What does ὑπόδημα (hypódēma) mean in the Bible?
The Greek noun ὑπόδημα (hypódēma) names a sandal or item of footwear. It is an ordinary object word whose theological significance comes from what people do with footwear in a particular scene.
Greek · G5266
ὑπόδημα
Sandal
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ὑπόδημαG5266
Pronunciationhypódēma
What does ὑπόδημα (hypódēma) mean in the Bible?
The Greek noun ὑπόδημα (hypódēma) names a sandal or item of footwear. It is an ordinary object word whose theological significance comes from what people do with footwear in a particular scene.
Reader summary
Full entry for ὑπόδημα (G5266) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G5266?
The BSB source-word alignment has 10 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include sandals (10).
Where does ὑπόδημα (hypódēma) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 3:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (4), Acts (2), Matthew (2), John (1).
Are there verse guides for ὑπόδημα (hypódēma)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
The Greek noun ὑπόδημα (hypódēma) names a sandal or item of footwear. It is an ordinary object word whose theological significance comes from what people do with footwear in a particular scene. In Acts 7:33, God tells Moses to remove the sandals from his feet because the place where he stands is holy ground. The holiness belongs to God's presence and summons, not to the leather, bare feet, or removal as an independent technique.
Matthew 3:11 records John's admission that carrying the sandals of the mightier One exceeds his worthiness, using a familiar lowly task to magnify the Messiah's superiority. The noun does not make servitude or subjection its permanent lexical meaning. Matthew 10:10 includes sandals among travel provisions in Jesus' instructions to the Twelve, while Luke 22:35 recalls an earlier mission in which they lacked nothing despite going without a money bag, bag, or sandals.
Those instructions belong to their narrative and mission settings and should not be turned into a demand for unsafe deprivation. Luke 15:22 places sandals on the returned son's feet as part of the father's urgent welcome alongside the best robe, a ring, food, and celebration. The scene supports restored reception and household belonging, but footwear itself is neither a sacrament nor an automatic symbol in every passage.
G5266 therefore helps teachers speak accurately about holy ground, messianic worth, mission dependence, provision, and welcome while keeping a sandal a sandal. It does not occur in John 13's foot-washing account and cannot by itself establish a foot-washing ordinance, barefoot spirituality, contempt for protective footwear, or submission to a human authority.
source_lexicongrammaticalPassage contextBook contextCanonical parallelPastoral application
How the Bible Uses It
The ten direct New Testament occurrences of G5266 cluster around Moses at holy ground, John's witness to the stronger coming one, Jesus' mission instructions, and the father's welcome of the returned son. Sandals may be removed at God's command, carried or untied as a lowly task, omitted from a specific missionary provision list, recalled when evaluating God's care, or supplied in a scene of restoration.
These actions share an ordinary object but not one fixed symbolism. Context determines whether the passage emphasizes holiness, comparative worth, dependence, provision, or welcome.
- Acts.7.33
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
God commands Moses to remove the sandals from his feet because the place is holy ground within God's call to deliver an oppressed people.
- Matt.3.11
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
John declares himself unworthy to carry the coming Messiah's sandals, contrasting his baptism with the greater one's authority and work.
- Matt.10.10
Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.
Jesus includes sandals in a list of provisions the Twelve should not acquire for that mission, while affirming that the worker deserves support.
- Luke.15.22
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
The father orders sandals placed on the returned son's feet together with the best robe and a ring as the household celebrates his return.
- Luke.22.35
Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.
Jesus asks the disciples whether they lacked anything during the earlier mission without purse, bag, or sandals, and they answer that they lacked nothing.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itsandals10×Matthew 3:11, Matthew 10:10, Mark 1:7, Luke 3:16
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 3:11ὑποδήματαtosandalsNoun - Accusative Neuter PluralMatthew 10:10ὑποδήματαtosandalsNoun - Accusative Neuter PluralMark 1:7ὑποδημάτωνtosandalsNoun - Genitive Neuter PluralLuke 3:16ὑποδημάτωνtosandalsNoun - Genitive Neuter PluralLuke 10:4ὑποδήματαtosandalsNoun - Accusative Neuter PluralLuke 15:22ὑποδήματαtosandalsNoun - Accusative Neuter PluralLuke 22:35ὑποδημάτωνtosandalsNoun - Genitive Neuter PluralJohn 1:27ὑποδήματοςtosandalsNoun - Genitive Neuter SingularActs 7:33ὑπόδημαtosandalsNoun - Accusative Neuter SingularActs 13:25ὑπόδημαtosandalsNoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 3:11
Aligned rows10
Books represented5
Matthew2Mark1Luke4John1Acts2
Source forms
ὑποδήματα4xhypodēmataMatthew 3:11, Matthew 10:10, Luke 10:4, Luke 15:22
ὑποδημάτων3xhypodēmatōnMark 1:7, Luke 3:16, Luke 22:35
ὑπόδημα2xhypodēmaActs 7:33, Acts 13:25
ὑποδήματος1xhypodēmatosJohn 1:27
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural4xMatthew 3:11, Matthew 10:10, Luke 10:4, Luke 15:22
Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural3xMark 1:7, Luke 3:16, Luke 22:35
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular2xActs 7:33, Acts 13:25
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular1xJohn 1:27
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Respect disability, injury, sanitation, weather, occupation, and cultural context before asking anyone to remove footwear or walk without protection.
