ὑπέρ (cf. English up, over, etc.), Latin super, over, a preposition, which stands before either the genitive or the accusative according as it is used to express the idea of state and rest or of motion over and beyond a place.
I. with the genitive; cf. Winer's Grammar, 382f (358f).
1. properly, of place, i. e. of position, situation, extension: over, above, beyond, across. In this sense it does not occur in the N. T.; but there it always, though joined to other classes of words, has a tropical signification derived from its original meaning.
2. equivalent to Latin pro, for, i. e. for one's safety, for one's advantage or benefit (one who does a thing for another, is conceived of as standing or bending 'over' the one whom he would shield or defend (cf. Winer's Grammar, as above)): προσεύχεσθε ὑπέρ τῶν..., Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28 (T Tr marginal reading WH περί (see 6 below)); Colossians 1:3 L Tr WH marginal reading (see 6 below); (James 5:16 L Tr marginal reading WH text), 9; εὔχομαι, James 5:16 (R G T Tr text WH marginal reading); after δέομαι, Acts 8:24; and nouns denoting prayer, as δέησις, Romans 10:1; 2 Corinthians 1:11; 2 Corinthians 9:14; Philippians 1:4; Ephesians 6:19; προσευχή, Acts 12:5 (here L T Tr WH περί (see 6 below)); Romans 15:30; 1 Timothy 2:1, 2; εἶναι ὑπέρ τίνος (opposed to κατά τίνος), to be for one i. e. to be on one's side, to favor and further one's cause, Mark 9:40; Luke 9:50; Romans 8:31, cf. 2 Corinthians 13:8; τό ὑπέρ τίνος that which is for one's advantage, Philippians 4:10 (but see ἀναθάλλω and φρονέω, at the end); ἐντυγχάνω and ὑπερεντυγχάνω, Romans 8:26 R G, 27,34; Hebrews 7:25, cf. Hebrews 9:24; λέγω, Acts 26:1 R WH text (see 6 below); μερίμνω, 1 Corinthians 12:25; ἀγρύπνω, Hebrews 13:17; ἀγωνίζομαι ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς, Colossians 4:12, cf. Romans 15:30; πρεσβεύω, Ephesians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 5:20; with a substantive: ζῆλος, 2 Corinthians 7:7; (Colossians 4:13 Rec.); πόνος, Colossians 4:13 (G L T Tr WH); σπουδή, 2 Corinthians 7:12; 2 Corinthians 8:16; διάκονος, Colossians 1:7; to offer offerings for, Acts 21:26; to enter the heavenly sanctuary for (used of Christ), Hebrews 6:20; ἀρχειρεα καθίστασθαι, Hebrews 5:1; after the ideas of suffering, dying, giving up life, etc.: Romans 9:3; Romans 16:4; 2 Corinthians 12:15; after τήν ψυχήν τιθέναι (ὑπέρ τίνος), in order to avert ruin, death, etc., from one, John 10:11; John 13:37f; of Christ dying to procure salvation for his own, John 10:15; John 15:13; 1 John 3:16; Christ is said τό αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐκχύνειν, passive, Mark 14:24 L T Tr WH (see 6 below); Luke 22:20 (WH reject the passage); ἀπολέσθαι, John 18:14 Rec.; ἀποθνῄσκειν, John 11:50ff; (John 18:14 L T Tr WH); Acts 21:13; Romans 5:7; of Christ undergoing death for man's salvation, Romans 5:6, 8; Romans 14:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:10 (here T Tr WH text περί (see 6 below); 1 Peter 3:18 L T Tr WH text); γεύεσθαι θανάτου, Hebrews 2:9; σταυρωθῆναι, 1 Corinthians 1:13 (here L text Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading περί (see 6 below)); (of God giving up his Son, Romans 8:32); παραδιδόναι τινα ἑαυτόν, Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:2, 25; διδόναι ἑαυτόν, Titus 2:14; with a predicate accusative added, ἀντίλυτρον, 1 Timothy 2:6; τό σῶμα αὐτοῦ διδόναι, passive, Luke 22:19 (WH reject the passage), cf. 1 Corinthians 11:24; τυθῆναι (θυθῆναι, see θύω, at the beginning), 1 Corinthians 5:7; παθεῖν, 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Peter 3:18 (R G WH marginal reading; 4:1 R G); ἁγιάζειν ἑαυτόν, John 17:19. Since what is done for one's advantage frequently cannot be done without acting in his stead (just as the apostles teach that the death of Christ inures to our salvation because it has the force of an expiatory sacrifice and was suffered in our stead), we easily understand how ὑπέρ, like the Latin pro and our for, comes to signify
