What does ἐφίστημι (ephístēmi) mean in the Bible?
ἐφίστημι (ephístēmi) is a Greek word meaning "to approach".
Greek · G2186
ἐφίστημι
To approach
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ἐφίστημι G2186
Pronunciation ephístēmi
What does ἐφίστημι (ephístēmi) mean in the Bible?
ἐφίστημι (ephístēmi) is a Greek word meaning "to approach".
Full entry for ἐφίστημι (G2186) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2186?
The BSB source-word alignment has 21 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include stood beside (2), - (1), [and] approached (1), appeared (1), be prepared (1).
Where does ἐφίστημι (ephístēmi) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 2:9. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (11), Luke (7), 2 Timothy (2), 1 Thessalonians (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It stood beside 2× Luke 24:4, Acts 22:13
- 1× Acts 28:2
[and] approached 1× Acts 10:17
appeared 1× Acts 12:7
be prepared 1× 2 Timothy 4:2
came 1× Acts 4:1
came up [to Him] 1× Luke 20:1
Coming forward 1× Luke 2:38
confronted [Stephen] 1× Acts 6:12
He stood 1× Luke 4:39
is at hand 1× 2 Timothy 4:6
She came to [Jesus] 1× Luke 10:40
stood before 1× Luke 2:9
stood near 1× Acts 23:11
stood there 1× Acts 22:20
stopped 1× Acts 11:11
They raided 1× Acts 17:5
when I came 1× Acts 23:27
will come 1× 1 Thessalonians 5:3
will spring 1× Luke 21:34
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 2:9 ἐπέστη to stood before Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 2:38 ἐπιστᾶσα to Coming forward Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular Luke 4:39 ἐπιστὰς to He stood Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Luke 10:40 ἐπιστᾶσα to She came to [Jesus] Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular Luke 20:1 ἐπέστησαν to came up [to Him] Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Luke 21:34 ἐπιστῇ to will spring Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 24:4 ἐπέστησαν to stood beside Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Acts 4:1 ἐπέστησαν to came Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Acts 6:12 ἐπιστάντες to confronted [Stephen] Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural Acts 10:17 ἐπέστησαν to [and] approached Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Luke 2:9
Aligned rows 21
Books represented 4
Luke 7 Acts 11 1 Thessalonians 1 2 Timothy 2
Source forms
ἐπέστησαν 5x epestēsan Luke 20:1, Luke 24:4, Acts 4:1, Acts 10:17
ἐπιστὰς 4x epistas Luke 4:39, Acts 22:13, Acts 23:11, Acts 23:27
ἐπέστη 2x epestē Luke 2:9, Acts 12:7
ἐπιστάντες 2x epistantes Acts 6:12, Acts 17:5
ἐπιστᾶσα 2x epistasa Luke 2:38, Luke 10:40
ἐπιστῇ 1x epistē Luke 21:34
ἐπίστηθι 1x epistēthi 2 Timothy 4:2
ἐφέστηκεν 1x ephestēken 2 Timothy 4:6
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 5x Luke 20:1, Luke 24:4, Acts 4:1, Acts 10:17
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular 4x Luke 4:39, Acts 22:13, Acts 23:11, Acts 23:27
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2x Luke 2:9, Acts 12:7
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular 2x Luke 2:38, Luke 10:40
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural 2x Acts 6:12, Acts 17:5
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular 1x 2 Timothy 4:2
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x Luke 21:34
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x 2 Timothy 4:6
Evidence Summary
Greek word. to approach
Strong's G2186
Lexical occurrences 21 verses Greek text appearances 21 times 16 shown below Word forms 4 forms 21 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
to approach
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 21 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 2:9 Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Active Indicative
ἐπέστη epesth
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Luke 2:38 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Feminine
ἐπιστᾶσα epistasa
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Luke 4:39 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἐπιστὰς epistav
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Luke 10:40 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Feminine
ἐπιστᾶσα epistasa
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Luke 20:1 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Indicative
ἐπέστησαν epesthsan
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Luke 21:34 Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Active Subjunctive
ἐπιστῇ episth
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Luke 24:4 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Indicative
ἐπέστησαν epesthsan
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Acts 4:1 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Indicative
ἐπέστησαν epesthsan
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Acts 6:12 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
ἐπιστάντες epistantev
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Acts 10:17 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Indicative
ἐπέστησαν epesthsan
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Acts 11:11 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Indicative
ἐπέστησαν epesthsan
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Acts 12:7 Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Active Indicative
ἐπέστη, epesth
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Acts 17:5 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
ἐπιστάντες epistantev
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Acts 22:13 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἐπιστὰς epistav
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Acts 22:20 Verb Perfect Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἐφεστὼς efestwv
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
Read verse Acts 23:11 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἐπιστὰς epistav
I stand by, am urgent, befall one, impend
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 groups 4 Aligned forms 21 Tenses Aorist, Perfect, Present Voices Active, Middle
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 9×
Aorist Active Luke 20:1 · Luke 24:4 · Acts 4:1 · Acts 10:17 · Acts 11:11 · Luke 2:9 · Acts 12:7 7×
Present Middle 1 Thess 5:3 1×
Perfect Active 2 Tim 4:6 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 10×
Aorist Active Luke 4:39 · Acts 22:13 · Acts 23:11 · Acts 23:27 · Luke 2:38 · Luke 10:40 · Acts 6:12 · Acts 17:5 8×
Perfect Active Acts 22:20 · Acts 28:2 2×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Aorist Active Luke 21:34 1×
Imperative command or strong request 1×
Aorist Active 2 Tim 4:2 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 21 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 17 perfect 3 present 1
Voice
active 20 middle 1
Mood
participle 10 indicative 9 imperative 1 subjunctive 1
NT Occurrences
Luke 2:38 ἐπιστᾶσα aorist active participle participle Luke 2:9 ἐπέστη aorist active indicative completed Luke 4:39 ἐπιστὰς aorist active participle participle Luke 10:40 ἐπιστᾶσα aorist active participle participle Luke 20:1 ἐπέστησαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 21:34 ἐπιστῇ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 24:4 ἐπέστησαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 4:1 ἐπέστησαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 6:12 ἐπιστάντες aorist active participle participle Acts 10:17 ἐπέστησαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 11:11 ἐπέστησαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 12:7 ἐπέστη aorist active indicative completed Acts 17:5 ἐπιστάντες aorist active participle participle Acts 22:13 ἐπιστὰς aorist active participle participle Acts 22:20 ἐφεστὼς perfect active participle participle Acts 23:11 ἐπιστὰς aorist active participle participle Acts 23:27 ἐπιστὰς aorist active participle participle Acts 28:2 ἐφεστῶτα perfect active participle participle 1 Thessalonians 5:3 ἐφίσταται present middle indicative ongoing 2 Timothy 4:2 ἐπίστηθι aorist active imperative imperative 2 Timothy 4:6 ἐφέστηκεν perfect active indicative resultant
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
ἐφίστημι is built from these roots:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain