"to subserve, Acts 13:36; to relieve, supply, Acts 20:34; to render kind offices, Acts 24:23*"
Definition and meaning
to subserve, Acts 13:36; to relieve, supply, Acts 20:34; to render kind offices, Acts 24:23*
In the original Greek the word is written: ὑπηρετέω
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of hypereteo (G5256) across the King James Bible.
For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.
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Common questions
Strong's G5256 (hypereteo) is a Greek word that means: to subserve, Acts 13:36; to relieve, supply, Acts 20:34; to render kind offices, Acts 24:23* It appears 3 times in the King James Bible.
The word hypereteo (G5256) appears 3 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5256 is hypereteo, a Greek word defined as: to subserve, Acts 13:36; to relieve, supply, Acts 20:34; to render kind offices, Acts 24:23*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
hypereteo is a Greek word found in the New Testament.