Word Study for G5272 (ὑπόκρισις)

hypókrisis /hoop-ok'-ree-sis/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ὑποκρίνομαι

Meaningacting under a feigned part, i.e. (figuratively) deceit ("hypocrisy")

KJV usagecondemnation, dissimulation, hypocrisy.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of hypókrisis — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word hypókrisis, represented by G5272, refers to the act of acting under a feigned part. It appears 7 times in 7 unique verses in the Bible. Figuratively, it denotes deceit and is translated as "hypocrisy," "dissimulation," or "condemnation," describing a disconnect between one's appearance and inner reality.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G5272 is primarily used to identify and condemn religious pretense. Jesus directly confronts this behavior, warning his disciples to "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" Luke 12:1. He describes the Pharisees as appearing righteous to men but being inwardly "full of hypocrisy and iniquity" Matthew 23:28. The term is also used to describe insincere actions within the church, as when Paul points out that even Barnabas was carried away by the dissimulation of Peter and other Jews Galatians 2:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of hypocrisy and deceit:

G4942 synypokrínomai (dissemble with): This word means "to act hypocritically in concert with" and is used to describe how other Jews followed Peter's lead in the incident at Antioch Galatians 2:13.
G1855 éxōthen (external(-ly)): Defined as "external(-ly)," this term is used to establish the contrast central to hypocrisy, where one might outwardly appear righteous while being corrupt within Matthew 23:28.
G5573 pseudológos (speaking lies): Meaning "mendacious," this term is directly linked to hypocrisy in the context of false teachers who promulgate erroneous doctrine 1 Timothy 4:2.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G5272 is significant, highlighting a condition antithetical to genuine faith.

Appearance versus Reality: Hypocrisy is a state of spiritual contradiction. Jesus condemned those who outwardly appear G5316 righteous G1342 but are inwardly full of hypocrisy G5272 and iniquity G458 Matthew 23:28.
Corrupting Influence: Described as "leaven," hypocrisy is presented as a corrupting agent that can spread and influence others, as seen when Barnabas was "carried away" by it Galatians 2:13.
Seared Conscience: The practice of hypocrisy is linked to a deadened moral compass. It is associated with those who are speaking lies G5573 and have their conscience G4893 seared 1 Timothy 4:2.
Hindrance to Piety: Believers are commanded to lay aside G659 all malice G2549, guile G1388, and hypocrisies G5272 to pursue spiritual purity 1 Peter 2:1.

Summary

In summary, G5272 is not merely a label for pretense but describes a profound spiritual failing. It signifies a dangerous opposition between outward piety and inward corruption. The term is a cornerstone in biblical warnings against insincerity, calling for an integrity where one's inner character and outward actions are unified in truth.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a noun across 7 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Accusative Singular Feminine 2×
Dative Singular Feminine 2×
Accusative Plural Feminine 1×
Genitive Singular Feminine 1×
Nominative Singular Feminine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 7 verses across 7 of the 27 books. 7 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 20.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

Galatians

1 Timothy

James

1 Peter

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.