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, Matt 6,10, 19, al.; τ. κεφαλῆς, 1 Kor 11,10 τ. νεφελῶν, Matt 24,3o, al.; like ἐν, in constr. praegn. after verbs of motion: βάλλειν, Mark 4,26 σπείρειν, ib. 31; ἔρχεσθαι, Hebr 6,7, al.; figuratively, ἐπ᾽ ἀληθείας (MM, see word ἀ.); of the subject of thought or speech, Gal 3,16 of power or authority, over, πάντων, Rom 9,5: τ. γάζης, ApG 8,27 ἐξουσία, Åb 2,26; 20,6;

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

2. Of time,

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

(b) with genitive of thing(s), at, at the time of: Matt 1,11, Hebr 1,2, 2 Pet 3,3; ἐπὶ τ. προσευχῶν, Rom 1,10, Ef 1,16, 1 Thess 1,2, Phm 4.

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

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

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

III. C. accusative,

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

(a) lit., upon, over: Matt 14,28, 29, Luk 5,19, al. mult.; in NT also, answering the question, where? (as with genitive, dative), Mark 4,38; 11,2, Luk 2,25, Joh 1,32; ἐπὶ τ. αὐτό, ApG 1,15; 2,1, al.; of motion to a vicinity, to, Mark 16,2, ApG 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), Matt 10,13; 12,28, ApG 2,17, Joh 18,4, Ef 5,6, al.; of addition (dative in cl.), λύπη ἐπὶ λύπην, Fil 2,27 ἐπικαλεῖν ὄνομα ἐπί (see: ἐπικαλέω), ApG 15,17, Jak 2,7; καλεῖν ἐπί, to call after, Luk 1,59 of number or degree: ἐπὶ τρίς (cl. εἰς τ.), thrice, ApG 10,16; 11,10; ἐπὶ πλεῖον, the more, further, ApG 4,17 2 Tim 2,16; 3,9 (see also infr., 2, (a)); ἐφ᾽ ὅσον (see infr., ib.), forasmuch as, Matt 25,40, 45, Rom 11,13; of power, authority, control, Luk 1,33, ApG 7,10 Rom 5,14, Hebr 3,6, al.; of the direction of thoughts and feelings, unto, towards, Luk 1,17; 23,28, ApG 9,35, 42, Rom 11,22, Gal 4,9, Ef 2,7, 1 Tim 5,5, al.; of purpose, for, Matt 3,7, Luk 23,48; ἐφ᾽ ὅ πάρει (Rec. ἐφ᾽ ᾧ, Matt 26,50 of hostility, against, Matt 24,7, Mark 3,24-26; 10,11; 13,8, Luk 9,5, Joh 13,18, ApG 7,54, 1 Kor 7,36, 2 Kor 1,23; Of reference, concerning, for (cl. usually dative), Mark 9,12; 15,24, Joh 19,24, Rom 4,9.

2. Of time,

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

(b) on, about, towards (cl. εἰς): Luk 10,35 ApG 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.