3. in the place of, instead of (which is more precisely expressed by ἀντί; hence, the two prepositions are interchanged by Irenaeus, adv. haer. 5, 1, τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι λυτρωσαμένου ἡμᾶς τοῦ κυρίου καί δόντος τήν ψυχήν ὑπέρ τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν καί τήν σάρκα τήν ἑαυτοῦ ἀντί τῶν ἡμετέρων σαρκῶν): ἵνα ὑπέρ σου μοι διακονῇ, Philemon 1:13; ὑπέρ τῶν νεκρῶν βαπτίζεσθαι (see βαπτίζω, at the end), 1 Corinthians 15:29; (add, Colossians 1:7 L text Tr text WH text); in expressions concerning the death of Christ: εἷς ὑπέρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν (for the inference is drawn ἄρα οἱ πάντες ἀπέθανον, i. e. all are reckoned as dead), 2 Corinthians 5:14(15),15; add, 21; Galatians 3:13. (On this debated sense of ὑπέρ, see Meyer and Van Hengel on Romans 5:6; Ellicott on Galatians and Philemon, the passages cited; Wieseler on Galatians 1:4; Trench, Synonyms, § lxxxii.; Winer's Grammar, 383 (358) note.) Since anything, whether of an active or passive character which is undertaken on behalf of a person or thing, is undertaken 'on account of' that person or thing, ὑπέρ is used
4. of the impelling or moving cause; on account of, for the sake of, any person or thing: ὑπέρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζοης, to procure (true) life for mankind, John 6:51; to do or suffer anything ὑπέρ τοῦ ὀνόματος Θεοῦ, Ἰησοῦ, τοῦ κυρίου: Acts 5:41; Acts 9:16; Acts 15:26; Acts 21:13; Romans 1:5; 3 John 1:7; πάσχειν ὑπέρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Philippians 1:29; ὑπέρ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ, 2 Thessalonians 1:5; στενοχωριαι ὑπέρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, 2 Corinthians 12:10 (it is better to connect ὑπέρ etc. here with εὐδοκῶ); ἀποθνῄσκειν ὑπέρ Θεοῦ, Ignatius ad Rom. 4 [ET]. examples with a genitive of the thing are, John 11:4; Romans 15:8; 2 Corinthians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 12:19; ὑπέρ τῆς εὐδοκίας, to satisfy (his) good-pleasure, Philippians 2:13; with a genitive of the person, 2 Corinthians 1:6; Ephesians 3:1, 13; Colossians 1:24; δοξάζειν, εὐχαριστεῖν ὑπέρ τίνος (genitive of the thing), Romans 15:9; 1 Corinthians 10:30; ὑπέρ πάντων, for all favors, Ephesians 5:20; ἐυηξαρίστειν ὑπέρ with a genitive of the person, Romans 1:8 (here L T Tr WH περί (see 6 below)); 2 Corinthians 1:11; Ephesians 1:16; ἀγῶνα ἔχειν ὑπέρ with a genitive of the person Colossians 2:1 L T Tr WH (see 6 below); ὑπέρ (τῶν) ἁμαρτιῶν (or ἀγνοημάτων), to offer sacrifices, Hebrews 5:1, 3 (here L T Tr WH περί (see 6 below)); Heb. 7:27; 9:7; 10:12; ἀποθανεῖν, of Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:3; ἑαυτόν δοῦναι, Galatians 1:4 R WH text (see 6 below).
5. Like the Latin super (cf. Klotz, HWB, d. Latin Spr. ii, p. 1497b; (Harpers' Latin Dict. under the word, II. B. 2 b.)), it frequently refers to the object under consideration, concerning, of, as respects, with regard to ((cf. Buttmann, § 147, 21); examples from secular authors are given in Winer's Grammar, 383 (358f)); so after καυχᾶσθαι, καύχημα, καύχησις (R. V. on behalf of): 2 Corinthians 5:12; 2 Corinthians 7:4, 14; 2 Corinthians 8:24; 2 Corinthians 9:2; 2 Corinthians 12:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:4 (here L T Tr WH εγ- (or εν-) καυχᾶσθαι); φυσιουσθαι, 1 Corinthians 4:6 (others refer this to 4 above; see Meyer edition Heinrici (cf. φυσιόω, 2 at the end)); ἐλπίς, 2 Corinthians 1:7 (6); ἀγνοεῖν, 8 (here L T Tr WH marginal reading περί (see 6 below)); φρονεῖν, Philippians 1:7 (2 Macc. 14:8); ἐρωτᾶν, 2 Thessalonians 2:1; κράζειν, to proclaim concerning, Romans 9:27; (παρακαλεῖν, 1 Thessalonians 3:2 G L T Tr WH (see 6 below)); after εἰπεῖν, John 1:30 L T Tr WH (see 6 below); (so after verbs of saying, writing, etc., 2 Samuel 18:5; 2 Chronicles 31:9; Joel 1:3; Judith 15:4; 1 Esdr. 4:49; 2 Macc. 11:35); εἴτε ὑπέρ Τίτου, whether inquiry be made about Titus, 2 Corinthians 8:23; ὑπέρ τούτου, concerning this, 2 Corinthians 12:8.
