ἐπιδιατάσσομαι
epidiatássomai
G1928 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
to make an additional arrangement or provision, especially in the context of supplementing a previous decree or legal document (such as a will); to append an additional directive. The verb indicates the act of adding further stipulations or instructions to something already established, usually by formal or legal means.
Semantic Range
to supplement by further arrangement, to make an additional stipulation (esp. to a legal document or will), to append a codicil, to prescribe further, to add an additional directive
Root / Etymology
Compound of ἐπί ('upon, in addition') and διατάσσομαι ('to arrange, to appoint, to order'), in the middle voice. The construction implies arranging or appointing something further or additionally. The root verb διατάσσω is common in both classical and Hellenistic Greek legal/administrative contexts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb ἐπιδιατάσσομαι is very rare, with attestation in specialized legal, testamentary, or administrative language of the Hellenistic and Roman worlds. In contemporary Greek documentary papyri, it refers specifically to adding a codicil—an additional clause—to a testament or will. In the New Testament (Gal 3:15), it parallels technical Greco-Roman legal usage where a person might 'add to' or 'append' a new stipulation to a previously ratified will. English translations often render it as 'add to' or 'supplement,' but these can obscure the technical legal nuance of the term: it does not mean 'to amend' in the sense of changing the existing document, but rather to supplement by a formally recognized addition. The verb is built on διατάσσω (to order, to arrange, particularly as in issuing orders or setting up arrangements) with ἐπί conveying 'additionally' or 'in addition.' The specific legal flavor distinguishes it from broader verbs for 'adding' (e.g., προστίθημι).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
middle voice from ἐπί and διατάσσω; to appoint besides, i.e. supplement (as a codicil):--add to.
Root Family
ἐπιδιατάσσομαι (epidiatassomai) — arrange, appoint, order; supplement by further arrangement
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1928-01 |
ἐπιδιατάσσεται | epidiatassetai | V PRS MID IND 3P SG |
addeth thereto | makes an additional stipulation for himself | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1928-01 |
Galatians 3:15 | ἐπιδιατάσσεται | epidiatassetai | V PRS MID IND 3P SG |
addeth thereto | makes an additional stipulation for himself |