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.
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 more senses below
Senses
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×)G1510 4. subjunctive/imperative, may be / let be (83×)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×)
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…