ὕψωμα (hupsōma)
hupsōma
height
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun hupsōma literally means "height" or that which is lifted up. In Romans 8:39, Paul uses it to describe the sheer vertical distance between earth and heaven, emphasizing that no gap in space can separate believers from God’s love. Here, the word conveys a physical elevation that underscores the vastness of divine reach.
However, in 2 Corinthians 10:5, the meaning shifts to something constructed rather than natural. Paul speaks of "strongholds" or fortified barriers that people erect in their minds. The sources indicate this usage derives from the idea of a raised structure, like a rampart or bulwark. It represents intellectual or spiritual defenses that oppose the knowledge of God, which Christians are called to dismantle.
This dual usage highlights a key distinction: hupsōma can refer to an abstract measure of distance or a concrete obstacle. While it shares a root with words for exalting, its noun form focuses on the state of being high or the object that stands elevated. Translators often render it as "height" in Romans and "stronghold" or "fortification" in Corinthians to capture this contextual shift from spatial magnitude to defensive structure.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word hupsōma carries a dual meaning that helps us understand both the vastness of God’s love and the barriers we face in our own minds. In Romans 8:39, it refers to literal height or distance, reminding us that no physical gap can separate you from Christ. This offers deep comfort when life feels distant or overwhelming.
Yet in 2 Corinthians 10:5, the same word describes a stronghold—a fortified structure built against knowledge of God. Here, it points to prideful thoughts or defenses we erect in our hearts. The call is not to ignore these barriers but to gently dismantle them, replacing self-reliance with trust in Christ’s truth.
This shift from natural height to human-made obstacle shows how the same word can address both cosmic reality and personal struggle. Whether you feel far from God or trapped by your own thinking, this word invites you to look upward for help and inward for honesty.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- high thing1×
- height1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ὕψωμα2×
Key Verses
-
Romans 8:39
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This occurrence uses hupsōma to denote physical elevation, emphasizing that no spatial distance can break the bond of God's love.
-
II Corinthians 10:5
throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Here the word shifts metaphorically to describe a fortified barrier or stronghold erected by human pride against divine truth.