How much lack is felt in ὑστέρημα?

Semantic Range, Lexicography, and other approaches to word meaning - in general, or for particular words.
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Stephen Hughes
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Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

How much lack is felt in ὑστέρημα?

Post by Stephen Hughes »

What is the feeling of lack that is conveyed by ὑστέρημα? Is it an intense word, or just a directional word (measuring from the top down, (cf. λοιπός measuring the difference between what is and is needed, or ἐνδεία which is down near the bottom of the glass talking about what is not there).

The verb ἀναπληρόω seems to be used when there is already some content, (and the result is fullness).
1Corinthians 16:17 wrote:Χαίρω δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ παρουσίᾳ Στεφανᾶ καὶ Φουρτουνάτου καὶ Ἀχαϊκοῦ, ὅτι τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα οὗτοι ἀνεπλήρωσαν.
Philippians 2:30 wrote:ὅτι διὰ τὸ ἔργον τοῦ χριστοῦ μέχρι θανάτου ἤγγισεν, παραβουλευσάμενος τῇ ψυχῇ, ἵνα ἀναπληρώσῃ τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα τῆς πρός με λειτουργίας.
How much previous fulness is connotated?

In Luke 21:4, the cost of living (βίος) is used as a benchmark, with ὑστέρημα measuring downfrom the mark, and περίσσευμα measuring up from it.
Luke 21:4 wrote:ἅπαντες γὰρ οὗτοι ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύοντος αὐτοῖς ἔβαλον εἰς τὰ δῶρα τοῦ θεοῦ, αὕτη δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ὑστερήματος αὐτῆς πάντα τὸν βίον ὃν εἶχεν ἔβαλεν.
In 2 Corinthians 8:13,14, no specific standard such as the cost of living is mentiined, but the line above and below which they are measured is the ἰσότης, "equality".
2Corinthians 8:13,14 wrote:Οὐ γὰρ ἵνα ἄλλοις ἄνεσις, ὑμῖν δὲ θλίψις θλῖψις· ἀλλ’ ἐξ ἰσότητος, ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ τὸ ὑμῶν περίσσευμα εἰς τὸ ἐκείνων ὑστέρημα, 14 ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἐκείνων περίσσευμα γένηται εἰς τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα· ὅπως γένηται ἰσότης,
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
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