ἐπιτιμάω
To rebuke
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Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does ἐπιτιμάω (epitimáō) mean in the Bible?
ἐπιτιμάω (epitimáō) is a Greek word meaning "to rebuke". ἐπι-τιμάω, -ῶ [in LXX for גָּעַר, Gen. Demonstrates sovereign authority over creation. This term runs through the canonical themes of Creation, Justice, Messiah.
Full entry for ἐπιτιμάω (G2008) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
Authoritative censure or command with power to enforce, often silencing or restraining someone's behavior
Why This Word Matters
Demonstrates sovereign authority over creation.
Demonstrates Christ’s authority over demonic proclamation.
Demonstrates divine authority over creation.
Displays sovereign command over evil.
Demonstrates authoritative command over nature.
Shows authoritative command over demonic power.
Highlights that ultimate authority to judge and rebuke belongs to the Lord, not to presumptuous creatures. Jude 1:8–10
Demonstrates that ultimate authority to judge and rebuke belongs to the Lord. Luke 4:31–37
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Indicative states a fact or reality 20×
Imperative command or strong request 3×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 2×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 3×
Optative wish or remote possibility 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 29 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Additional Occurrences
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain