ὑστερ-έω G5302
To lack, fall short, suffer want, or run out; to be deficient in what is needed or expected, whether materially or morally.
A verb describing insufficiency in its many shades — from lacking a specific thing, to falling short of a standard, to enduring real privation. When Jesus asks the disciples in Luke 22:35 whether they lacked anything on their mission, the word captures the absence of concrete necessities. Yet in Romans 3:23, Paul elevates it to a moral plane: all have fallen short of the glory of God. Spanish captures this breadth well, ranging from 'carecer' (to lack) to 'estar destituido' (to be destitute), while French similarly moves between 'manquer' and 'être inférieur.' At the wedding in Cana (John 2:3), the word describes wine physically running out — a supply exhausted — which sets the stage for Jesus' first sign.
Senses
1. lack, be deficient — The core sense of lacking or being without something needed. Across languages the translations converge on straightforward deficiency: Spanish 'carecer,' French 'manquer,' German 'mangeln.' In Matt 19:20 and Mark 10:21, the rich young man asks what he still lacks; in 1 Cor 1:7 Paul assures the Corinthians they are not lacking in any spiritual gift. The evidence consistently points to an objective shortfall in possessions, provisions, or attributes. 8×
AR["أَنْ-أَنْقُصَ","احْتَجْتُمْ","الناقِصِ","تَنْقُصونَ","نَنْقُصُ","يَفتَقِرونَ","يَنْقُصُكَ","يَنْقُصُنِي"]·ben["অভাব","অভাব-হও,","অভাব-হচ্ছে","অভাব-হয়েছিল","অভাবীকে,","অভাবে-থাকতে","আমরা-অভাবী।","তারা-বঞ্চিত"]·DE["mangeln","ὑστερήσατε","ὑστερῶ"]·EN["did-you-lack","do-I-lack","fall-short","lacking","lacks","to-lack","we-lack"]·FR["mangeln","manquer","être-inférieur"]·heb["חֲסֵרִים","חָסֵר","חָסֵר־לִי","חָסַרְתֶּם","לִחְסֹר."]·HI["कम-है","कमी-है","घटते-हैं","घटी-हुई","घटी-हो","घतन.","रहित-हैं"]·ID["berkekurangan","kamu-kekurangan","kehilangan","kekurangan","kita-kurang.","kurang"]·IT["mancare","ustereisthai"]·jav["kakurangan,","kirang","kirang,","kita-kirang.","panjenengan-sedaya-kekirangan?"]·KO["모자라느니라","부족하기.","부족하다","부족하지-않다","부족한-것에게","부족합니까","부족했느냐"]·PT["carecem","de-sofrer-necessidade","falta","ficamos-deficientes.","fiqueis-aquém","me-falta?","que-carece,"]·RU["имели-нужду","иметь-недостатка","лишаемся.","лишены","недостаёт","недостаёт-мне?","нуждаться","нуждающемуся,"]·ES["carecemos","carezcáis","están-destituidos","falta","me-falta","tener-necesidad","tiene-falta","tuvisteis-falta"]·SW["chenye-upungufu","hamkupungukiwa","hatupungukiwi.","kupungukiwa","mlipungukiwa","ninakosa","unakukosa","wanakosa"]·TR["daha çok","eksik","eksik-kaldınız","eksik-kalmışlardır","eksiklige","eksiliriz","içinde-"]·urd["محروم-ہیں","کم-والے","کم-ہو","کم-ہوتے-ہیں","کمی-تھی","کمی-رہ-گئی","کمی-ہونا","کمی-ہے"]
2. fall short of a standard — A comparative or aspirational sense: failing to reach a standard or measure. Paul twice uses this when comparing himself to the 'super-apostles' (2 Cor 11:5; 12:11), where Spanish renders it 'haber sido inferior' and French 'être inférieur.' In Heb 4:1 the author warns lest anyone seem to have fallen short of entering God's rest, and Heb 12:15 cautions against falling short of the grace of God. The emphasis shifts from mere absence to failure relative to a benchmark. 4×
