Original Word: ὕψιστος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: hupsistos
Pronunciation: hoop'-sis-tos
Phonetic Spelling: (hoop'-sis-tos)
KJV: most high, highest
NASB: most high, highest
Word Origin: [superlative from the base of G5311 (ὕψος - high)]

1. highest
2. (masculine singular) the Supreme (God)
3. (neuter plural) the heavens

most high, highest.

Superlative from the base of hupsos; highest, i.e. (masculine singular) the Supreme (God), or (neuter plural) the heavens -- most high, highest.

see GREEK hupsos

Word Origin
superl. akin to hupsi- (on high)
Definition
highest, most high
NASB Translation
highest (4), most high (9).

STRONGS NT 5310: ὕψιστος

ὕψιστος, ὑψιστη, ὕψιστον (superlative; from ὕψι on high), in Greek writings mostly poetic, highest, most high;

a. of place: neuter τά ὑψιστα (the Sept. for מְרומִים), the highest regions, i. e. heaven (see ὑψηλός, a.), Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:10; Luke 2:14; Luke 19:38, (Job 16:19; Isaiah 57:15).

b. of rank: of God, ὁ Θεός ὁ ὕψιστος, the most high God, Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28; Acts 16:17; Hebrews 7:1; (Genesis 14:18; Philo de leg. ad Gaium § 23); and simply ὁ ὕψιστος, the Most High, Acts 7:48; mid without the article (cf. Buttmann, § 124, 8 b. note; (WH. Introductory § 416)), Luke 1:32, 35, 76; Luke 6:35, and very often in Sir.; (Hebrew אֶלְיון, עֶלְיון אֵל, עֶלְיון אֱלֹהִים, עֶליון יְהוָה; Ζεύς ὕψιστος, Pindar Nem. 1, 90; 11, 2; Aeschylus Eum. 28).

Overview of Usage

The New Testament employs this superlative thirteen times to declare God’s unrivaled majesty and to locate the realm of His glory “in the highest.” Four occurrences appear in praise formulas (“in the highest”), while nine use the term as a divine title (“the Most High”). The contexts span worship, angelic proclamation, demonic confession, apostolic preaching and theological exposition, underscoring both doctrinal breadth and practical relevance.

Old Testament Background

The title echoes the Hebrew El Elyon (“God Most High”), first attested in Genesis 14:18-20. By adopting the same wording, the New Testament confirms the continuity of revelation: the covenant God of Abraham remains the supreme Ruler in the gospel era.

Divine Supremacy and Sovereignty

Acts 7:48 asserts, “The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands,” reminding the church that God transcends every sanctuary. Hebrews 7:1 recalls Melchizedek, “priest of God Most High,” to ground Christ’s priesthood in a precedent higher than the Levitical order. Together these texts proclaim that no human structure, ritual or lineage limits the Sovereign of heaven and earth.

Messianic Fulfillment in Jesus

Gabriel twice links Jesus to the title at His conception:
• “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32).
• “The power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35).

Thus the incarnation reveals the Most High acting personally within history. The same chapter names John the Baptist “a prophet of the Most High” (Luke 1:76), identifying the forerunner who prepares the people for God’s climactic self-disclosure.

Heavenly Praise and Liturgical Use

• At Bethlehem the angelic host sings, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14).
• On Palm Sunday the crowds cry, “Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:10) and “Glory in the highest” (Luke 19:38).

These acclamations lift worship beyond earthly confines, acknowledging that the enthroned God receives and perfects praise in His own realm even as it erupts on earth.

Spiritual Warfare and Demonic Recognition

Twice a legion of demons address Jesus as “Son of the Most High God” (Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28), and a spirit-possessed slave girl in Philippi announces, “These men are servants of the Most High God” (Acts 16:17). Such involuntary confessions affirm that even hostile powers cannot deny the supremacy of the One who confronts and overthrows them.

Universal Dwelling of God

Stephen’s citation (Acts 7:48) serves the apologetic purpose of liberating faith from a temple-centric mindset. The Most High inhabits the heavens yet draws near to repentant sinners through Christ, inviting worship “in spirit and in truth.”

High Priesthood and Covenantal Continuity

Hebrews 7 connects Melchizedek, “priest of God Most High,” to Jesus, the eternal High Priest. The argument secures believers’ confidence that the atonement rests on a priesthood instituted by the Most High Himself, guaranteeing its sufficiency and permanence.

Ethical Implications for Disciples

Jesus commands, “Love your enemies… and you will be sons of the Most High” (Luke 6:35). The epithet undergirds Christian ethics: children should mirror the gracious character of their Father, whose exalted position does not distance Him from the ungrateful and wicked but moves Him to benevolence.

Implications for Mission and Evangelism

John the Baptist’s role “to prepare His ways” (Luke 1:76) and Paul’s mission in Acts 16:17 both proceed from the authority of the Most High. Proclaimers of the gospel stand as heralds of the ultimate King, whose supremacy guarantees the success of His saving purpose among the nations.

Summary

Whether in the cradle, on the road to Jerusalem, in the synagogue, on the mission field or in heavenly theology, the title “Most High” announces God’s absolute kingship, Christ’s divine sonship, and the believer’s privileged sonship. It calls the church to reverent worship, confident witness, spiritual vigilance and merciful conduct, all in the assurance that the One enthroned “in the highest” reigns forever.

ύψιστε υψιστοις υψίστοις ὑψίστοις ύψιστον υψιστος υψίστος ύψιστος ὕψιστος υψιστου υψίστου ὑψίστου υψίστω υψίστων hypsistois hypsístois hypsistos hýpsistos hypsistou hypsístou upsistois upsistos upsistouInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts