Greek word · G5232
ὑπεραυξάνω
hyperauxanō
to increase
'To grow over and above, to increase beyond measure.' It is built from auxanō (to grow, used of plants, children, crowds, the word of God) and the intensifying prefix hyper-.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament.
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of 2 Thessalonians 1:3
- Range of meaning
'To grow over and above, to increase beyond measure.' It is built from auxanō (to grow, used of plants, children, crowds, the word of God) and the intensifying prefix hyper-.
- Against the English
KJV/WEB 'groweth/grows exceedingly', YLT 'increase greatly', ESV 'growing abundantly', BSB/NIV 'growing more and more', NASB 'greatly enlarged', NLT 'flourishing'. 'More and more' captures the ongoing progress but softens the 'beyond normal' force of hyper-.
- Used elsewhere in the period
This is its only appearance in the New Testament, and it is rare elsewhere. Paul likes hyper- compounds (hyperperisseuō, Rom 5:20; hyperekperissou, 1 Thess 3:10; hyperpleonazō, 1 Tim 1:14) to express overflowing abundance.
Similar words
Where it appears
2 Thessalonians · 1
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2 Thessalonians 1:3 ὑπεραυξάνει is increasing exceedingly
We are obligated to thank God for you all the time, brothers, as is fitting, because your faith is growing more and more, and your love for one another is increasing.
Here: 'Grows beyond measure'. The word appears only here in the New Testament. The prefix hyper- ('over, beyond') intensifies the ordinary word for growing, as with a plant or a child. The present tense shows growth that is still going on.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.