← G1982 G1984 →

ἐπισκοπέω

episkopéō

G1983 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To look upon, to oversee or supervise; to pay careful attention to a person or situation, often with a sense of responsibility, vigilance, or concern. In classical and Hellenistic Greek, used for inspecting, supervising, or caring for. In some contexts, the term can include the idea of inquiring into someone’s situation, caring for welfare, or being watchful for danger or lapses.

Semantic Range

to look over, to watch, to oversee, to inspect, to exercise oversight, to inquire into, to care for, to pay attention, to be vigilant, to seek out welfare

Root / Etymology

From ἐπί ('upon, over') + σκοπέω ('to look, observe, watch'). Literally, 'to look over,' 'to watch over.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἐπισκοπέω appears in contexts of oversight and careful inspection, such as the examination of troops or administration of civic duties. In the Septuagint, it is often used for 'to seek out' or 'to care for' (e.g., Genesis 21:1; Exodus 4:31), typically with respect to God's attention to people. In Koine and New Testament usage, it can convey both the general sense of watching over and the more specialized sense of exercising pastoral or communal oversight (e.g., Hebrews 12:15: 'see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace'). The shift toward an official or leadership context (such as the related noun ἐπίσκοπος, 'overseer') is more prominent in early Christian texts, though that nuance is not always present. Standard English translations such as 'oversee,' 'look after,' or 'watch' capture some but not all of the nuance, especially the ancient sense of official visitation or inquiry for care or correction. The semantic range can be wider in Hellenistic Greek, including personal concern and acts of compassion.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐπί and σκοπέω; to oversee; by implication, to beware:--look diligently, take the oversight.

Root Family

ἐπισκοπέω (episkopeō) — to look over, to watch over, to oversee, to inspect

Root σκοπ- to look, to observe, to watch over, to inspect

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1983-01 ἐπισκοποῦντες episkopountes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL exercising oversight overseeing overseeing 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1983-01 Hebrews 12:15 ἐπισκοποῦντες episkopountes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL looking carefully overseeing overseeing
G1983-01 1 Peter 5:2 ἐπισκοποῦντες episkopountes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL exercising oversight overseeing overseeing
← G1982 Greek Lexicon G1984 →