ἐπισιτισμός
episitismós
G1979 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Provision of food or supplies, especially the act of procuring or securing provisions; more broadly, the state or activity of supplying or obtaining food, with particular emphasis on organized or official sourcing (such as state, military, or administrative provisioning). Can refer concretely to the supply itself or abstractly to the process of provisioning.
Semantic Range
food supply, provisioning, obtaining provisions, stockpiling of food, procurement of victuals, act or state of securing food
Root / Etymology
From ἐπί (upon, over) and a verbal derivative of σῖτος (grain, food), thus originally denoting the action of providing or securing (upon) food supplies. The word combines the notion of supplementing or overseeing the acquisition of sustenance.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἐπισιτισμός referred primarily to the organized provision of food, often for armies, expeditions, or city populations (cf. military or civic provisioning, Xenophon, Polybius). In the NT (Acts 7:11), it describes the securing of grain and general supplies during famine, emphasizing the activity rather than the supplies themselves. The term is rare in the NT and Septuagint. English translations like 'victuals' or 'provision' may obscure the bureaucratic or organized nature implied in ancient contexts. The word differs from simple σῖτος (grain/foodstuff) by highlighting procurement or supply rather than the commodity itself.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a compound of ἐπί and a derivative of σῖτος; a provisioning, i.e. (concretely) food:--victuals.
Root Family
ἐπισιτισμός (episitismos) — provisioning, procuring food, supplying provisions
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1979-01 |
ἐπισιτισμόν | episitismon | N ACC M SG |
provisions | food provisioning | provisions | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1979-01 |
Luke 9:12 | ἐπισιτισμόν | episitismon | N ACC M SG |
provisions | food provisioning | provisions |