- ὕψιστος
- ὕψιστος, η, ον (Pind., Aeschyl.+; loanw. in rabb.) superl. of the adv. ὕψι; no positive in use① pert. to being the highest in a spatial sense, highest (Diog. L. 8, 31 ὁ ὕψιστος τόπος, acc. to Pythagoras, is the place to which Hermes conducts pure souls) τὰ ὕψιστα the highest heights=heaven (Job 16:19; Ps 148:1; PsSol 18:10; JosAs 22:9=מְרוֹמִים; cp. 1QM 14, 14; 17, 8) ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις grant salvation, (thou who art) in the highest heaven Mt 21:9; Mk 11:10 (Goodsp., Probs. 34f). δόξα ἐν ὑψ. Lk 2:14 (opp. ἐπὶ γῆς); 19:38 (w. ἐν οὐρανῷ, which means the same). ὁ ὕψιστος ἐν ὑψίστοις the Most High in the highest (heaven) 1 Cl 59:3 (cp. Is 57:15).② pert. to being the highest in status, ὁ ὕψιστος the Most High of God, distinguished from lesser deities and other objects of cultic devotion (Ζεὺς ὕψιστος: Pind., N. 1, 60 [90]; 11, 2; Aeschyl., Eum. 28; CIG 498; 503; 1869 al.; Aristonous, in Coll. Alex. 1, 7 p. 163 [ACook, Zeus I/2, 1925, 876–89; CRoberts, TSkeat and ANock, The Gild of Zeus Hypsistos: HTR 29, ’36, 39–88, Gk. text of Sb 7835 cited in this article was not reprinted in Nock, Essays: s. New Docs 1, 28]. θεὸς ὕψιστος: ins fr. Cyprus in BCH 20, 1896 p. 361; Sb 589 [II B.C.]; 1323, 1 [II A.D.]; OGI 378, 1 [I A.D.] θεῷ ἁγίω ὑψίστῳ; 755, 1f τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου [θεοῦ ὑψί]στου σωτῆρος; 756, 3–4 τοῦ ἁγιατάτου θεοῦ ὑψίστου: PGM 4, 1068 ἱερὸν φῶς τοῦ ὑψίστου θεοῦ; 5, 46; 12, 63; 71; New Docs 1, 25 no. 5. Isis as ὑψ. θεός: IAndrosIsis [Kyrene] 7 p. 129 Peek. Also simply Ὕψιστος CIG 499; 502. Other ins and pap New Docs 1, 25–28. On the syncretistic communities of the σεβόμενοι θεὸν ὕψιστον cp. ESchürer, SBBerlAk 1897, 200–225, History III 169; FCumont, Hypsistos: Suppl. à la Rev. de l’instruction publique en Belgique 1897, Pauly-W. s.v. Hypsistos; Kl. Pauly II 129f; APlassart, Mélanges Holleaux 1913, 201ff; Clemen2 58–60. Whether Israelite influence is present cannot be established, for the use of ὕψιστος pervades Gr-Rom. texts [s. lit. cited above and Nock, Essays I 414–43; s. also New Docs 1, 25–29], but ‘God Most High’ certainly has a firm place in Israelite experience, and OT usage [LXX] would account for its use in the NT, coupled w. semantic opportunity provided by polytheistic formulation. Examples of usage across cultural lines include: OGI 96, 5–7 [III/II B.C.]; APF 5, 1913, p. 163 [29 B.C.] θεῷ μεγάλῳ μεγάλῳ ὑψίστω; En, TestAbr, Test12Patr, JosAs; ApcEsdr1, 2 p. 24, 5 Tdf.; ApcZeph; Philo, In Flacc. 46, Ad Gai. 278; 317; Jos., Ant. 16, 163; Ar. 15, 1; Just., D. 32, 3; 124, 1; the Jewish prayers for vengeance fr. Rheneia [Dssm., LO 352ff=LAE 416; SIG 1181, 1f]; CIJ I, 690, 727–30; SibOr 3, 519; 719; Ezek. Trag. 239 [in Eus., PE 9, 29, 14]; Philo Epicus: 729 Fgm. 3, 2 Jac. [Eus., PE 9, 24]; ὁ μέγας καὶ ὕψ. θεός Hippol., Ref. 9, 15, 1; ANock, CRoberts, TSkeat, HTR 29, 36, 39–88). ὁ θεὸς ὁ ὕψ. (cp. Theoph. Ant. 2, 3 [p. 100, 1]) Mk 5:7; Lk 8:28; Ac 16:17; Hb 7:1 (Gen 14:18). τὸν ὕψ. θεόν GJs 24:1. ὁ ὕψ. (TestAbr A 9 p. 87, 10 [Stone p. 22]; oft. Test12Patr; JosAs 8:10; ApcEsdr 1:2; Just., D. 32, 3. ἡ δύναμις τοῦ ὑ. Hippol., Ref. 6, 35, 7) Ac 7:48; 1 Cl 29:2 (Dt 32:8); 45:7; 52:3 (Ps 49:14). ὁ μόνος ὕψ. 59:3 (s. 1 above, end). Also without the art. (En 10:1; TestSim 2:5; TestLevi 8:15; Just., D. 124, 1 and 4; Mel., P. 98, 752 [w. art. Ps 17:14]) ὕψ. Lk 1:35, 76. υἱὸς ὑψίστου vs. 32 (of Christ; on the association of υἱὸς ὑψίστου and υἱὸς θεοῦ [vs. 34] cp. the Aramaic text 4QpsDan Aa [=4Q 246], JFitzmyer, NTS 20, ’73/74, 382–407 [esp. 391–94]); also GJs 11:3; in the pl. of humans (cp. Sir 4:10) Lk 6:35. πατὴρ ὕψ. IRo ins.—DNP V 821–23. DELG s.v. ὕψι. M-M. TW.
Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά παλαιοχριστιανική Λογοτεχνία. 2015.