- Do not pressure people into poverty, dependence, unpaid labor, or bodily risk by appealing to John's sandal saying or Jesus' mission instructions.
- If a community practices shoe removal or foot washing, require informed consent, accessible alternatives, appropriate hygiene, and freedom from public shame.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G5266 always symbolizes servitude or subjection; most of its force comes from the action and narrative surrounding an ordinary sandal.
- Do not claim that Luke 15's sandals are a sacrament, an independent guarantee of sonship, or a mandatory restoration ritual.
- Do not claim that disciples must reject appropriate footwear or material provision in every mission context to obey Jesus faithfully.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Footwear bound beneath the foot; symbolizes menial servitude in biblical contexts of humility and subjection.
Source Gloss
sandal
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Footwear bound beneath the foot; symbolizes menial servitude in biblical contexts of humility and subjection.
(ὑποδέω), [in LXX for נָעַל ;] a sole bound under the foot, a sandal: Mat.3:11 10:10, Mrk.1:7, Luk.3:16 10:4 15:22 22:35, Jhn.1:27; τ. ποδῶν, Act.7:33 (LXX) Act.13:25.
Synonymsσανδάλιον, q.v
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
10 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 3:11Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ὑποδήματαupodhmata
a sandal
Read verseMatthew 10:10Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ὑποδήματα,upodhmata
a sandal
Read verseMark 1:7Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
ὑποδημάτωνupodhmatwn
a sandal
Read verseLuke 3:16Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
ὑποδημάτωνupodhmatwn
a sandal
Read verseLuke 10:4Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ὑποδήματα·upodhmata
a sandal
Read verseLuke 15:22Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ὑποδήματαupodhmata
a sandal
Read verseLuke 22:35Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
ὑποδημάτων,upodhmatwn
a sandal
Read verseupodhmatov
a sandal
Read verseActs 7:33Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
ὑπόδημαupodhma
a sandal
Read verseActs 13:25Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
ὑπόδημαupodhma
a sandal
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 4 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns4Aligned forms10Case patternAccusative (6)Number patternPlural (7)
Genitive · Plural · NeuterMark 1:7 · Luke 3:16 · Luke 22:353×
Accusative · Plural · NeuterMatt 3:11 · Matt 10:10 · Luke 10:4 · Luke 15:224×
Accusative · Singular · NeuterActs 7:33 · Acts 13:252×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Symbol of restoration and honored status in the prodigal son parable
Showing 1 selected witness from 10 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ὑπόδημα is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Luke 15:22 gives G5266 a warm pastoral setting without turning the object into a free-standing code. When the lost son returns, the father runs to him, embraces him, and orders servants to bring the best robe, put a ring on his hand, place sandals on his feet, and prepare a feast. The cluster of actions communicates urgent welcome, restored reception, and public joy.
The sandal contributes to that whole scene as a concrete provision for the son's body and place in the household. The passage does not say that footwear automatically creates sonship, functions as a sacrament, or bears the same symbolic force everywhere else. That restraint matters because Acts 7:33 requires sandals to be removed on holy ground, while Matthew 10:10 lists sandals among supplies not to be acquired for a particular mission.
If the object carried one permanent spiritual meaning, these differing actions would become contradictory. Instead, the contexts are complementary: God may command reverent removal, the Messiah's superiority may be expressed through John's relation to a lowly footwear task, disciples may learn dependence in a bounded mission, and a father may supply sandals as part of generous welcome.
Faithful teaching follows those verbs and scenes. It also protects people from applications that glorify unsafe barefoot practice, enforced poverty, or humiliating service. The gospel's welcome is not earned by surrendering bodily safety to a leader, and the mission texts do not authorize neglect of responsible provision.
Anchor passage
Luke.15.22
Doctrinal connections
- Acts 7:30-34 recalls Moses removing his sandals on holy ground as God reveals himself, sees Israel's oppression, hears their groaning, and sends deliverance.
- Matthew 3:11 uses John's unworthiness regarding the coming one's sandals to magnify Jesus, who is stronger and whose baptism surpasses John's.
- Matthew 10:5-15 places the sandal instruction within a bounded mission to Israel that joins dependence, freely given ministry, hospitality, and accountability for reception.
- Luke 15:11-24 includes sandals within the father's compassionate and public welcome of the returned son, together with embrace, robe, ring, feast, and joy.
- Luke 22:35-38 recalls the disciples' earlier lack of need and then changes the travel instructions as the passion approaches, warning against flattening one mission setting into a timeless austerity rule.
- John 13's foot washing and Ephesians 6's readiness imagery use other Greek vocabulary, so their themes may illuminate discipleship without redefining G5266 in every occurrence.
G5266 is a neuter Greek noun for a sandal or footwear, appearing in singular and plural case forms according to its role in the sentence. Its derivational relationship to language about binding something under the foot may help explain the object, but etymology does not supply a permanent theology of humility or subjection. Verbs such as remove, carry, put on, or lack establish the action and meaning of each scene.
From Old to New Testament
Acts 7:33 explicitly retells the holy-ground summons of Exodus 3, linking Moses' removed sandals to God's self-revelation and concern for an oppressed people. Other canonical scenes of feet, footwear, readiness, and humble service can provide thematic comparison, but they may use different Hebrew or Greek lexemes. Such connections should illuminate rather than erase the exact word and action in each passage.