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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1"/><title>Strong's Greek: 1985. ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) -- Overseer, Bishop</title></title><link rel="canonical" href="http://biblehub.com/greek/1985.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/strongsnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/interlinear/vmenus/acts/16-27.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/bmstrongs/greek/1985.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/strongs.htm">Strong's</a> > <a href="/englishmans_greek.htm">Greek</a> > 1985</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../greek/1984.htm" title="1984">◄</a> 1985. episkopos <a href="../greek/1986.htm" title="1986">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Strong's Lexicon</div><div align="left"><span class="toptitle2">episkopos: Overseer, Bishop</span></div><p><span class="tophdg">Original Word: </span><span class="greek">ἐπίσκοπος</span><br><span class="tophdg">Part of Speech: </span>Noun, Masculine<br><span class="tophdg">Transliteration: </span>episkopos<br><span class="tophdg">Pronunciation: </span>eh-PIS-ko-pos<br><span class="tophdg">Phonetic Spelling: </span>(ep-is'-kop-os)<br><span class="tophdg">Definition: </span>Overseer, Bishop<br><span class="tophdg">Meaning: </span>(used as an official title in civil life), overseer, supervisor, ruler, especially used with reference to the supervising function exercised by an elder or presbyter of a church or congregation.<p><span class="tophdg">Word Origin: </span>Derived from ἐπί (epi, "over") and σκοπός (skopos, "watcher" or "guardian")<p><span class="tophdg">Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: </span>The Hebrew equivalent often associated with the role of an overseer is פָּקִיד (paqiyd, Strong's 6485), which means officer or overseer.<p><span class="tophdg">Usage: </span>The term "episkopos" refers to an overseer or guardian, often used in the context of church leadership. In the New Testament, it denotes a person who has the responsibility of overseeing the spiritual well-being and administrative functions of a Christian community. The role involves teaching, guiding, and protecting the congregation, ensuring adherence to sound doctrine and moral conduct.<p><span class="tophdg">Cultural and Historical Background: </span>In the Greco-Roman world, the term "episkopos" was used in secular contexts to describe officials who had oversight responsibilities, such as inspectors or supervisors. In the early Christian church, the role of an episkopos evolved to become a key leadership position. The early church adopted this term to describe leaders who were entrusted with the care and governance of local congregations, reflecting a structure that emphasized accountability and pastoral care.<div class="vheading2">HELPS Word-studies</div><p class="discovery"><b>1985</b> <i>epískopos</i> (a masculine noun, derived from <a href="/greek/1909.htm">1909</a> <i>/epí</i>, "<i>on/</i>fitting contact," which intensifies <a href="/greek/4649.htm">4649</a> <i>/skopós</i>, "look intently," like at an end-marker concluding a race) – properly, an <i>overseer</i>; a man called by God to literally "keep an eye <i>on</i>" His flock (the Church, the body of Christ), i.e. to provide personalized (first hand) care and protection (note the <i>epi</i>, "<i>on</i>").</p><p class="discovery">"Though in some contexts <a href="/greek/1985.htm">1985</a> (<i>epískopos</i>) has been regarded traditionally as a position of <i>authority</i>, in reality the focus is upon the <i>responsibility for caring</i> for others" (<i>L & N</i>, 1, 35.40). </p><iframe width="100%" height="85" scrolling=no src="/discovery.htm" frameborder=0 cellpadding=0></iframe><div class="vheading2">NAS Exhaustive Concordance</div><span class="hdg">Word Origin</span><br>from <a href="/greek/1909.htm">epi</a> and <a href="/greek/4649.htm">skopos</a><br><span class="hdg">Definition</span><br>a superintendent, an overseer<br><span class="hdg">NASB Translation</span><br>guardian (1), overseer (2), overseers (2).