ἐπιδημέω
epidēméō
G1927 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To stay or reside in a place, often temporarily; to be present in a city or locality as a visitor, guest, or sojourner. The core meaning is to spend time or reside in a location, with particular nuance in Koine sources toward visiting or residing in a city away from one’s own home. Extended uses can indicate presence in a city for social, political, or commercial reasons, or generally to stay in a place during a journey.
Semantic Range
to stay temporarily in a place, to reside in a location, to visit a city or community, to dwell, to be present as an outsider or guest, to sojourn
Root / Etymology
From the preposition ἐπί (upon, at) and the noun δῆμος (people, populace, the people of a city or country), thus conveying the sense of being 'upon the people' or 'among the population' (i.e., residing in a community).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Classical Greek, ἐπιδημέω commonly means 'to be in town,' (in contrast to ἀποδημέω, 'to be away from home'), frequently used of someone present in a city for a visit or for official or business purposes. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods (including the Septuagint and New Testament), it often refers generically to someone residing temporarily or visiting a city or geographic region (as opposed to being a local inhabitant). Not inherently tied to the concept of being a 'stranger' or 'foreigner,' but sometimes used in constructions where the person is contrasted with the native population. English translations often render it as 'sojourning,' 'residing,' or 'dwelling,' but these can miss the nuance of temporary or visitor status the term often carries. The semantic field partially overlaps with παροικέω (to sojourn, to reside as a foreigner), but ἐπιδημέω generally focuses on presence or residence in a community rather than permanent settlement. In New Testament usage (e.g., Acts 2:5), it describes those present in Jerusalem for the festival who are not permanent residents, emphasizing their temporary stay in the city. The word does not denote legal or ethnic status, but rather the physical reality of being present in a given place for a period of time.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a compound of ἐπί and δῆμος; to make oneself at home, i.e. (by extension) to reside (in a foreign country):--(be) dwelling (which were) there, stranger.
Root Family
ἐπιδημέω (epidēmeō) — to be among the people, to reside, to visit
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1927-01 |
ἐπιδημοῦντες | epidemountes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
visiting | residing among the people | residing among the people | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1927-01 |
Acts 2:10 | ἐπιδημοῦντες | epidemountes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
visitors | residing among the people | sojourning |
G1927-01 |
Acts 17:21 | ἐπιδημοῦντες | epidemountes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
visiting | residing among the people | residing among the people |