ἐπί

ἐπί (before a smooth breathing ἐπ᾽, before a rough breathing ἐφ᾽),

prep. with genitive, dative, accusative (accusative most frequently in NT),

with primary sense of superposition, on, upon.

I. C. genitive,

1. of place, answering the question, where?

(a) of the place on which, on, upon: ἐπὶ (τ.) γῆς, Matthew 6:10, 19, al.; τ. κεφαλῆς, 1 Corinthians 11:10; τ. νεφελῶν, Matthew 24:3o, al.; like ἐν, in constr. praegn. after verbs of motion: βάλλειν, Mark 4:26; σπείρειν, ib. 31; ἔρχεσθαι, Hebrews 6:7, al.; figuratively, ἐπ᾽ ἀληθείας (MM, see word ἀ.); of the subject of thought or speech, Galatians 3:16; of power or authority, over, πάντων, Rom.9.5: τ. γάζης, Acts 8:27; ἐξουσία, Revelation 2:26; 20:6;

(b) of vicinity, at, by: τ. θαλάσσης, John 6:9; τ. ὁδοῦ, Matthew 21:19; τοῦ βάτου, Mark 12:26 (see Swete, in l.); with genitive of person(s), in the presence of, before, Matthew 28:14, Acts 23:30, 1 Corinthians 6:1, al.

2. Of time,

(a) with genitive of person(s), in the time of: ἐπὶ Ἐλισαίου, Luke 4:27; ἐπὶ Κλαυδίου, Acts 11:28; ἐπὶ Ἀβιάθαρ ἀρχιερέως, when A. was high priest, Mark 2:26;

(b) with genitive of thing(s), at, at the time of: Matthew 1:11, Hebrews 1:2, 2 Peter 3:3; ἐπὶ τ. προσευχῶν, Romans 1:10, Ephesians 1:16, 1 Thessalonians 1:2, Phm 4.

II. C. dative, of place, answering the question, where?

(a) lit., on, upon: Matthew 9:16; 14:8, al.; after verbs of motion (see supr., I, 1, (a)), Matthew 9:16, Acts 8:16; above, Luke 23:38; at, by, Mark 13:29, John 5:2, Acts 5:9, al.;

(b) metaphorically, upon, on the ground of, Luke 4:4 (LXX); in the matter of, Mark 6:52 (see Swete, in l.); upon, of, concerning, Acts 5:35, 40; of the ground, reason or motive (Bl., §38, 2; 43, 3), Matthew 18:3; 19:9, Romans 12:12, al.; ἐφ᾽ ᾧ, for the reason that, because, Romans 5:12, 2 Corinthians 5:4; after verbs of motion, over, Matthew 18:13, Romans 16:19, al.; of a condition (cl.), Romans 8:20, 1 Corinthians 9:10; ἐπὶ δυσὶ μάρτυσιν (see Westc. on Hebrews 9:10), Hebrews 10:28; of purpose or aim, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 4:10; of authority, over, Matthew 24:47, Luke 12:44; of hostility, with dative of person(s) (cl.), against, Luke 12:52; in addition to (cl.), 2 Corinthians 7:13; of an adjunct, in, at, on, Philippians 1:3; 2:17.

III. C. accusative,

1. of place of motion upon or over, answering the question, whither?

(a) lit., upon, over: Matthew 14:28, 29, Luke 5:19, al. mult.; in NT also, answering the question, where? (as with genitive, dative), Mark 4:38; 11:2, Luke 2:25, John 1:32; ἐπὶ τ. αὐτό, Acts 1:15; 2:1, al.; of motion to a vicinity, to, Mark 16:2, Acts 8:36, al.;

(b) metaphorically (in wh. "the accusative is more widely prevalent than it strictly should be," Bl., §43, 1); of blessings, evils, etc., coming upon one, with accusative of person(s), Matthew 10:13; 12:28, Acts 2:17, John 18:4, Ephesians 5:6, al.; of addition (dative in cl.), λύπη ἐπὶ λύπην, Philippians 2:27; ἐπικαλεῖν ὄνομα ἐπί (see: ἐπικαλέω), Acts 15:17, James 2:7; καλεῖν ἐπί, to call after, Luke 1:59; of number or degree: ἐπὶ τρίς (cl. εἰς τ.), thrice, Acts 10:16; 11:10; ἐπὶ πλεῖον, the more, further, Acts 4:17, 2 Timothy 2:16; 3:9 (see also infr., 2, (a)); ἐφ᾽ ὅσον (see infr., ib.), forasmuch as, Matthew 25:40, 45, Romans 11:13; of power, authority, control, Luke 1:33, Acts 7:10, Romans 5:14, Hebrews 3:6, al.; of the direction of thoughts and feelings, unto, towards, Luke 1:17; 23:28, Acts 9:35, 42, Romans 11:22, Galatians 4:9, Ephesians 2:7, 1 Timothy 5:5, al.; of purpose, for, Matthew 3:7, Luke 23:48; ἐφ᾽ ὅ πάρει (Rec. ἐφ᾽ ᾧ, Matthew 26:50; of hostility, against, Matthew 24:7, Mark 3:24-26; 10:11; 13:8, Luke 9:5, John 13:18, Acts 7:54, 1 Corinthians 7:36, 2 Corinthians 1:23; Of reference, concerning, for (cl. usually dative), Mark 9:12; 15:24, John 19:24, Romans 4:9.

2. Of time,

(a) during, for: Luke 4:25 (WH, txt., omits ἐπί), Acts 13:31; 16:18, Hebrews 11:30, al.; ἐφ᾽ ὅσον (χρόνον), as long as, for so long time as, Mark 9:15, Romans 7:1, al. (for ἐφ᾽ ὅ in another sense, see supr., 1, (b)); ἐφ᾽ ἱκανόν (see: ἱ), Acts 20:11; ἐπὶ πλεῖον (see supr., 1, (b)), yet longer, further, Acts 20:9; 24:4;

(b) on, about, towards (cl. εἰς): Luke 10:35, Acts 3:1; 4:5.

IV. In composition, ἐπί signifies: up, ἐπαίρω; upon, ἐπίγειος, ἐπιδημέω, ὠπικαθίζω; towards, επιβλέπω, ὠπεκτείνω; over (of superintendence), ἐπιστάτης; again, in addition, ἐπαιτέω; against, ἐπιορκέω, ἐπιβουλή.