AR["قَدْ-قَصَّرَ","مُقَصِّرًا","نَقَصْتُ"]·ben["কম-পড়েছি","পিছিয়ে-পড়ছে","বঞ্চিত-হয়েছে"]·DE["mangeln"]·EN["I-fell-short","falling-short","to-have-fallen-short"]·FR["mangeln","être-inférieur"]·heb["חָסֵר","לֹא-חָסַרְתִּי"]·HI["घटा-होना","चूका-हो","पीछे-रह-जाए","मैं-घटा"]·ID["aku-tertinggal","gagal","tertinggal"]·IT["mancare","usterēkenai","usterōn"]·jav["gagal","kakurangan","kirang"]·KO["모자라게","모자라지-않았다","이르지-못하는-자가"]·PT["faltando","fui-inferior","ter-falhado","ter-sido-inferior"]·RU["лишающийся","опоздавшим","уступил","уступил-я"]·ES["fui-inferior","haber-quedado-atrás","haber-sido-inferior","quedando-atrás"]·SW["ameshindwa","anayepungukiwa","kupungukiwa","nilipungukiwa"]·TR["eksik-kaldım","eksik-kaldığımı","geri-kalmış","yoksun"]·urd["محروم-رہے","پیچھے-رہ-گیا","کم-رہا","کم-رہا-ہوں"]
3. suffer want, be in need — The experiential sense of suffering want or enduring need. Here the person does not simply lack an item but lives in a condition of privation. The prodigal son in Luke 15:14 'began to be in need' after squandering everything, and Paul in 2 Cor 11:9 recalls his own hardship. Spanish 'padecer necesidad' (to suffer need) and the catalog of deprivations in Heb 11:37 underscore that this sense describes ongoing, felt hardship rather than a momentary gap. 3×
AR["مُحْتاجاً","مُعْوَزِينَ","يَحْتَاجُ"]·ben["অভাবগ্রস্ত","অভাবগ্রস্ত-হতে","অভাবী"]·DE["mangeln","ὑστερεῖσθαι"]·EN["having-need","lacking","to-be-in-need"]·FR["mangeln","manquer","être-inférieur"]·heb["חַסְרִים","חָסַרְתִּי","לְ-הִתְחַסֵּר"]·HI["घटी-में-होकर","तंग-भोगते-हुए,","तंगी-में-रहने।"]·ID["kekurangan","kekurangan,"]·IT["mancare","usteroumenoi"]·jav["kakurangan","kekirangan","kekurangan."]·KO["궁핸하기를","모자라고","부족했으나"]·PT["a-ter-necessidade","necessitados","tendo-necessidade"]·RU["лишаемые","нуждаться","нуждаясь"]·ES["a-padecer-necesidad","habiendo-tenido-necesidad","necesitados"]·SW["kuhitaji","nikihitaji,","wakihitaji"]·TR["ihtiyaç-içinde-olmaya","ihtiyaç-içinde-olunca","yoksul"]·urd["تنگی-کرنے","ضرورتمند-ہوا","محتاج"]
4. run out, become exhausted — A supply-oriented sense: of a resource giving out or becoming exhausted. Used only at John 2:3, where the wine at the wedding feast ran out. Spanish 'habiendo faltado' and French 'manquer' both treat the wine as a subject that failed, distinguishing this from personal lack. The context — a finite supply consumed entirely — makes this sense distinct from the human experience of deficiency. 1×
AR["لَمَّا-نَفِدَ"]·ben["ফুরিয়ে-গেলে"]·DE["mangeln"]·EN["having-run-out"]·FR["manquer"]·heb["כְּשֶׁחָסֵר"]·HI["कम-होने-पर"]·ID["ketika-habis"]·IT["mancare"]·jav["kirang"]·KO["떨어졌을-때"]·PT["faltando"]·RU["недоставшего"]·ES["habiendo-faltado"]·SW["ulipokwisha"]·TR["bittiğinde"]·urd["ختم-ہونے-پر"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὑστερ-έω, future -ήσωLXXaorist ὑστέρησα (frequently with variant{ὑστέρισα}) Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect ὑστέρηκα NT+1st c.BC+: pluperfect ὑστερήκειν Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, aorist ὑστερήθην NT+1st c.AD+: (ὕστερος):—to be behind or later, come late, opposed to προτερέω or φθάνω, ὑστέρησαν οἱ ἄγοντες Refs 5th c.BC+: simply, occur later, of thunder after lightning, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II with genitive of…