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ἐπιλέγομαι

epilégomai

G1951 verb

SILEX Entry

Root λεγ- to speak, to select, to call

Definition

In the middle voice, to choose, select, or pick out for oneself; to call by a name, to designate with a distinctive title. The primary meaning is to select out from among others, especially with a sense of personal or deliberate preference. In some contexts, it denotes conferring a title or name as an act of choosing or distinguishing.

Semantic Range

to choose, to select for oneself, to pick out, to call by name, to designate, to surname

Root / Etymology

From the preposition ἐπί ('upon, over') and the verb λέγω ('to say, to speak, to gather, to choose'); formed as a compound in which the literal sense is 'to speak or select upon,' i.e., to pick out from among a group. Its formation reflects the middle sense of acting in one's own interest or as an internal choice.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἐπιλέγομαι is attested rarely and primarily in the sense of choosing or selecting (especially for oneself). By the Hellenistic period and in Koine usage (including the LXX and New Testament), it primarily denotes the act of choosing or selecting, often with an implied act of personal preference or designation. In the Septuagint, it can be used to translate Hebrew terms for intentional selection, especially in divine choice (e.g., God choosing individuals or groups), but never solely in a religious sense. In the New Testament, it occurs infrequently, typically in contexts where deliberate selection or naming is emphasized. The nuance of calling by name or 'surnaming' appears only in certain idioms, reflecting cultural practices of designation by title, but the predominant meaning remains one of deliberate selection. Standard English translations often render it as 'choose,' 'select,' or 'call,' but these may understate the sense of personal involvement reflected in the middle voice. Not to be confused with ἐκλέγομαι ('to choose out, to select')—which often carries a stronger sense of selecting from a group, sometimes for a special role or purpose; ἐπιλέγομαι more strongly indicates the act of attaching something distinctive to the selected individual, such as a title or name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

middle voice from ἐπί and λέγω; to surname, select:--call, choose.

Root Family

ἐπιλέγομαι (epilegomai) — to speak, to select, to call

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G1951-01 ἐπιλεγομένη epilegomene V PRS PASS PTCP NOM F SG is called being selected 1
G1951-02 ἐπιλεξάμενος epilexamenos V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG having chosen having chosen for himself 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G1951-01 John 5:2 ἐπιλεγομένη epilegomene V PRS PASS PTCP NOM F SG is called being selected
G1951-02 Acts 15:40 ἐπιλεξάμενος epilexamenos V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG having chosen having chosen for himself
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