ἐπέστη
ephístēmi
stood over
To stand over, to come up to, or to approach with emphasis or immediacy. In its primary sense, ἐφίστημι denotes the act of standing at or by someone or something, often with the implication of arrival, imminent action, or attentive presence. Contextually, it can mean to come upon suddenly (often with a sense of confrontation or surprise), to appear before (in a neutral or official capacity), or to stand by (in a supportive or observant manner). In military, judicial, or narrative contexts, it may specifically refer to approaching, confronting, attacking, or presenting oneself before a person or group.
Acts 12:7 · Word #5
Lexicon G2186
| Lemma | ἐφίστημι |
| Transliteration | ephístēmi |
| Strong's | G2186 |
| Definition | To stand over, to come up to, or to approach with emphasis or immediacy. In its primary sense, ἐφίστημι denotes the act of standing at or by someone or something, often with the implication of arrival, imminent action, or attentive presence. Contextually, it can mean to come upon suddenly (often with a sense of confrontation or surprise), to appear before (in a neutral or official capacity), or to stand by (in a supportive or observant manner). In military, judicial, or narrative contexts, it may specifically refer to approaching, confronting, attacking, or presenting oneself before a person or group. |
Morphology V AOR ACT IND 3P SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | AOR — Aorist — Simple occurrence, often past |
| Voice | ACT — Active — The subject performs the action |
| Mood | IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality |
| Person | 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they") |
| Number | SG — Singular — One |
Common Translation
| Phrase | stood over |
| Literal | stood-upon |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | ἐφίστημι |
| Strong's | G2186 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G2186-01
stood over
| Morphological Notes | Verb; aorist tense (simple past, completed action), active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The aorist active indicative 3rd singular denotes a simple, completed past action performed by the subject. "Stood over" preserves the compound sense of ἐπί (upon/over) with ἵστημι (to stand), reflecting decisive arrival or imposed presence. |
View full lexicon entry for G2186 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
stood over
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | P1 is correct; this is the standard meaning in context (the angel stood over him). |