6. In the N. T. manuscripts, as in those of secular authors also, the prepositions ὑπέρ and περί are confounded (cf. Winers Grammar, 383 (358) note; § 50, 3; Buttmann, § 147, 21; Kühner, § 435, I. 2 e.; Meisterhans, § 49, 12; also Wieseler or Ellicott on Galatians, as below; Meyer on 1 Corinthians 15:3 (see περί, the passage cited δ.)); this occurs in the following passages: Mark 14:24; (Luke 6:28); John 1:30; Acts 12:5; Acts 26:1; Romans 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 1:8; Galatians 1:4; Colossians 1:3; Colossians 2:1; (1 Thessalonians 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:10); Hebrews 5:3. (For ὑπέρ ἐκ περισσοῦ or ὑπέρ ἐκπερισσοῦ, see ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ.)
II. with the accusative (cf. Winers Grammar, § 49, e.); over, beyond, away over; more than;
1. properly, of the place 'over' or 'beyond' which, as in the Greek writings from Homer down; not thus used in the N. T., where it is always
2. metaphorically, of the measure or degree exceeded (cf. Buttmann, § 147, 21);
a. universally: εἶναι ὑπέρ τινα, to be above i. e. superior to one, Matthew 10:24; Luke 6:40; τό ὄνομα τό ὑπέρ πᾶν ὄνομα namely, ὄν, the name superior to every (other) name, Philippians 2:9; κεφαλήν ὑπέρ πάντα namely, οὖσαν, the supreme head or lord (A. V. head over all things), Ephesians 1:22; ὑπέρ δοῦλον ὄντα, more than a servant, Philemon 1:16; more than (R. V. beyond), Philemon 1:21; ὑπέρ πάντα, above (i. e. more and greater than) all, Ephesians 3:20a; ὑπέρ τήν λαμπρότητα τοῦ ἡλίου, above (i. e. surpassing) the brightness of the sun, Acts 26:13; more (to a greater degree) than, φιλεῖν τινα ὑπέρ τινα, Matthew 10:37 (examples from secular authors are given by Fritzsche at the passage); beyond, 1 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 12:6; ὑπέρ ὁ δύνασθε, beyond what ye are able, beyond your strength, 1 Corinthians 10:13 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 590 (549)); also ὑπέρ δύναμιν, 2 Corinthians 1:8; opposed to κατά δύναμιν (as in Homer, Iliad 3, 59 κατ' Αισαν, ὀυδ' ὑπέρ Αισαν, cf. 6, 487; 17, 321. 327), 2 Corinthians 8:3 (where L T Tr WH παρά δύναμιν).
b. with words implying comparison: προκόπτειν, Galatians 1:14; of the measure beyond which one is reduced, ή῾ττασθαι, 2 Corinthians 12:13 (Winer's Grammar, § 49 e.), (πλεονάζω, 1 Esdr. 8:72; περισσεύω, 1 Macc. 3:30; ὑπερβάλω, Sir. 25:11); after comparatives equivalent to than, Luke 16:8; Hebrews 4:12 (Judges 11:25; 1 Kings 19:4; Sir. 30:17); cf. Winers Grammar, § 35, 2; (Buttmann, § 147, 21).
c. ὑπέρ is used adverbially; as, ὑπέρ ἐγώ (L ὑπερεγώ (cf. Winers Grammar, 46 (45)), WH ὑπέρ ἐγώ (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 14, 2 Note)), much more (or in a much greater degree) I, 2 Corinthians 11:23; cf. Kypke at the passage; Winer's Grammar, 423 (394). (For ὑπέρ λίαν see ὑπερλίαν.)
III. In Composition ὑπέρ denotes
1. over, above, beyond: ὑπεράνω, ὑπερέκεινα, ὑπερεκτείνω.
2. excess of measure, more than: ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ, ὑπερνικάω.
3. aid, for; in defense of: ὑπερεντυγχάνω. Cf. Viger. edition Hermann, p. 668; Fritzsche on Romans, vol. i., p. 351; (Ellicott on Ephesians 3:20).

BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's