<p><div align="center"><span class="smalltext"><iframe width="100%" height="85" scrolling=no src="/nasec.htm" frameborder=0 cellpadding=0></iframe></span></div><div class="vheading2">Thayer's Greek Lexicon</div><span class="maintitle">STRONGS NT 1985: ἐπίσκοπος</span><br><br><span class="arttitle"><span class="grktitle">ἐπίσκοπος</span></span>, <span class="greek2">ἐπισκόπου</span>, <span class="greek2">ὁ</span> (<span class="greek2">ἐπισκέπτομαι</span>), <span class="accented">an overseer,</span> a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, <span class="accented">any curator, guardian,</span> or <span class="accented">superintendent</span>; the <span class="manuref">Sept.</span> for <span class="hebrew">פָּקִיד</span>, <a href="/interlinear/judges/9-28.htm">Judges 9:28</a>; <a href="/interlinear/nehemiah/11-9.htm">Nehemiah 11:9, 14, 22</a>; <a href="/interlinear/2_kings/11-15.htm">2 Kings 11:15</a>, etc.; 1 Macc. 1:51. The word has the same comprehensive sense in Greek writings from <span class="abbreviation">Homer</span> Odys. 8, 163; Iliad 22, 255 down; hence, in the N. T. <span class="greek2">ἐπίσκοπον</span> <span class="greek2">τῶν</span> <span class="greek2">ψυχῶν</span>, guardian of souls, one who watches over their welfare: <a href="/interlinear/1_peter/2-25.htm">1 Peter 2:25</a> ((<span class="greek2">τόν</span> <span class="greek2">παντός</span> <span class="greek2">πνεύματος</span> <span class="greek2">κτίστην</span> <span class="greek2">καί</span> <span class="greek2">ἐπίσκοπον</span>, <span class="abbreviation">Clement of Rome</span>, 1 Cor. 59, 3 [ET]); <span class="greek2">ἀρχιερεύς</span> <span class="greek2">καί</span> <span class="greek2">προστάτης</span> <span class="greek2">τῶν</span> <span class="greek2">ψυχῶν</span> <span class="greek2">ἡμῶν</span> <span class="greek2">Ἰησοῦς</span> <span class="greek2">Χριστός</span>, ibid. 61, 3 [ET]; (cf. Sir. 1:6)), cf. <a href="/interlinear/hebrews/13-17.htm">Hebrews 13:17</a>. specifically, <span class="accented">the superintendent, head or overseer of any Christian church</span>; <span class="manuref">Vulg.</span><span class="latin">episcopus</span>: <a href="/interlinear/acts/20-28.htm">Acts 20:28</a>; <a href="/interlinear/philippians/1-1.htm">Philippians 1:1</a>; <a href="/interlinear/1_timothy/3-2.htm">1 Timothy 3:2</a>; <a href="/interlinear/titus/1-7.htm">Titus 1:7</a>; see <span class="greek2"><span class="lexref">πρεσβύτερος</span></span>, 2 b.; (and for the later use of the word, see <span class="abbreviation">Dict. of Chris. Antiq.</span> under the word <TOPIC:Bishop>).<FOOTNOTE:1> <br><br><iframe width="100%" height="85" scrolling=no src="/bsoft.htm" frameborder=0 cellpadding=0></iframe><div class="vheading2">Strong's Exhaustive Concordance</div>bishop, overseer. <p>From <a href="/greek/1909.htm">epi</a> and <a href="/greek/4649.htm">skopos</a> (in the sense of <a href="/greek/1983.htm">episkopeo</a>); a superintendent, i.e. Christian officer in genitive case charge of a (or the) church (literally or figuratively) -- bishop, overseer. <p>see GREEK <a href="/greek/1909.htm">epi</a> <p>see GREEK <a href="/greek/4649.htm">skopos</a> <p>see GREEK <a href="/greek/1983.htm">episkopeo</a> <div class="vheading2">Forms and Transliterations</div>επίσκοποι επισκοποις επισκόποις ἐπισκόποις επισκοπον επίσκοπον ἐπίσκοπον επίσκοπος επισκόπου επισκοπους επισκόπους ἐπισκόπους επισκόπων επίσπαστρον episkopois episkópois episkopon epískopon episkopous episkópous<div class="vheading2">Links</div><a href="/interlinear/matthew/1-1.htm">Interlinear Greek</a> • <a href="/interlinear/genesis/1-1.htm">Interlinear Hebrew</a> • <a href="/strongs.htm">Strong's Numbers</a> • <a href="/englishmans_greek.htm">Englishman's Greek Concordance</a> • <a href="/englishmans_hebrew.htm">Englishman's Hebrew Concordance</a> • <a href="/texts/matthew/1-1.htm">Parallel Texts</a></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="vheading">Englishman's Concordance</div><b><a href="/text/acts/20-28.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">Acts 20:28</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural">N-AMP</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/acts/20.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">ἅγιον ἔθετο <b>ἐπισκόπους</b> ποιμαίνειν τὴν</span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/acts/20.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> has made <span class="itali">you overseers,</span> to shepherd<br><a href="/kjvs/acts/20.