Acts 10:12

The verb ὑπάρχω (from ὑπό + ἄρχω, “to begin under”) carries richer ontological nuance than the simple copula εἰμί. Classical usage ranges from “to exist already, to be the beginning” to “to take the initiative, to be the case,” but in Hellenistic and NT contexts it often signifies being in an underlying state or condition. Thus, ὑπῆρχεν (imperfect) should not be reduced to "was" or "were," but rather “already underlay,” indicating existence grounded in a substratum beneath surface appearance.

In an Aonic Möbius framework, ὑπάρχειν marks the hidden fold of being: εἶναι refers to the visible side of the loop, while ὑπάρχειν denotes the underside sustaining it. For example, Phil 2:6 (ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων) portrays not a contingent present state but an underlying divine substratum; likewise Acts 2:30 (προφήτης ὑπάρχων) and Luke 16:23 emphasize condition-in-depth rather than simple presence. Theologically or anthropologically, ὑπάρχειν expresses a depth dimension of existence—being that has always already begun from beneath. In the queen metaphor: her ὑπάρχειν in the tower is not mere location but hidden essence, either degenerative if confined or radiant if released.

(cf. LSJ ὑπάρχω)