What does ὑποστρέφω (hypostréphō) mean in the Bible?
Hypostrephō means to return or turn back to a prior place, state, or course. Mary returns home after visiting Elizabeth.
Greek · G5290
ὑποστρέφω
To return
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ὑποστρέφω G5290
Pronunciation hypostréphō
What does ὑποστρέφω (hypostréphō) mean in the Bible?
Hypostrephō means to return or turn back to a prior place, state, or course. Mary returns home after visiting Elizabeth.
Reader summary
Full entry for ὑποστρέφω (G5290) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G5290?
The BSB source-word alignment has 35 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include returned (10), they returned (6), [and] returned (2), Return (2), to return (2).
Where does ὑποστρέφω (hypostréphō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 1:56. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (21), Acts (11), 2 Peter (1), Galatians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Hypostrephō means to return or turn back to a prior place, state, or course. Mary returns home after visiting Elizabeth. Jesus sends the delivered Gerasene man back to his household to declare what God has done. The women return from Jesus' burial and prepare spices while honoring the Sabbath. Paul cites God's promise that Christ will never return to decay after resurrection.
Second Peter warns that abandoning the known way of righteousness would be a ruinous turning back. The verb itself does not make return either restoration or apostasy. Some returning fulfills ordinary responsibility, some becomes witness, some honors grief and worship, and some is precisely what resurrection has defeated or disciples must refuse.
How the Bible Uses It
Hypostrephō describes return with sharply different meanings: Mary goes home, a restored man goes back as a witness, women return from burial, the risen Christ never returns to corruption, and apostates turn back from righteousness. Destination and changed condition govern the significance.
- Luke.1.56
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Luke 1:56 says Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home. The simple travel notice closes a season of shared joy and prepares the narrative for John's birth.
- Luke.8.39
“Return home and describe how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and proclaimed all over the town how much Jesus had done for him.
Luke 8:39 commands the delivered man to return home and recount what God has done. Jesus redirects his desire to travel with Him into local witness, and Luke reports him proclaiming what Jesus had done.
- Luke.23.56
Then they returned to prepare spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.
Luke 23:56 says the women returned and prepared spices and perfumes, then rested on the Sabbath. Their action combines grief, devoted intention, and obedience before the resurrection overturns their expectation.
- Acts.13.34
In fact, God raised Him from the dead, never to see decay. As He has said: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’
Acts 13:34 says God raised Jesus from the dead never to return to decay. Paul uses Isaiah's holy and sure blessings to proclaim the permanence of resurrection.
- 2Pet.2.21
It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them.
Second Peter 2:21 warns that knowing the way of righteousness and turning back from the holy command is worse than never knowing it. The return is culpable repudiation, not an ordinary season of doubt.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It returned 10× Luke 1:56, Luke 2:20, Luke 4:1, Luke 4:14
they returned 6× Luke 2:45, Luke 23:56, Acts 1:12, Acts 8:25
[and] returned 2× Luke 24:33, Luke 24:52
Return 2× Luke 8:39, Luke 19:12
to return 2× Luke 17:18, Acts 13:13
. . . 1× Acts 13:34
[and] started back 1× Luke 8:37
[Then] they returned 1× Acts 14:21
and then to turn away 1× 2 Peter 2:21
had returned 1× Acts 22:17
he came back 1× Luke 17:15
I will return 1× Luke 11:24
on his return 1× Acts 8:28
returning 1× Hebrews 7:1
they returned [home] 1× Luke 23:48
to go back 1× Acts 20:3
were returning [home] 1× Luke 2:43
when they returned 1× Luke 24:9
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 1:56 ὑπέστρεψεν to returned Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 2:20 ὑπέστρεψαν to returned Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Luke 2:43 ὑποστρέφειν to were returning [home] Verb - Present Infinitive Active Luke 2:45 ὑπέστρεψαν to they returned Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Luke 4:1 ὑπέστρεψεν to returned Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 4:14 ὑπέστρεψεν to returned Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 7:10 ὑποστρέψαντες to returned Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural Luke 8:37 ὑπέστρεψεν to [and] started back Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 8:39 Ὑπόστρεφε to Return Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular Luke 8:40 ὑποστρέφειν to returned Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Luke 1:56