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> you <span class="itali">overseers,</span> to feed<br><a href="/interlinear/acts/20-28.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> Holy did set <span class="itali">overseers</span> to shepherd the<p><b><a href="/text/philippians/1-1.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">Philippians 1:1</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Dative Masculine Plural">N-DMP</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/philippians/1.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">Φιλίπποις σὺν <b>ἐπισκόποις</b> καὶ διακόνοις</span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/philippians/1.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> including <span class="itali">the overseers</span> and deacons:<br><a href="/kjvs/philippians/1.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> with <span class="itali">the bishops</span> and<br><a href="/interlinear/philippians/1-1.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> Philippi with <span class="itali">[the] overseers</span> and deacons<p><b><a href="/text/1_timothy/3-2.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">1 Timothy 3:2</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular">N-AMS</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/1_timothy/3.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">οὖν τὸν <b>ἐπίσκοπον</b> ἀνεπίλημπτον εἶναι</span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/1_timothy/3.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> <span class="itali">An overseer,</span> then, must<br><a href="/kjvs/1_timothy/3.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> <span class="itali">A bishop</span> then must<br><a href="/interlinear/1_timothy/3-2.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> then the <span class="itali">overseer</span> blameless to be<p><b><a href="/text/titus/1-7.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">Titus 1:7</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular">N-AMS</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/titus/1.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">γὰρ τὸν <b>ἐπίσκοπον</b> ἀνέγκλητον εἶναι</span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/titus/1.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> <span class="itali">For the overseer</span> must<br><a href="/kjvs/titus/1.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> For <span class="itali">a bishop</span> must be<br><a href="/interlinear/titus/1-7.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> indeed the <span class="itali">overseer</span> blameless to be<p><b><a href="/text/1_peter/2-25.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">1 Peter 2:25</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular">N-AMS</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/1_peter/2.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">ποιμένα καὶ <b>ἐπίσκοπον</b> τῶν ψυχῶν</span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/1_peter/2.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> to the Shepherd <span class="itali">and Guardian</span> of your souls.<br><a href="/kjvs/1_peter/2.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> the Shepherd and <span class="itali">Bishop</span> of your souls.<br><a href="/interlinear/1_peter/2-25.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> shepherd and <span class="itali">overseer</span> of the souls<p><b><a href="/greek/1985.htm">Strong's Greek 1985</a><br><a href="/greek/strongs_1985.htm">5 Occurrences</a></b><br><br><a href="/greek/episkopois_1985.htm">ἐπισκόποις — 1 Occ.</a><br><a href="/greek/episkopon_1985.htm">ἐπίσκοπον — 3 Occ.</a><br><a href="/greek/episkopous_1985.htm">ἐπισκόπους — 1 Occ.</a><br><br></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><br /> </div> <div id="left"><a href="/greek/1984.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="1984"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="1984" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/greek/1986.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="1986"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="1986" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>