ὑποφέρω G5297
to endure, bear up under; to sustain hardship or burden without giving way
This compound verb (hupo- "under" + pherō "carry") means to carry a load placed upon you, especially to endure or bear up under difficulty. The image is of bearing weight from underneath—supporting what presses down on you. Classical Greek used it for literal load-bearing and metaphorical endurance of hardships. The New Testament uses emphasize patient endurance of suffering, whether persecution or general trials, without collapsing or abandoning faith. It's active perseverance rather than passive resignation—continuing to carry what's been placed on you.
Senses
1. sense 1 — First Corinthians 10:13 assures believers that no temptation is too great and God provides a way of escape "that you may be able to bear it" (hupophérein)—endurance is possible through divine help. Second Timothy 3:11 catalogs Paul's sufferings and then celebrates "what persecutions I endured" (hupēnenka, perfect tense)—completed endurance that proved God's deliverance. First Peter 2:19 commends it as grace when someone "bears up under" (hupophérei) sorrows while suffering unjustly because of conscience toward God—enduring for divine rather than human reasons. The Spanish soportar/soporta/soporté, French supporter, and German ertragen all convey the bearing/enduring sense. The term emphasizes sustained capacity to carry suffering without collapse, enabled by divine strength and motivated by godward conscience. 3×
AR["احْتَمَلْتُ", "تَحتَمِلونَ", "يَحتَمِلُ"]·ben["সহ্য-করতে।", "সহ্য-করে", "সহ্য-করেছি;"]·DE["ertragen"]·EN["I-endured", "bears-up-under", "to-endure"]·FR["supporter", "ὑπήνεγκα", "ὑποφέρει"]·heb["לִ-שְׂאֵת", "נוֹשֵׂא", "סָבַלְתִּי"]·HI["सहता-है", "सहना", "सहि;"]·ID["aku-menanggung", "menanggung"]·IT["sopportare", "upopherei", "upēnegka"]·jav["kula-sabar;", "nandhang", "nanggel."]·KO["견뎠다", "견디면", "견디어낼"]·PT["suporta", "suportar."]·RU["перенести.", "переносит", "перенёс"]·ES["soporta", "soportar", "soporté"]·SW["anavumilia", "kustahimili.", "nilivumilia"]·TR["dayanmaya", "dayanım", "katlanırsa"]·urd["برداشت-کرتا-ہے", "برداشت-کرنا", "میں-نے-برداشت-کیے"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὑποφέρω, future ὑποίσω Refs 5th c.BC+ O.: aorist ὑπήνεγκον Refs 4th c.BC+, Epic dialect ὑπήνεικα Refs 8th c.BC+:—carry away under, especially bear out of danger, ἀλλά μ᾽ ὑπήνεικαν ταχέες πόδες Refs 8th c.BC+ [same place]:—passive, to be taken from under, ἐὰν [τὸ ὑποκείμενον] ὑποφέρηται Refs 4th c.BC+ __2 bring close together, τὰ ὀπίσθια σκέλη (i.e. ἐπὶ τὰ ἔμπροσθεν) Refs __II bear or carry by…