What does ἐπιχορηγέω (epichorēgéō) mean in the Bible?
Epichoregeo describes supplying or providing what is needed. The five direct passages include both God's provision and a command for believers to act.
Greek · G2023
ἐπιχορηγέω
Epichoregeo describes supplying or providing what is needed. The five direct passages include both God's provision and a command for believers to act.
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
ἐπιχορηγέωG2023
Pronunciationepichorēgéō
What does ἐπιχορηγέω (epichorēgéō) mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for ἐπιχορηγέω (G2023) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2023?
The BSB source-word alignment has 5 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include lavish (1), supplies (1), supported (1), to add (1), will receive (1).
Where does ἐπιχορηγέω (epichorēgéō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 2 Corinthians 9:10. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Peter (2), 2 Corinthians (1), Colossians (1), Galatians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Epichoregeo describes supplying or providing what is needed. The five direct passages include both God's provision and a command for believers to act. God supplies seed and food in 2 Corinthians 9:10 so that generosity and thanksgiving can abound, while Galatians 3:5 asks whether His provision of the Spirit rests on practicing the law or hearing with faith. Colossians 2:19 pictures the body supported through its connection to the head and growing as God causes it to grow.
Second Peter 1:5 commands diligent addition of virtue and other qualities to faith, and verse 11 promises a lavish reception into Christ's eternal kingdom. The common action is provision; its giver, recipient, and object vary. It neither guarantees personal wealth nor makes obedient growth independent of God's gifts.
How the Bible Uses It
The verb moves through divine provision for generosity and spiritual life, the body's support from its head, diligent cultivation of Christian character, and promised entry into the eternal kingdom. Each object of provision belongs to its passage's argument.
- 2Cor.9.10
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.
The supplying action concerns seed and food in an appeal for generous service whose fruit includes righteousness and thanksgiving.
- Gal.3.5
Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?
God's provision of the Spirit is set within Paul's contrast between practicing the law and hearing with faith.
- Col.2.19
He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.
Support belongs to the whole body connected to its head, while the growth is explicitly attributed to God.
- 2Pet.1.5
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;
Believers are commanded to make every effort to add virtue to faith, following the declaration of God's prior provision for godliness.
- 2Pet.1.11
And you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The promised lavish reception concerns entrance into Christ's eternal kingdom in the context of persevering, fruitful character.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itlavish1×Galatians 3:5
supplies1×2 Corinthians 9:10
supported1×Colossians 2:19
to add1×2 Peter 1:5
will receive1×2 Peter 1:11
Show sample aligned rows
2 Corinthians 9:10ἐπιχορηγῶνtosuppliesVerb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularGalatians 3:5ἐπιχορηγῶνtolavishVerb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularColossians 2:19ἐπιχορηγούμενονtosupportedVerb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Singular2 Peter 1:5ἐπιχορηγήσατεtoto addVerb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural2 Peter 1:11ἐπιχορηγηθήσεταιtowill receiveVerb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row2 Corinthians 9:10
Aligned rows5
Books represented4
2 Corinthians1Galatians1Colossians12 Peter2
Source forms
ἐπιχορηγῶν2xepichorēgōn2 Corinthians 9:10, Galatians 3:5
ἐπιχορηγηθήσεται1xepichorēgēthēsetai2 Peter 1:11
ἐπιχορηγήσατε1xepichorēgēsate2 Peter 1:5
ἐπιχορηγούμενον1xepichorēgoumenonColossians 2:19
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular2x2 Corinthians 9:10, Galatians 3:5
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural1x2 Peter 1:5
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular1x2 Peter 1:11
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Singular1xColossians 2:19
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Dependence on God can support practical obedience without shaming people for limited resources or slow growth.
- Generosity should serve others freely rather than be solicited through predictions of personal enrichment.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim divine supply removes the need for effort, because Second Peter explicitly commands diligent addition of virtue.
- Do not claim this word guarantees wealth, because its supplied objects include the Spirit, bodily support, character and kingdom reception.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. to supply
Strong'sG2023
Lexical occurrences5 versesGreek text appearances5 timesWord forms3 forms5 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Source Gloss
to supply
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
5 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
2 Corinthians 9:10Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἐπιχορηγῶνepicorhgwn
I supply, provide
Read verseGalatians 3:5Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἐπιχορηγῶνepicorhgwn
I supply, provide
Read verseColossians 2:19Verb Present Passive Participle Nominative Singular Neuter
ἐπιχορηγούμενονepicorhgoumenon
I supply, provide
Read verse2 Peter 1:5Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Active Imperative
ἐπιχορηγήσατεepicorhghsate
I supply, provide
Read verse2 Peter 1:11Verb Third Person Singular Future Passive Indicative
ἐπιχορηγηθήσεταιepicorhghqhsetai
I supply, provide
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups3Aligned forms5TensesPresent, Aorist, FutureVoicesActive, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Participleverbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality3×
Present Active2 Cor 9:10 · Gal 3:52×
Present PassiveCol 2:191×
Imperativecommand or strong request1×
Aorist Active2 Pet 1:51×
Indicativestates a fact or reality1×
Future Passive2 Pet 1:111×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 4 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present2aorist1future1
Voice
active3passive1
Mood
participle2imperative1indicative1
NT Occurrences
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)
Word Origins
ἐπιχορηγέω is built from these roots:
For the Preacher and Teacher
A supply is directed toward something. In Corinth it serves generosity and thanksgiving; in Galatia it concerns the Spirit received through hearing with faith; in Colossae it sustains a body connected to its head. Second Peter then uses the same verb for the believer's diligent addition of virtue, without withdrawing the prior claim that divine power has given what life and godliness require.
These texts prevent provision and responsibility from becoming competing slogans. The giver's action equips concrete obedience, and the commanded effort responds to gifts rather than replacing their source. The promised kingdom reception at the end of Peter's sequence keeps the goal larger than present comfort. Teaching should name the needed object and intended fruit instead of promising unspecified abundance.
Anchor passage
2Pet.1.5
Doctrinal connections
- Second Corinthians 9:8-12 directs supplied resources toward good works, generosity and thanksgiving.
- Galatians 3:2-6 places the Spirit's provision within hearing with faith rather than law-based achievement.
- Colossians 2:18-19 contrasts distracting spiritual claims with connection to Christ the head.
- Second Peter 1:3-5 grounds diligent response in divine power and precious promises.
- Second Peter 1:5-8 specifies growing virtues whose fruit is effective knowledge of Jesus.
- Second Peter 1:10-11 locates perseverance's horizon in the eternal kingdom of the Lord and Savior.
Epichoregeo is a verb for supplying or providing. Its active and passive local constructions distinguish the supplier, the supported body, commanded provision of virtue, and promised reception; an etymological story is unnecessary to establish those contextual relationships.
From Old to New Testament
Isaiah 40:28-31 depicts the Creator giving strength to the weary, a supporting pattern of received help enabling continued action. It is not a direct occurrence of this Greek verb, and it does not merge bodily strength with every object supplied in the New Testament passages.