Strong's Lexicon
epikaleó: To call upon, to invoke, to appeal to, to name
Original Word:ἐπικαλέω
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:epikaleó
Pronunciation:ep-ee-kal-eh'-o
Phonetic Spelling:(ep-ee-kal-eh'-om-ahee)
Definition:To call upon, to invoke, to appeal to, to name
Meaning:(a) I call (name) by a supplementary (additional, alternative) name, (b) mid: I call upon, appeal to, address.
Word Origin:From the preposition ἐπί (epi, meaning "upon" or "on") and the verb καλέω (kaleo, meaning "to call" or "to name").
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: -H7121 קָרָא (qara): To call, to proclaim, to read
-H8034 שֵׁם (shem): Name, reputation, fame, glory
Usage:The verb ἐπικαλέω primarily means "to call upon" or "to invoke" and is often used in the context of calling upon God or invoking His name. It can also mean "to appeal to" in a legal or formal sense, as well as "to name" or "to give a name to." In the New Testament, it frequently appears in contexts where individuals call upon the Lord for salvation, guidance, or help.
Cultural and Historical Background:In the Greco-Roman world, calling upon a deity was a common practice in religious and civic life. Invoking a god's name was believed to bring divine presence and assistance. In the Jewish tradition, calling upon the name of the Lord was an expression of faith and reliance on God's covenant promises. This practice is rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, where the faithful are often depicted as calling on the Lord in times of need.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
epi and
kaleóDefinitionto call upon
NASB Translationaddress (1), appeal (2), appealed (4), call (7), called (14), calling (1), calls (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1941: ἐπικαλέωἐπικαλέω,
ἐπικαλῶ: 1 aorist
ἐπεκαλεσα; (passive and middle, present
ἐπικαλοῦμαι); perfect passive
ἐπικέκλημαι; pluperfect 3 person singular
ἐπεκέκλητο, and with neglect of augment (cf.
Winers Grammar, § 12, 5;
Buttmann, 33 (29))
ἐπικεκλητο (
Acts 26:32 Lachmann); 1 aorist passive
ἐπεκλήθην; future middle
ἐπικαλέσομαι; 1 aorist middle
ἐπεκαλεσάμην; the
Sept. very often for
קָרָא;
1.to put a name upon, to surname:τινα (Xenophon,Plato, others),Matthew 10:25GTTrWH (Rec.ἐκάλεσαν); passiveὁἐπικαλούμενος, he who is surnamed,Luke 22:3RGL;Acts 10:18;Acts 11:13;Acts 12:12;Acts 15:22RG; alsoὅςἐπικαλεῖται,Acts 10:5, 32;ὁἐπικληθείς,Matthew 10:3 (RG);Acts 4:36;Acts 12:25; equivalent toὅςἐπεκλήθη,Acts 1:23. Passive with the force of a middle (cf.Winers Grammar, § 38, 3),to permit oneself to be surnamed:Hebrews 11:16; middle withτινα:1 Peter 1:17εἰπατέραἐπικαλεῖσθετόν etc. i. e. if ye call (for yourselves) on him as father, i. e. if ye surname him your father.
2.ἐπικαλεῖταιτόὄνοματίνοςἐπίτινα, after the Hebrewפעַלפ...שֵׁםנִקְרָא..., "the name of one is named upon some one, i. e. he is called by his name or declared to be dedicated to him" (cf. Gesenius, Thesaurus iii., p. 1232a):Acts 15:17 fromAmos 9:12 (the name referred to isthe people of God);James 2:7 (the nameοἱτοῦΧριστοῦ).
3.τίνι with the accusative of the object; properly,to call something to one (cf. Englishto cry out upon (or against) one); "to charge something to one as a crime or reproach; to summon one on any charge, prosecute one for a crime; to blame one for, accuse one of" (Aristophanes pax 663;Thucydides 2, 27; 3, 36;Plato, legg. 6, 761 e.; 7, 809 e.; Dio Cass. 36, 28; 40, 41 and often in the orators (cf. under the wordκατηγορέω)):εἰτῷοἰκοδεσπότῃΒηλζεβουλἐπεκάλεσαν (i. e. accused of commerce with Beelzebul, of receiving his help, cf.Matthew 9:34;Matthew 12:24;Mark 3:22;Luke 11:15),πόσῳμᾶλλοντοῖςὀικιακοιςαὐτοῦ,Matthew 10:25LWH marginal reading afterVat. (see 1 above), a reading defended by Rettig in the Studien und Kritiken for 1838, p. 477ff and by AlexanderButtmann (1873) in the same journal for 1860, p. 343, and also in his N. T. Gram. 151 (132); (also by Weiss in Meyer edition 7 at the passage). But this expression (Beelzebul for the help of Beelzebul) is too hard not to be suggestive of the emendation of some ignorant scribe, who took offence because (with the exception of this passage) the enemies of Jesus are nowhere in the Gospels said to have called him by the name of Beelzebul.
