ὕψιστος G5310
Most High, as divine title; highest, as superlative of place or praise
The superlative adjective ὕψιστος serves two closely related but distinguishable functions in the NT. As a substantive with the article, it is one of the great divine titles -- 'the Most High' (ὁ ὕψιστος) -- used by angels, demons, and prophets alike to name God in his supreme exaltation. Gabriel announces that Jesus will be called 'Son of the Most High' (Luke 1:32), and the Gerasene demoniac cries out 'Son of the Most High God' (Mark 5:7). As an adjective in the doxological phrase ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις, it designates 'the highest' heavens or the highest realm of praise -- 'Hosanna in the highest!' (Matt 21:9) and 'Glory to God in the highest' (Luke 2:14). French preserves both: 'Tres-Haut' (title) versus 'le plus haut' (spatial superlative).
1. Most High — A divine title: 'the Most High,' designating God in his supreme sovereignty and transcendence. Used as a substantive, often with the article, it names God in contexts of prophetic declaration, angelic announcement, and even demonic recognition. Luke employs it heavily: the child will be 'Son of the Most High' (1:32), the Holy Spirit as 'power of the Most High' (1:35), John the Baptist as 'prophet of the Most High' (1:76), and believers as 'sons of the Most High' (6:35). Mark 5:7 records the Gerasene demoniac's cry 'Son of the Most High God,' and Acts 16:17 echoes it. The title transcends human categories of rank, placing God at the apex of all being. Multilingual glosses uniformly render it as a proper divine epithet: 'Altisimo' (Spanish), 'Tres-Haut' (French), 'Hoechster' (German). 9×
AR["العَلِيُّ","العَلِيِّ","الْعَلِيِّ","عَلِيِّ"]·ben["পরাৎপর","পরাৎপরের","সর্বোচ্চ"]·DE["Hoechster","höchste"]·EN["Most-High","of-Most-High"]·FR["Très-Haut","le-plus-haut","très-haut"]·heb["הָעֶלְיוֹן","עֶלְיוֹן"]·HI["परम-प्रधान-के","परमप्रधान","परमप्रधान,","परमप्रधान-का","परमप्रधान-की","शपथ-खिलाता-हूँ","सर्वोच्च","सर्वोच्च-के"]·ID["Mahatinggi","Yang-Mahatinggi"]·IT["altissimo","il-piu-alto","upsistou"]·jav["Ingkang-Maha-Luhur","Ingkang-Mahaluhur","Ingkang-Mahatinggi","Kang-Maha-Luhur","Maha-Luhur","Mahaluhur","paling-Luhur?"]·KO["가장-높으신-분-은","지극히-높으신","지극히-높으신-분의?","지극히-높으신-이-의","지극히-높은-이의"]·PT["Altíssimo","Altíssimo?","do-Altíssimo"]·RU["Всевышнего","Всевышний"]·ES["Altísimo","del-Altísimo"]·SW["Aliye-Juu","Aliye-Juu-Sana","Aliye-Juu-Sana?","Aliye-juu-sana","wa-Aliye-Juu","ya-Aliye-Juu"]·TR["En-Yüce'nin;","En-Yüce'nin?","Yüce","Yüce'nin?","Yüce-Olan"]·urd["اعلیٰ-ترین","حق-تعالیٰ-کا","حق-تعالیٰ-کی","عالی","عالی-کے","عظیم","علیّ-الاعلیٰ","وہ"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. highest — The spatial or doxological superlative 'highest,' used adjectivally to designate the highest heavens, the highest realm of glory, or the highest pitch of praise. It appears exclusively in the liturgical acclamation ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις: 'Hosanna in the highest!' at the triumphal entry (Matt 21:9, Mark 11:10, Luke 19:38) and 'Glory to God in the highest' at Christ's birth (Luke 2:14). Here ὕψιστος modifies an implied 'places' or 'heavens' rather than serving as a divine name. Spanish shifts to 'alturas/altisimos' (heights), and the overall gloss pattern favors spatial or superlative language over the personal title -- 'the highest' rather than 'the Most High.' 4×
AR["أَعَالِي","الأَعالي","الْأَعَالِي"]·ben["উচ্চতমে","সর্বোচ্চে"]·DE["Hoechster","höchste"]·EN["highest","the-highest"]·FR["très-haut"]·heb["מְרוֹמִים"]·HI["ऊंचाईयों","सर्वोच्च","सर्वोच्चों"]·ID["tempat-tertinggi"]·IT["altissimo"]·jav["ingkang-dhuwur-piyambak.","ingkang-inggil","langit-nginggil","swarga-ingkang-luhur"]·KO["가장-높은-곳에서","높은-곳들-에","지극히-높은-곳들"]·PT["alturas","alturas!"]·RU["высотах","вышних!"]·ES["alturas","altísimos","las-alturas"]·SW["juu-sana","na"]·TR["en-yükseklerde","en-yükselerde"]·urd["بلندیوں","علیین"]
Related Senses
H0430 1. God (of Israel) (2502×)G2316 1. God, the true God (1315×)H6635b 1. hosts, armies (of YHWH) (286×)H0410 1. God, the true God (223×)G0032 1. heavenly angel (170×)H4397 2. messenger, envoy, ambassador (102×)H3742 1. cherub, angelic guardian being (91×)H0430 2. gods (pagan deities) (81×)H0426 1. God, the true God (76×)G1140 1. demon, evil spirit (62×)H0433 1. God, the true God (54×)H5945b 1. Most High (30×)G4152 1. spiritual (21×)H0426 2. god(s), pagan deities (20×)H5943 1. [ketiv:Most High] (18×)G1139 1. be demon-possessed (13×)H1712 1. Dagon (13×)G2316 2. god, pagan deity (12×)H0410 3. a god, deity (generic) (9×)H3645 1. Chemosh (9×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὕψιστος, η, ον, superlative without any Posit. in use: (ὕψι, ὑψοῦ):— highest, loftiest, of places, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἐν τοῖς ὑ., i. e. in heaven above, NT __2 of Zeus, highest, Refs 5th c.BC+ from his temple there, LXX+2nd c.BC+ __3 of things, στέφανος, κέρδος, Refs 5th c.BC+