Aligned rows 35
Books represented 5
Luke 21 Acts 11 Galatians 1 Hebrews 1 2 Peter 1
Source forms
ὑπέστρεψαν 9x hypestrepsan Luke 2:20, Luke 2:45, Luke 24:33, Luke 24:52
ὑπέστρεψεν 6x hypestrepsen Luke 1:56, Luke 4:1, Luke 4:14, Luke 8:37
ὑποστρέφειν 4x hypostrephein Luke 2:43, Luke 8:40, Acts 13:34, Acts 20:3
ὑποστρέψαντες 3x hypostrepsantes Luke 7:10, Luke 9:10, Luke 17:18
ὑπέστρεφον 2x hypestrephon Luke 23:48, Acts 8:25
ὑποστρέψαι 2x hypostrepsai Luke 19:12, 2 Peter 2:21
ὑποστρέψασαι 2x hypostrepsasai Luke 23:56, Luke 24:9
ὑπέστρεψα 1x hypestrepsa Galatians 1:17
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 10x Luke 2:20, Luke 2:45, Luke 10:17, Luke 24:33
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 6x Luke 1:56, Luke 4:1, Luke 4:14, Luke 8:37
Verb - Present Infinitive Active 4x Luke 2:43, Luke 8:40, Acts 13:34, Acts 20:3
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural 3x Luke 7:10, Luke 9:10, Luke 17:18
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active 2x Luke 19:12, 2 Peter 2:21
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Plural 2x Luke 23:56, Luke 24:9
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 2x Luke 23:48, Acts 8:25
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 1x Galatians 1:17
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not treat returning to home or ordinary responsibility as spiritual failure.
- Do not label every season of doubt, weakness, or struggle as the deliberate apostasy described in 2 Peter 2.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not treat returning to home or ordinary responsibility as spiritual failure.
- Do not label every season of doubt, weakness, or struggle as the deliberate apostasy described in 2 Peter 2.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. to return
Strong's G5290
Lexical occurrences 35 verses Greek text appearances 35 times 16 shown below Word forms 4 forms 35 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
to return
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 35 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Mark 14:40 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ὑποστρέψας upostreyav
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 1:56 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ὑπέστρεψεν upestreyen
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 2:39 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ὑπέστρεψαν upestreyan
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 2:43 Verb Present Active Infinitive
ὑποστρέφειν upostrefein
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 2:45 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ὑπέστρεψαν upestreyan
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 4:1 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ὑπέστρεψεν upestreyen
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 4:14 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ὑπέστρεψεν upestreyen
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 7:10 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
ὑποστρέψαντες upostreyantev
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 8:37 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ὑπέστρεψεν. upestreyen
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 8:39 Verb Second Person Singular Present Active Imperative
Ὑπόστρεφε upostrefe
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 8:40 Verb Aorist Active Infinitive
ὑποστρέψαι upostreyai
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 9:10 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
ὑποστρέψαντες upostreyantev
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 10:17 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
Ὑπέστρεψαν upestreyan
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 11:24 Verb First Person Singular Future Active Indicative
Ὑποστρέψω upostreyw
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 17:15 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ὑπέστρεψε, upestreyen
I turn back, return
Read verse Luke 17:18 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
ὑποστρέψαντες upostreyantev
I turn back, return
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 mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 4 Aligned forms 35 Tenses Aorist, Present, Imperfect, Future Voices Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 20×
Aorist Active Luke 2:20 · Luke 2:45 · Luke 10:17 · Luke 24:33 · Luke 24:52 · Acts 1:12 · Acts 12:25 · Acts 14:21 · Acts 21:6 · Acts 23:32 · Luke 1:56 · Luke 4:1 · Luke 4:14 · Luke 8:37 · Luke 17:15 · Acts 13:13 17×
Imperfect Active Luke 23:48 · Acts 8:25 2×
Future Active Luke 11:24 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 6×
Present Active Luke 2:43 · Luke 8:40 · Acts 13:34 · Acts 20:3 4×
Aorist Active Luke 19:12 · 2 Pet 2:21 2×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 8×
Aorist Active Luke 7:10 · Luke 9:10 · Luke 17:18 · Luke 23:56 · Luke 24:9 · Acts 22:17 6×
Present Active Acts 8:28 · Heb 7:1 2×
Imperative command or strong request 1×
Present Active Luke 8:39 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 34 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 25 present 6 imperfect 2 future 1
Voice
active 34
Mood
indicative 20 participle 7 infinitive 6 imperative 1
NT Occurrences
Luke 1:56 ὑπέστρεψεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 2:20 ὑπέστρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 2:43 ὑποστρέφειν present active infinitive infinitive Luke 2:45 ὑπέστρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 4:1 ὑπέστρεψεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 4:14 ὑπέστρεψεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 7:10 ὑποστρέψαντες aorist active participle participle Luke 8:37 ὑπέστρεψεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 8:39 Ὑπόστρεφε present active imperative imperative Luke 8:40 ὑποστρέφειν present active infinitive infinitive Luke 9:10 ὑποστρέψαντες aorist active participle participle Luke 10:17 Ὑπέστρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 11:24 Ὑποστρέψω future active indicative prospective Luke 17:15 ὑπέστρεψεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 17:18 ὑποστρέψαντες aorist active participle participle Luke 19:12 ὑποστρέψαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Luke 23:48 ὑπέστρεφον imperfect active indicative background Luke 23:56 ὑποστρέψασαι aorist active participle participle Luke 24:33 ὑπέστρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 24:52 ὑπέστρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 24:9 ὑποστρέψασαι aorist active participle participle Acts 1:12 ὑπέστρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 8:25 ὑπέστρεφον imperfect active indicative background Acts 12:25 ὑπέστρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 13:13 ὑπέστρεψεν aorist active indicative completed Acts 13:34 ὑποστρέφειν present active infinitive infinitive Acts 14:21 ὑπέστρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 20:3 ὑποστρέφειν present active infinitive infinitive Acts 21:6 ὑπέστρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 22:17 ὑποστρέψαντι aorist active participle participle Acts 23:32 ὑπέστρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Galatians 1:17 ὑπέστρεψα aorist active indicative completed Hebrews 7:1 ὑποστρέφοντι present active participle participle 2 Peter 2:21 ὑποστρέψαι aorist active infinitive infinitive
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
For the Preacher and Teacher
Hypostrephō asks what it means to go back after an encounter, loss, or decisive act of God. Mary returns home after receiving promise and sharing fellowship. The delivered man returns to the community that knew his bondage, now bearing testimony to mercy. The women return from the tomb still grieving, preparing an act of devotion they will not need to complete because resurrection is near.
Paul announces the return that cannot happen: the risen Christ will never go back to decay. Second Peter names the dreadful opposite, a knowing repudiation of the righteous way. Pastoral teaching should honor ordinary returns and local callings, encourage truthful witness where God has shown mercy, and ground perseverance in Christ's irreversible life. It should distinguish deliberate apostasy from weakness, questions, or a believer's need for patient restoration.
Anchor passage
Acts.13.34
Doctrinal connections
- Vocation: returning home can become a genuine sphere of witness rather than a lesser calling.
- Testimony: the delivered man declares God's mercy in the community that knew his former condition.
- Sabbath and devotion: the women combine active love with commanded rest amid grief.
- Resurrection: Jesus is raised permanently and will never return to corruption.
- Covenant promise: Paul reads Isaiah's sure blessings as fulfilled in the risen Davidic Son.
- Apostasy and perseverance: deliberate return from known righteousness receives severe warning.
Hypostrephō combines hypo with strephō and commonly means to turn back or return. The prefix should not be allegorized; the verb's destination or prior condition normally supplies the sense.
From Old to New Testament
Return language pervades exile and restoration, repentance, and homecoming in the Old Testament. The New Testament adds the decisive non-return of Christ to decay and calls His people not to turn back from the way they have known.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain