Strong's Lexicon
episkopos: Overseer, Bishop
Original Word:ἐπίσκοπος
Part of Speech:Noun, Masculine
Transliteration:episkopos
Pronunciation:eh-PIS-ko-pos
Phonetic Spelling:(ep-is'-kop-os)
Definition:Overseer, Bishop
Meaning:(used as an official title in civil life), overseer, supervisor, ruler, especially used with reference to the supervising function exercised by an elder or presbyter of a church or congregation.
Word Origin:Derived from ἐπί (epi, "over") and σκοπός (skopos, "watcher" or "guardian")
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries:The Hebrew equivalent often associated with the role of an overseer is פָּקִיד (paqiyd, Strong's 6485), which means officer or overseer.
Usage:The term "episkopos" refers to an overseer or guardian, often used in the context of church leadership. In the New Testament, it denotes a person who has the responsibility of overseeing the spiritual well-being and administrative functions of a Christian community. The role involves teaching, guiding, and protecting the congregation, ensuring adherence to sound doctrine and moral conduct.
Cultural and Historical Background:In the Greco-Roman world, the term "episkopos" was used in secular contexts to describe officials who had oversight responsibilities, such as inspectors or supervisors. In the early Christian church, the role of an episkopos evolved to become a key leadership position. The early church adopted this term to describe leaders who were entrusted with the care and governance of local congregations, reflecting a structure that emphasized accountability and pastoral care.
HELPS Word-studies
1985epískopos (a masculine noun, derived from1909/epí, "on/fitting contact," which intensifies4649/skopós, "look intently," like at an end-marker concluding a race) – properly, anoverseer; a man called by God to literally "keep an eyeon" His flock (the Church, the body of Christ), i.e. to provide personalized (first hand) care and protection (note theepi, "on").
"Though in some contexts1985 (epískopos) has been regarded traditionally as a position ofauthority, in reality the focus is upon theresponsibility for caring for others" (L & N, 1, 35.40).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
epi and
skoposDefinitiona superintendent, an overseer
NASB Translationguardian (1), overseer (2), overseers (2).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1985: ἐπίσκοποςἐπίσκοπος,
ἐπισκόπου,
ὁ (
ἐπισκέπτομαι),
an overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly,
any curator, guardian, or
superintendent; the
Sept. for
פָּקִיד,
Judges 9:28;
Nehemiah 11:9, 14, 22;
2 Kings 11:15, etc.; 1 Macc. 1:51. The word has the same comprehensive sense in Greek writings from
Homer Odys. 8, 163; Iliad 22, 255 down; hence, in the N. T.
ἐπίσκοποντῶνψυχῶν, guardian of souls, one who watches over their welfare:
1 Peter 2:25 ((
τόνπαντόςπνεύματοςκτίστηνκαίἐπίσκοπον,
Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 59, 3 [ET]);
ἀρχιερεύςκαίπροστάτηςτῶνψυχῶνἡμῶνἸησοῦςΧριστός, ibid. 61, 3 [ET]; (cf. Sir. 1:6)), cf.
Hebrews 13:17. specifically,
the superintendent, head or overseer of any Christian church;
Vulg.episcopus:
Acts 20:28;
Philippians 1:1;
1 Timothy 3:2;
Titus 1:7; see
πρεσβύτερος, 2 b.; (and for the later use of the word, see
Dict. of Chris. Antiq. under the word
).
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bishop, overseer.Fromepi andskopos (in the sense ofepiskopeo); a superintendent, i.e. Christian officer in genitive case charge of a (or the) church (literally or figuratively) -- bishop, overseer.
see GREEKepi
see GREEKskopos
see GREEKepiskopeo
Forms and Transliterations
επίσκοποι επισκοποις επισκόποις ἐπισκόποις επισκοπον επίσκοπον ἐπίσκοπον επίσκοπος επισκόπου επισκοπους επισκόπους ἐπισκόπους επισκόπων επίσπαστρον episkopois episkópois episkopon epískopon episkopous episkópousLinks
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