"to be behind in place or time, to be in the rear; to fall short of, be inferior to, 2 Cor. 11:5; 12:11; to fail of, fail to attain, Heb. 4:1; to be in want of, lack, Lk. 22:35; to be wanting, Mk. 10:21; absol. to be defective, in default, Mt. 19:20; 1 Cor. 12:24; to run short, Jn..."
Definition and meaning
to be behind in place or time, to be in the rear; to fall short of, be inferior to, 2 Cor. 11:5; 12:11; to fail of, fail to attain, Heb. 4:1; to be in want of, lack, Lk. 22:35; to be wanting, Mk. 10:21; absol. to be defective, in default, Mt. 19:20; 1 Cor. 12:24; to run short, Jn. 2:3; mid. to come short of a privilege or standard, to miss, Rom. 3:23; absol. to come short, be below standard, 1 Cor. 1:7; to come short of sufficiency, to be in need, want, Lk. 15:14; 2 Cor. 11:9; Phil. 4:12; Heb. 11:37; to be a loser, suffer detriment, 1 Cor. 8:8; in NT ὑστερεῖν ἀπό, to be backwards with respect to, to slight, Heb. 12:15*
In the original Greek the word is written: ὑστερέω
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
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 hystereo (G5302) across the King James Bible.
The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
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Common questions
Strong's G5302 (hystereo) is a Greek word that means: to be behind in place or time, to be in the rear; to fall short of, be inferior to, 2 Cor. 11:5; 12:11; to fail of, fail to attain, Heb. 4:1; to be in want of, lack, Lk. 22:35; to be wanting, Mk. 10:2... It appears 16 times in the King James Bible.
The word hystereo (G5302) appears 16 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5302 is hystereo, a Greek word defined as: to be behind in place or time, to be in the rear; to fall short of, be inferior to, 2 Cor. 11:5; 12:11; to fail of, fail to attain, Heb. 4:1; to be in. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
hystereo is a Greek word found in the New Testament.