ἐπὶ
epí
before
A primary preposition denoting the position of being on, upon, or over, both in physical and abstract senses. Its specific nuance depends on the case of its object: (1) with genitive, indicating rest or position upon or over a surface, supervisory relationship, or concern over; (2) with dative, marking location at, on, or in proximity to something, sometimes expressing basis or ground; (3) with accusative, signifying movement toward, onto, against, or up to a place or object. Also used in extended senses to convey responsibility, authority, occasion, cause, temporal relation, or focus upon a topic.
Acts 24:20 · Word #10
Lexicon G1909
| Lemma | ἐπί |
| Transliteration | epí |
| Strong's | G1909 |
| Definition | A primary preposition denoting the position of being on, upon, or over, both in physical and abstract senses. Its specific nuance depends on the case of its object: (1) with genitive, indicating rest or position upon or over a surface, supervisory relationship, or concern over; (2) with dative, marking location at, on, or in proximity to something, sometimes expressing basis or ground; (3) with accusative, signifying movement toward, onto, against, or up to a place or object. Also used in extended senses to convey responsibility, authority, occasion, cause, temporal relation, or focus upon a topic. |
Morphology PREP GEN
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | PREP — Preposition — Shows relationship between words |
| Case | GEN — Genitive — Possession, source, or separation |
Common Translation
| Phrase | before |
| Literal | upon |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | ἐπί |
| Strong's | G1909 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G1909-03
upon, over
| Morphological Notes | Preposition governing the genitive case; indicates position, relation, or oversight upon/over. |
| Rendering Rationale | With the genitive case, ἐπί denotes position or rest upon or over something, often with a sense of oversight or relation over. "Upon, over" preserves the core spatial and supervisory force of the preposition in its genitive usage. |
View full lexicon entry for G1909 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
upon
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | P1 'upon, over' offers two meanings, but in this context 'upon' is more fitting to express the sense of standing before the council (upon its authority or presence), as determined by the case and usage in this passage. |