STRONGS NUMBER G1985

Original Word: ἐπίσκοπος
Transliteration: episkopos
Phonetic Spelling: (ep-is'-kop-os)
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Short Definition: a superintendent, an overseer
Meaning: a superintendent, an overseerbishop, overseer.

From epi and skopos (in the sense of episkopeo); a superintendent, i.e. Christian officer in genitive case charge of a (or the) church (literally or figuratively) -- bishop, overseer.

see GREEK epi

see GREEK skopos

see GREEK episkopeo

STRONGS NT 1985: ἐπίσκοπος

ἐπίσκοπος, ἐπισκόπου, ὁ (ἐπισκέπτομαι), an overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian, or superintendent; the Sept. for פָּקִיד, Judges 9:28; Nehemiah 11:9, 14, 22; 2 Kings 11:15, etc.; 1 Macc. 1:51. The word has the same comprehensive sense in Greek writings from Homer Odys. 8, 163; Iliad 22, 255 down; hence, in the N. T. ἐπίσκοπον τῶν ψυχῶν, guardian of souls, one who watches over their welfare: 1 Peter 2:25 ((τόν παντός πνεύματος κτίστην καί ἐπίσκοπον, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 59, 3 [ET]); ἀρχιερεύς καί προστάτης τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ibid. 61, 3 [ET]; (cf. Sir. 1:6)), cf. Hebrews 13:17. specifically, the superintendent, head or overseer of any Christian church; Vulg.episcopus: Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:7; see πρεσβύτερος, 2 b.; (and for the later use of the word, see Dict. of Chris. Antiq. under the word ).