (A. V. what lack I yet (cf. Buttmann, § 131, 10)), Matthew 19:20 (Sir. 51:24; ἵνα γνῷ τί ὑστερῶ ἐγώ, Psalm 38:5 (); μηδ' ἐν ἄλλῳ μηδενί μέρει ἀρετῆς ὑστερουντας, Plato, de rep. 6, p. 484 d.); μηδέν or οὐδέν followed by a genitive (depending on the idea of comparison contained in the verb (Buttmann, § 132, 22)) of the person, to be inferior to (A. V. to be behind) another in nothing, 2 Corinthians 11:5; 2 Corinthians 12:11.

c. to fail, be lacking (Dioscorides (?) 5, 86): John 2:3 (not Tdf.); ἕν σοι (T WH Tr marginal reading σε (cf. Buttmann, as above)) ὑστερεῖ, Mark 10:21.

d. to be in want of, lack: with a genitive of the thing (Winer's Grammar, § 30, 6), Luke 22:35 (Josephus, Antiquities 2, 2, 1).

2. Passive to suffer want (Winer's Grammar, 260 (244)): Luke 15:14; 2 Corinthians 11:9 (8); Hebrews 11:37 (Sir. 11:11); opposed to περισσεύειν, to abound, Philippians 4:12; τίνος, to be devoid (R. V. fall short) of, Romans 3:23 (Diodorus 18, 71; Josephus, Antiquities 15, 6, 7); ἐν τίνι, to suffer want in any respect, 1 Corinthians 1:7, opposed to πλουτίζεσθαι ἐν τίνι, 1 Corinthians 1:5; to lack (be inferior) in excellence, worth, opposed to περισσεύειν (A. V. to be the worse ... the better), 1 Corinthians 8:8. (Compare: ἀφυστερέω.)

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek word ὕστερος (hysteros), meaning "later" or "after."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • 2637 חָסֵר (chaser): To lack, to be without, to decrease.
• 4270 מַחְסוֹר (machsor): Need, poverty, lack.

These Hebrew terms similarly convey the idea of lacking or deficiency, whether in material possessions or spiritual standing, and are often used in the Old Testament to describe situations of need or want.

Usage: The verb ὑστερέω is used in the New Testament to describe situations of lacking or deficiency, whether in material, spiritual, or moral contexts. It can refer to physical needs, such as lacking food or resources, as well as spiritual shortcomings or failures to meet a standard.

Context: The Greek verb ὑστερέω appears in various contexts throughout the New Testament, illustrating both physical and spiritual deficiencies. It is often used to describe a state of lacking or falling short of what is necessary or expected.

• Physical Needs: In Luke 15:14, the term is used in the parable of the Prodigal Son, where the son "began to be in need" after squandering his inheritance. This highlights a physical and material lack resulting from poor choices.

• Spiritual Shortcomings: In Romans 3:23, Paul uses a form of ὑστερέω to express the universal human condition: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Here, it underscores the spiritual deficiency and the inability of humanity to meet God's perfect standard on their own.

• Moral and Ethical Contexts: In Hebrews 12:15, believers are warned to "see to it that no one falls short of the grace of God," emphasizing the importance of vigilance in maintaining one's spiritual and moral integrity.

• Faith and Perseverance: In James 1:4, the term is used to encourage believers to let perseverance finish its work so that they may be "mature and complete, not lacking anything." This usage underscores the process of spiritual growth and maturity.

The concept of ὑστερέω is integral to understanding the human condition in relation to God's expectations and provisions. It serves as a reminder of the need for divine grace to overcome deficiencies and to live a life that aligns with God's will.

υστερει υστερεί ὑστερεῖ υστερεισθαι υστερείσθαι ὑστερεῖσθαι υστερείται υστερηθεις υστερηθείς ὑστερηθεὶς υστερηκεναι υστερηκέναι ὑστερηκέναι υστερησα υστέρησα ὑστέρησα υστερησαντος υστερήσαντος ὑστερήσαντος υστερησατε ὑστερήσατε υστερησάτω υστερήσει υστερήση υστερήσωμεν υστερουμεθα υστερούμεθα ὑστερούμεθα υστερουμενοι υστερούμενοι ὑστερούμενοι υστερούμενος υστερουμενω ὑστερουμένῳ υστερουνται υστερούνται ὑστεροῦνται υστερούντι υστερούσα υστερω υστερώ ὑστερῶ υστερων υστερών ὑστερῶν hysterei hystereî hystereisthai hystereîsthai hysterekenai hysterekénai hysterēkenai hysterēkénai hysteresa hysterēsa hystéresa hystérēsa hysteresantos hysterēsantos hysterḗsantos hysteresate hysterēsate hysterḗsate hysteretheis hysteretheìs hysterētheis hysterētheìs hystero hysterô hysterō hysterō̂ hysteron hysterôn hysterōn hysterō̂n hysteroumeno hysteroumenō hysteroumenoi hysterouménoi hysterouménōi hysteroúmenoi hysteroumetha hysteroúmetha hysterountai hysteroûntai usterei ustereisthai usterekenai usterēkenai usteresa usterēsa usteresantos usterēsantos usteresate usterēsate usteretheis usterētheis ustero usterō usteron usterōn usteroumeno usteroumenō usteroumenoi usteroumetha usterountaiInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts