Greek word · G5236

ὑπερβολή

hyperbolē

surpassing

Literally 'a throwing beyond'. It means excess or surpassing quality. The phrase kath' hyperbolēn means 'exceedingly, beyond measure'.

Appears 8 times in 7 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ὑπερ-βολή, -ῆς, ἡ

(ὑπερβάλλω), [in LXX: καθ᾽ ὑ., 4Ma.3:18 * ;]

a throwing beyond. Metaphorical, excess, superiority, excellence: 2 Corinthians 4:7 12:7; καθ᾽ ὑπερβολήν, beyond measure, exceedingly, Romans 7:13, 1 Corinthians 12:31, 2 Corinthians 1:8, Galatians 1:13; κ. ὑ. εἰς ὑ., beyond all measure, 2 Corinthians 4:17.†

(AS)

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 Corinthians 4:17

Range of meaning

Literally 'a throwing beyond'. It means excess or surpassing quality. The phrase kath' hyperbolēn means 'exceedingly, beyond measure'.

Against the English

BSB, ESV and NASB render it 'beyond (all) comparison', which is smooth but hides the doubled form. KJV 'far more exceeding' and WEB/YLT 'more and more exceedingly' keep more of the piling-up.

Used elsewhere in the period

Paul uses this word family often: 2 Corinthians 1:8; 4:7 ('the surpassing greatness of the power'); 12:7; Romans 7:13; 1 Corinthians 12:31; Galatians 1:13. The doubled form 'kath' hyperbolēn eis hyperbolēn' is not found elsewhere in the New Testament and is Paul's own intensified idiom.

From the study of 2 Corinthians 1:8

Range of meaning

Literally a 'throwing beyond'. It means excess, an extraordinary degree, something surpassing. The idiom καθ᾽ ὑπερβολήν means 'to an extreme degree' or 'beyond measure'.

Against the English

English 'hyperbole' means deliberate exaggeration. The Greek here means the opposite: a real excess, stated plainly. Translations render it 'out of measure' (KJV), 'exceedingly' (WEB, YLT), or 'far beyond' (BSB).

Used elsewhere in the period

The idiom is standard in Greek prose. Paul is fond of the word: Rom 7:13; 1 Cor 12:31 ('a still more excellent way'); Gal 1:13; 2 Cor 4:7; 4:17 (where he even doubles it, 'beyond all measure'); 12:7.

From the study of Galatians 1:13

Range of meaning

An idiom meaning 'to an extraordinary degree, exceedingly, beyond measure'. The noun means 'excess' or 'surpassing quality', literally a 'throwing beyond'.

Against the English

BSB 'severely', NIV 'intensely', ESV 'violently', KJV/WEB 'beyond measure', YLT 'exceedingly'. 'Violently' gives the effect. 'Beyond measure' keeps the idea of exceeding limits, which matches 'beyond many of my contemporaries' and 'extremely zealous' in 1:14.

Used elsewhere in the period

A favourite Pauline idiom: Romans 7:13 ('sin… exceedingly sinful'), 1 Corinthians 12:31 ('a still more excellent way'), 2 Corinthians 1:8 ('utterly burdened'), 2 Corinthians 4:17.

Where it appears

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 7:13 ὑπερβολὴν excess

    Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

1 Corinthians · 1

  1. 1 Corinthians 12:31 ὑπερβολὴν a more surpassing

    But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

    Here: Literally a "throw beyond", the source of English "hyperbole". With kath' it describes a road that goes past every measure.

2 Corinthians · 5

  1. 2 Corinthians 1:8 ὑπερβολὴν excessively

    We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

    Here: 'Beyond all measure.' This is one of Paul's favourite words for something off the scale.

  2. 2 Corinthians 4:7 ὑπερβολὴ surpassingness

    Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.

    Here: Literally a 'throwing beyond': the overshooting of any normal measure. It is a favourite word of Paul's in this letter (1:8; 4:17; 12:7). The power is not merely 'excellent' but far beyond anything the fragile container could produce.

  3. 2 Corinthians 4:17 ὑπερβολὴν ὑπερβολὴν surpassing, excessiveness

    For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.

    Here: Literally 'a throwing beyond' (the source of English 'hyperbole'). Paul used the same phrase in 1:8 for affliction that weighed him down 'beyond measure'. Here he turns it around and uses it for glory.

  4. 2 Corinthians 12:7 ὑπερβολῇ by surpassingness

    or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

    Here: 'Throwing beyond': something off the normal scale. The dative can mean 'because of' or 'in respect of' the surpassing revelations. The same word appears in 4:7, where 'the surpassing power' belongs to God, not to the clay jars.

Galatians · 1

  1. Galatians 1:13 ὑπερβολὴν exceeding measure

    For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.

    Here: Literally a 'throwing beyond' (the source of our word 'hyperbole'). Paul means he went past every normal limit: 'beyond measure', 'with extreme intensity'.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.