ὑπάρχω G5225
To exist or be in a state; substantivized as possessions or property belonging to someone
A versatile verb that in the New Testament most often functions as a near-synonym of εἰμί, expressing existence or a state of being. Luke frequently employs it to describe someone's identity or condition (Luke 8:41, 'he was a ruler of the synagogue'). When the neuter plural participle τὰ ὑπάρχοντα is substantivized, it becomes a standard term for one's possessions or goods — a usage Jesus draws on pointedly in parables about wealth and stewardship (Matt 25:14; Luke 12:33). The Spanish 'bienes' and German 'sein' both capture the shift from abstract being to concrete belongings.
Senses
1. to be, to exist — The primary New Testament usage: to be, to exist, or to be in a certain state or condition. Functions as an elevated alternative to εἰμί, often signaling something already in place or inherently true about a subject. Luke uses it extensively — more than any other NT author — to describe existing conditions (Luke 7:25, 'those in splendid clothing'; Luke 16:14, the Pharisees 'being money-lovers'). The multilingual glosses (Spanish 'eran/estaban', French 'être', German 'sein') consistently reflect this copulative or existential force. 45×
AR["كائِناً", "كائِنينَ", "كائِنًا", "كائِنٌ", "كانَت", "كَائِنٌ", "كَانَ", "كَانُوا", "كُنتُ", "نَكونُ", "هُم", "وَأنتَ", "وَهُمْ-كَانُوا", "وَهُوَ-كَائِنٌ", "يَكونُ"]·ben["ছিল", "থাকা,", "থেকে", "থেকে,", "হয়ে", "হয়ে,", "ὑπάρχων-হয়ে"]·DE["ist", "sein"]·EN["being", "they-were", "were"]·FR["exister", "être"]·heb["אָדוֹן", "הֵם", "הָיִינוּ", "הָיִיתִי", "הָיִיתָ", "הָיָה", "הָיוּ", "שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ-שֶׁל-", "שֶׁהִנְכֶם", "שֶׁהָיָה"]·HI["घरों-के", "थीं", "थे", "होकर", "होता-हुआ", "होते-हुए", "होते-हुए,"]·ID["Ada", "ada", "ada,", "adalah", "berada", "menjadi", "mereka", "meskipun"]·IT["essere"]·jav["dados", "dados,", "ing-piyambakipun,", "inggih-punika", "kalenggahanipun", "piyambakipun,", "wonten"]·KO["되는", "되시는", "되어", "되었으나", "이어서", "이었는지", "인", "있는", "있었다", "있으며", "있으면서", "있으면서,"]·PT["eram", "estando", "estavam", "havia", "sendo", "sendo,"]·RU["будучи", "бывший", "были", "сущие", "сущий", "сущих"]·ES["eran", "estaban", "estando", "había", "siendo"]·SW["akiwa", "akiwa,", "kulikuwa", "kuwa", "mkiwa", "nikiwa", "tukiwa", "ukiwa", "wakiwa", "walikuwa", "walikuwa-na"]·TR["idiler", "ilk-adama", "olan", "olarak", "sahip-olanlar", "var olarak", "vardı"]·urd["تھیں", "تھے", "ہوتے-ہوئے"]
Luke 7:25, Luke 8:41, Luke 9:48, Luke 11:13, Luke 16:14, Luke 16:23, Luke 23:50, Acts 2:30, Acts 3:2, Acts 3:6, Acts 4:34, Acts 5:4 (+33 more)
2. possessions, property, goods — The substantivized neuter plural participle τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, meaning one's possessions, belongings, or property. This usage is especially prominent in Jesus' teaching on wealth and discipleship: 'sell your possessions' (Matt 19:21), the faithful steward set over all his master's goods (Matt 24:47), and the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14). Spanish 'bienes/posesiones' and English 'possessions' point directly to this concrete, material sense, distinguishing it sharply from the abstract existential use. 14×
AR["-المُمتَلَكاتِ", "أَموالِ", "أَمْوَالَهُ", "ممتَلَكاتي", "مُقْتَنَيَاتِكُمْ", "مُمتَلَكاتِهِ", "مُمْتَلَكاتُهُ", "مُمْتَلَكَاتِكَ", "مُمْتَلَكَاتِكُمْ", "مُمْتَلَكَاتِهِ"]·ben["সম্পত্তি", "সম্পত্তির", "সম্পদ"]·DE["ist", "sein"]·EN["belonging", "possessing", "possessions"]·FR["exister", "être"]·heb["הַנִּמְצָאִים", "נְכָסִים", "נְכָסֵיכֶם", "נְכָסֶיךָ", "נְכָסָיו", "נִכְסֵיהֶם", "רְכוּשַׁי", "רְכוּשׁ", "רְכוּשׁוֹ"]·HI["थीं", "संपत्ति", "संपत्तियों", "संपत्तियों-को", "सम्पतियोन-को", "सम्पत्ति", "सम्पत्ति-की", "सम्पत्तियाँ", "सम्पत्तियों", "सम्पत्तियों-को"]·ID["harta", "harta-benda", "harta-milik", "harta-milikku", "hartaku", "hartanya", "kepunyaan", "milik"]·IT["essere"]·jav["bandha", "bandha-kawula,", "barang-darbekipun", "barang-darbèk", "barang-darbék", "gadhahan", "ingkang-kagungan", "kagungan"]·KO["소유들-을", "소유들을", "소유들의", "소유를", "소유물-을", "소유물들의", "소유물에", "소유물에서", "소유물을", "소유물이", "소유의", "소유한", "소유한-것들"]·PT["bens", "bens,", "que-possuía"]·RU["имущегося", "имущества", "имущество", "имущество,", "имуществом"]·ES["bienes", "poseo", "posesiones"]·SW["mali", "na", "niliyo-nayo", "yake"]·TR["diyordu", "mallar", "malları", "mallarından", "mallarını", "mallarının", "mallarınızın", "malınızı", "sahip-olduklarından", "varlıklar", "varlıklarımı-", "varlıklarından", "varlıklarının"]·urd["مال", "ملکیت", "ملکیتیں"]
Matt 19:21, Matt 24:47, Matt 25:14, Luke 8:3, Luke 11:21, Luke 12:15, Luke 12:33, Luke 12:44, Luke 14:33, Luke 16:1, Luke 19:8, Acts 4:32 (+2 more)
3. sense 3 — A single occurrence in Acts 4:37 where the participial form describes Barnabas as 'possessing' a field before selling it. While closely related to sense 2 (material goods), the active participial construction here emphasizes the act of having or owning rather than the possessions themselves. The Spanish 'poseyendo' captures this verbal, processual quality — Barnabas 'possessing' land, which he then liquidated for the community. 1×
AR["مَالِكٌ"]·ben["থাকা"]·DE["ist"]·EN["belonging"]·FR["exister"]·heb["הָיָה-לוֹ"]·HI["मालिक-था"]·ID["memiliki"]·IT["essere"]·jav["Gadhah"]·KO["이었으니"]·PT["tendo"]·RU["имеющегося"]·ES["poseyendo"]·SW["akiwa-na"]·TR["sahip-olarak"]·urd["ہو-کر"]
Related Senses
H1961 1. be, exist, was (Qal copular/existential) (3505×)G1510 1. copulative, linking predication (2095×)G1096 1. become, change state (421×)G1096 2. happen, occur, take place (158×)G1510 2. participial, being (circumstantial/attributive) (157×)H3426 1. there is, there are (existence) (129×)G1510 3. infinitival, to be (128×)H1934 1. to be, exist (65×)H1961 2. become, come to be (Qal inchoative) (55×)H0194 1. (45×)G1096 3. come, arrive, appear (28×)G1096 4. let it be, may it be done (22×)H0383 1. there is/are, to exist (Aramaic existential particle) (19×)G1096 5. may it never be! (16×)G2673 1. abolish, bring to an end (16×)G1510 5. existential, there is/exists (15×)G1096 6. be, exist, find oneself (13×)H7136a 1. happen, occur, befall (12×)H7122 2. to befall, happen to (10×)G1096 7. be made, be done (8×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὑπάρχω, future __A -ξωRefs 5th c.BC+aorist ὑπῆρξα (see. below Refs:—passive, future ὑπαρχθήσομαι Refs 3rd c.AD+perfect ὕπηργμαι, Ionic dialect -αργμαιRefs 5th c.BC+:—begin, take the initiative:—Constr.: __A.1 absolutely, Refs 8th c.BC+; ὁ ὑπάρξας the beginner (in a quarrel), Refs 5th c.BC+:—middle, Refs 5th c.BC+ __A.2 with genitive, take the initiative in, begin, ἀδίκων ἔργων, ἀδικίης, Refs 5th…