Lexical Summary huperperisseuó: To abound exceedingly, to overflow, to be in great excess. Original Word: ὑπερπερισσεύω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance exceeding, abound much moreFrom huper and perisseuo; to super-abound -- abound much more, exceeding. see GREEK huper see GREEK perisseuo HELPS Word-studies 5248 hyperperisseúō (from 5228 /hypér, "beyond" and 4052 /perisseúō, "abundantly, exceeding") – properly, beyond what already exceeds," i.e. ultra (super) abounds. See 5249 (hyperperissōs). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom huper and perisseuó Definition to abound more exceedingly NASB Translation abounded all (1), abounded all the more (1), overflowing (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5248: ὑπερπερισσεύωὑπερπερισσεύω: 1 aorist ὑπερεπερίσσευσα; present passive ὑπερπερισσεύομαι; (Vulg.superabundo); to abound beyond measure, abound exceedingly: Romans 5:20; passive (see περισσεύω, 2), to overflow, to enjoy abundantly: with a dative of the thing, 2 Corinthians 7:4. (Moschion de passage mulier., p. 6, Dewez edition; Byzantine writings.) Topical Lexicon Overview of the Word’s Force and Imagery Strong’s Greek 5248 expresses an idea of surpassing or overflowing abundance. It is not mere plenty but abundance stacked upon abundance—an excess that eclipses every measure placed beside it. The word’s two New Testament appearances both belong to Paul and both underscore how God’s work rises well above human limitation, whether that limitation is sin or suffering. Romans 5:20 – Super-Abounding Grace “The Law came in so that the trespass would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20). Paul sets the Law’s diagnostic purpose (“so that the trespass would increase”) against the gospel’s remedial power. Sin’s multiplication serves only to magnify grace’s superiority: what is counted cannot out-count what is given. The verb signals that God’s grace does not simply match sin step for step; it overtakes and overwhelms it. The verse therefore becomes a cornerstone text for the doctrines of justification and assurance, grounding believers in the certainty that no depth of transgression can exhaust divine mercy. 2 Corinthians 7:4 – Overflowing Joy in Affliction “I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles, my joy overflows” (2 Corinthians 7:4). Here Paul moves from theology to pastoral experience. Confronted by external pressures and internal church conflicts, he testifies that his joy does not merely survive hardship—it super-abounds in it. The same term used for grace’s triumph in Romans is applied to the apostle’s emotional life, showing continuity between divine provision and human response: the God who gives overflowing grace also grants overflowing joy to His servants. Intertextual Echoes 1. Old Testament river imagery (Psalms 46:4; Ezekiel 47:1-12) prefigures the idea of a life-giving flood that cannot be contained. Historical Context In first-century Greco-Roman rhetoric, lavish intensifiers underscored a speaker’s confidence. Paul appropriates that style yet anchors it in revelation rather than human achievement. These two letters were written from different locations and circumstances, but both use 5248 to steady believers—Roman Christians facing moral chaos and Corinthian believers grappling with relational turmoil. Theological Significance • Soteriology: Sin’s spread is real, but grace’s spread is super-real—an argument for the security of salvation (Romans 8:31-39). Implications for Ministry 1. Preaching: Present the gospel as extravagantly sufficient, able to cover every category of sin. Practical Application • Confession becomes an entry point to experience grace’s surplus. Summary Strong’s 5248 captures the gospel’s keynote of excess—grace that outruns sin and joy that outruns sorrow. In both doctrinal exposition and pastoral encouragement, Paul wields the term to lift Christian eyes from the measurable to the immeasurable, from the finite to the super-abundant provision of God in Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations υπερεπερισσευσεν υπερεπερίσσευσεν ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν υπερπερισσευομαι υπερπερισσεύομαι ὑπερπερισσεύομαι hypereperisseusen hypereperísseusen hyperperisseuomai hyperperisseúomai upereperisseusen uperperisseuomaiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Romans 5:20 V-AIA-3SGRK: ἡ ἁμαρτία ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις NAS: grace abounded all the more, KJV: abounded, grace did much more abound: INT: sin overabounded grace 2 Corinthians 7:4 V-PIM-1S Strong's Greek 5248 |
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