4.to call upon (like Germananrufen),to invoke; middle,to call upon for oneself, in one's behalf: anyone as a helper,Acts 7:59, where supplyτόνκύριονἸησοῦν (βοηθόν,Plato, Euthyd., p. 297 c.;Diodorus 5, 79);τιναμάρτυρα, as my witness,2 Corinthians 1:23 (Plato, legg. 2, 664 c.); as a judge, i. e.to appeal to one, make appeal unto:Καίσαρα,Acts 25:11;Acts 26:32;Acts 28:19; (τόνΣεβαστόν,Acts 25:25); followed by the infinitive passiveActs 25:21 (to be reserved).
5. Hebraistically (likeיְהוָהבְּשֵׁםקָרָא to call upon by pronouncing the name of Jehovah,Genesis 4:26;Genesis 12:8;2 Kings 5:11, etc.; cf. Gesenius, Thesaurus, p. 1231{b} (or his Hebrew Lexicon, under the wordקָרָא); an expression finding its explanation in the fact that prayers addressed to God ordinarily began with an invocation of the divine name:Psalm 3:2;Psalm 6:2;Psalm 7:2, etc.)ἐπικαλοῦμαιτόὄνοματοῦκυρίου,I call upon (on my behalf) the name of the Lord, i. e.to invoke, adore, worship, the Lord, i. e. Christ:Acts 2:21 (fromJoel 2:32 ());;Romans 10:13;1 Corinthians 1:2;τόνκύριον,Romans 10:12;2 Timothy 2:22; (often in Greek writingsἐπικαλεῖσθαιτούςΘεούς, asXenophon, Cyril 7, 1, 35;Plato, Tim., p. 27 c.;Polybius 15, 1, 13).
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
appeal unto, call on, invokeMiddle voice fromepi andkaleo; to entitle; by implication, to invoke (for aid, worship, testimony, decision, etc.) -- appeal (unto), call (on, upon), surname.
see GREEKepi
see GREEKkaleo
Forms and Transliterations
επεκαλείτο επεκαλεσάμην επεκαλεσαν επεκαλέσαν επεκάλεσαν ἐπεκάλεσαν επεκαλέσαντο επεκαλέσατο επεκάλεσε επεκαλέσω επεκαλούντο επεκεκλητο επεκέκλητο ἐπεκέκλητο επεκληθη επεκλήθη ἐπεκλήθη επεκλήθησαν επικαλεισθαι επικαλείσθαι επικαλείσθαί ἐπικαλεῖσθαι επικαλεισθε επικαλείσθε ἐπικαλεῖσθε επικαλειται επικαλείται ἐπικαλεῖται επικάλεσαι επικάλεσαί επικαλεσαμενος επικαλεσάμενος ἐπικαλεσάμενος επικαλεσαμενου επικαλεσαμένου ἐπικαλεσαμένου επικαλεσασθαι επικαλέσασθαι ἐπικαλέσασθαι επικαλέσασθε επικαλέσεσθε επικαλέσεται επικαλέσεταί επικαλέση επικαλέσησθέ επικαλεσηται επικαλέσηται επικαλέσηταί ἐπικαλέσηται επικαλέσομαι επικαλεσόμεθα επικαλέσονται επικαλέσονταί επικαλέσωμαι επικαλέσωμαί επικαλεσώμεθά επικαλεσωνται επικαλέσωνταί ἐπικαλέσωνται επικαλού επικαλουμαι επικαλούμαι ἐπικαλοῦμαι επικαλουμενοις επικαλουμένοις ἐπικαλουμένοις επικαλουμενον επικαλούμενον ἐπικαλούμενον επικαλουμενος επικαλούμενος ἐπικαλούμενος επικαλουμενου επικαλουμένου ἐπικαλουμένου επικαλουμενους επικαλουμένους ἐπικαλουμένους επικαλουμενων επικαλουμένων ἐπικαλουμένων επικαλούνταί επικέκληνται επικεκλησαι επικέκλησαι ἐπικέκλησαι επικεκληται επικέκληται επικέκληταί ἐπικέκληται επικληθεις επικληθείς ἐπικληθεὶς επικληθεν επικληθέν ἐπικληθὲν επικληθεντα επικληθέντα ἐπικληθέντα επικληθήναι επικληθήσεται επικληθήσομαι epekalesan epekálesan epekekleto epekeklēto epekékleto epekéklēto epeklethe epeklēthē epeklḗthe epeklḗthē epikaleisthai epikaleîsthai epikaleisthe epikaleîsthe epikaleitai epikaleîtai epikalesamenos epikalesámenos epikalesamenou epikalesaménou epikalesasthai epikalésasthai epikalesetai epikalesētai epikalésetai epikalésētai epikalesontai epikalesōntai epikalésontai epikalésōntai epikaloumai epikaloûmai epikaloumenois epikalouménois epikaloumenon epikaloumenōn epikalouménon epikalouménōn epikaloúmenon epikaloumenos epikaloúmenos epikaloumenou epikalouménou epikaloumenous epikalouménous epikeklesai epikeklēsai epikéklesai epikéklēsai epikekletai epikeklētai epikékletai epikéklētai epikletheis epikletheìs epiklētheis epiklētheìs epiklethen epiklethèn epiklēthen epiklēthèn epiklethenta epiklethénta epiklēthenta epiklēthéntaLinks
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