Lexical Summary hupolimpanó: To leave behind, to bequeath Original Word: ὑπολιμπανω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance leave. A prolonged form for hupoleipo; to leave behind, i.e. Bequeath -- leave. see GREEK hupoleipo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina collateral form of hupoleipó Definition to leave behind NASB Translation leaving (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5277: ὑπολιμπάνωὑπολιμπάνω; (λιμπάνω, less common form of the verb λείπω); to leave, leave behind: 1 Peter 2:21. (Themistius; ecclesiastical and Byzantine writings; to fail, Dionysius Halicarnassus 1, 23.) Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Greek 5277 (ὑπολιμπάνω) denotes the intentional act of “leaving behind” something for the benefit of those who come later. In the New Testament it appears once, at 1 Peter 2:21, where Peter affirms that Jesus Christ consciously left behind an “example” to shape the life and conduct of His redeemed people. Though rare in Scripture, the term concentrates rich themes of legacy, imitation, and persevering discipleship. Scriptural Occurrence: 1 Peter 2:21 “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps.” (Berean Standard Bible) Peter addresses believers enduring unjust treatment. By the Spirit he anchors their endurance not in mere resolve, but in the cruciform pattern Christ “left behind.” The verb is aorist active participle, highlighting a definitive, completed action: at Calvary the pattern was decisively set for all time. Christ’s Deliberate Legacy of Suffering 1. Voluntary: Jesus did not merely happen to suffer; He “left” His sufferings as an instructional legacy. Call to Imitation and Discipleship The imagery of footprints evokes the rabbinic picture of a disciple walking so closely behind the master that dust from the teacher’s sandals covers him. Peter therefore connects ὑπολιμπάνω with: Relation to Other ‘Example’ Vocabulary While ὑπολιμπάνω focuses on the act of depositing the pattern, ὑπόδειγμα (hypodeigma, “example,” Hebrews 8:5) and τύπος (typos, “pattern,” Titus 2:7) describe the pattern itself. Together they form a biblical theology of imitation: Christ leaves (5277), the pattern is displayed (5262), and believers conform to it (5179). Old Testament Echoes The righteous sufferer motif—Job, Jeremiah, the Servant of Isaiah—anticipates the Messiah who leaves behind a model of fidelity amid oppression (Isaiah 53; Psalm 22). Peter weaves these strands into the Christian vocation: “But if you suffer for doing good and endure, this is commendable before God.” (1 Peter 2:20) Historical and Patristic Reflection Early church fathers seized on 1 Peter 2:21 to encourage martyrdom fidelity. Ignatius exhorted Roman believers, “Let me imitate the passion of my God.” Polycarp, at the stake, prayed to follow “in the footsteps of the Lord.” Later, Athanasius argued that imitation of Christ’s humility and endurance was the surest evidence of genuine faith, grounding ascetic practice in the exemplar Christ left. Pastoral and Practical Applications 1. Perseverance under Unjust Suffering: Believers see their trials as participation in Christ’s path, not as divine abandonment (Romans 8:17). Contemporary Ministry Significance In an era that prizes autonomy, ὑπολιμπάνω challenges the church to cherish and transmit a received pattern rather than invent new norms. Suffering borne according to Christ’s example remains a potent apologetic. Church leaders cultivate holiness not by innovation but by faithfully stepping where Christ stepped and beckoning others to follow (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7). Summary Strong’s 5277 spotlights Jesus Christ as the supreme Pattern-Giver. His purposeful bequest of an example through suffering binds together theology and ethics, doctrine and discipleship. Treasuring that legacy and tracing those footprints, the church advances in holiness, endurance, and witness until faith becomes sight. Forms and Transliterations υπελύετο υπελύσατο υπολιμπανων ὑπολιμπάνων υπόλοιπον υπολυθέντος υπόλυσαι υπολύσει υπόλυσις hypolimpanon hypolimpanōn hypolimpánon hypolimpánōn upolimpanon upolimpanōnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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