ἐπιλύω
epilýō
G1956 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To untie, release, or loosen something (literally); in extended and figurative uses, to solve, interpret, or explain, especially to clarify a difficult saying or text. The primary lexical meaning centers on loosening or unbinding, but in literary and scholarly contexts shifts to the act of providing interpretation, explication, or decisive resolution of a question.
Semantic Range
to untie, release, or unfasten (literal); to solve (a problem); to explain or interpret (a saying, riddle, dream, or text); to resolve (a question); to decide or determine (the sense or solution of something)
Root / Etymology
From the prefix ἐπί (upon, over) and the verb λύω (to loose, untie, set free); hence, ἐπιλύω literally means 'to loose upon' or 'to loose further.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Classical Greek, ἐπιλύω could retain its literal sense ('to unfasten' or 'to remove a bond'), but by the Hellenistic and Koine periods it predominantly acquires figurative senses, especially in connection with solving problems, resolving questions, or interpreting obscure matters (including texts and dreams). In the New Testament and contemporaneous literature, its most notable use is in the sense of 'to interpret' or 'to explain' (e.g., Genesis 40:8 LXX 'to interpret dreams'; Mark 4:34 'explained everything to his own disciples'). While English translations often render it 'interpret,' 'explain,' 'expound,' or rarely 'determine,' these do not always capture its root sense of 'untangling' or 'solving.' Distinct from other interpretive terms such as διερμηνεύω (to translate or give the meaning in another language) and ἐξηγέομαι (to relate or narrate in detail), ἐπιλύω emphasizes the act of resolving complexity or making something clear. The verb is not especially frequent outside biblical or rhetorical discourse, but is attested in various Koine and Hellenistic Greek sources, often in scholarly or exegetical contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐπί and λύω; to solve further, i.e. (figuratively) to explain, decide:--determine, expound.
Root Family
ἐπιλύω (epilyō) — to loose, untie, release, explain, resolve
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1956-02 |
ἐπιλυθήσεται | epiluthesetai | V FUT PASS IND 3P SG |
it shall be settled | it will be resolved | 1 |
G1956-01 |
ἐπέλυεν | epeluen | V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG |
he explained | he was explaining | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1956-01 |
Mark 4:34 | ἐπέλυεν | epeluen | V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG |
he explained | he was explaining |
G1956-02 |
Acts 19:39 | ἐπιλυθήσεται | epiluthesetai | V FUT PASS IND 3P SG |
it shall be settled | it will be resolved |