ἐπιλαμβάνομαι

ἐπιλαμβάνω

take: pres ind mp 1st sg

ἐπιλαμβάνω

take: pres ind mp 1st sg

ἐπιλαμβάνομαι (s. λαμβάνω) fut. ἐπιλήψομαι LXX; 2 aor. ἐπελαβόμην; pf. ptc. fem. ἐπειλημμένη Gen 25:26 (in our lit., as well as LXX and TestJos 8:2, only in the mid., which is used since Hdt.; also ins, pap; Philo, Somn. 2, 68; Jos., Bell. 6, 232; Just.).

① to make the motion of grasping or taking hold of someth., take hold of, grasp, catch, sometimes w. violence, w. gen. foll. (Hdt. 6, 114 al.; LXX) of pers. (Laud. Therap. 24 ἐπιλαμβάνονται τοῦ ἀνδρός; 2 Km 13:11; Is 3:6) Mt 14:31; Lk 23:26 v.l.; Ac 17:19; 21:30, 33 (s. 2 below); of thing (LXX) τῆς χειρός τινος (cp. Pla., Prot. 335c; Zech 14:13; Jos., Ant. 9, 180) Mk 8:23; Ac 23:19; fig. Hb 8:9 (Jer 38:32). Foll. by gen. of pers. and of thing by which the person is grasped (X., An. 4, 7, 12 ἐ. αὐτοῦ τῆς ἴτυος ‘his shield’; Diod S 17, 30, 4; Epict. 1, 29, 23; Bel 36 LXX; TestJos 8:2) μου τῆς χειρός me by the hand Hv 3, 2, 4 (Plut., Mor. 207c ἐπιλαβόμενος αὐτοῦ τῆς χειρός). αὐτοῦ τῆς πήρας him by the knapsack Hs 9, 10, 5. W. acc. of pers. (cp. Pla., Leg. 6, 779c) Lk 9:47; press into service 23:26 (for the loanw. ἀγγαρεύω, q.v.). Freq., where ἐ. seems to govern the acc., that case is actually the object of the finite verb upon which ἐ. depends: Lk 14:4; Ac 9:27; 16:19; 18:17.

② to take into custody, arrest (cp. Demosth. 33, 9) Ac 21:33.

③ to pounce on someth. compromising, catch, fig. ext. of 1, w. double gen. (cp. 1 above) someone in someth. αὐτοῦ λόγου him in someth. he said Lk 20:20; also αὐτοῦ ῥήματος vs. 26

④ take hold of in order to make one’s own, take hold of, fig. ext. of 1 (Hdt. 1, 127; 5, 23; Polyb. 6, 50, 6; 15, 8, 12; Pr 4:13) τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς 1 Ti 6:12; cp. vs. 19.

⑤ be concerned with/about. The context of ἀγγέλων, σπέρματος Ἀβραάμ Hb 2:16 suggests the rendering take an interest in, prob. in the sense help (schol. on Aeschyl., Pers. 742 [but s. KDolfe, ZNW 84, ’93, on the textual problem]; Sir 4:11). This may be the place for the variant reading ἐπιλαβών (but the act. is otherw. never used in LXX or NT) Mk 14:72.—M-M. TW.

χείρ, χειρός, ἡ (Hom.+); on the acc. form χεῖραν J 20:25 v.l.; 1 Pt 5:6 v.l.; GJs 15:4 23:2 s. JPsichari, Essai sur le Grec de la Septante 1908, 164–70. Exx. fr. the pap in the Hdb. at J 20:25. Dual acc. τὼ χεῖρε only Tat. 22, 1. Dat. χειροῖν ApcPt Rainer ‘hand’.

① lit. Mt 12:10; Mk 3:1; Lk 6:6, 8; Ac 12:7; 20:34 al.; AcPlCor 2:35. πόδες καὶ χεῖρες Mt 22:13; cp. Lk 24:39, 40; Ac 21:11a. W. other parts of the body in sing. and pl. Mt 5:(29), 30; 18:8ab, (9); J 11:44. In the gen. w. the verbs ἅπτομαι Mt 8:15; ἐπιλαμβάνομαι (q.v. 1); κρατέω (q.v. 3b). In the acc. w. the verbs αἴρω (q.v. 1a); ἀπονίπτομαι (q.v.); βάλλω J 20:25b; δέω (q.v. 1b); δίδωμι (q.v. 2); ἐκπετάννυμι (q.v.); ἐκτείνω (q.v. 1); ἐπαίρω (q.v. 1); ἐπιβάλλω (q.v. 1b); ἐπισείω (q.v. 1); ἐπιτίθημι (q.v. 1aα; s. New Docs 4, 248 on laying on of hands; JCoppens, L’imposition des mains dans les Actes des Apôtres: Les Actes des Apôtres, ed. JKremer ’79, 405–38); cp. ἐπίθεσις (τῶν) χειρῶν (s. ἐπίθεσις); κατασείω (q.v.); νίπτομαι (s. νίπτω 1bβ and the lit. s.v. βαπτίζω 1; also JDöller, Das rituelle Händewaschen bei den Juden: Theol.-prakt. Quartalschr. 64, 1911, 748–58); τίθημι (q.v. 1aβ); ποιεῖν: ὀπίσω τὰς χεῖρας (ὀπίσω 1aβ) and τὰς χ. ἐναλλάξ (s. ἐναλλάξ); προσφέρω (q.v. 1bβ).—In the instrumental dat. ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί (cp. Chariton 8, 4, 6; BGU 326 II, 2 al. in pap.—χείρ= handwriting as early as Hyperides in Pollux 2, 152, also Philod., π. ποιημ. 4, 33; 6, 14 Jens.; PMagd 25, 2 [III B.C.]; Jos., Ant. 14, 52) Gal 6:11; Phlm 19. ὁ ἀσπασμὸς τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί (i.e. γέγραπται) 1 Cor 16:21; Col 4:18; 2 Th 3:17 (on the conclusion of a letter written in the sender’s own handwriting, in pap letters as well as in the works of the Emperor Julian [Epistulae, Leges etc., ed. Bidez and Cumont 1922, nos. 9; 11], s. CBruns, Die Unterschriften in den röm. Rechtsurkunden: ABA 1876, 41–138; KDziatzko, entry Brief: Pauly-W. III 1899, 836ff; Dssm., LO 132f; 137f [LAE 166f; 171f]; s. also lit. s.v. χαίρω 2b). ἐννεύω τῇ χ. (s. ἐννεύω). κατασείω τῇ χ. (s. κατασείω 2). κρατέω τῇ χ. (κρατέω 3b). Pl. ταῖς χερσίν with the hands (Demetr. Phaler.: 228 Fgm. 38, 28 Jac. [in Diog. L. 2, 13] ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσίν; Diod S 16, 33, 1 τ. ἰδίαις χ. 17, 17, 7 al.; Aesop, Fab. 272 P.=425 H.; Herm. Wr. 5, 2) Lk 6:1; 1 Cor 4:12; Eph 4:28; 1 Th 4:11 (s. HPreisker, Das Ethos d. Arbeit im NT ’36); Papias (3:3).—τὸ ἔργον τῶν χειρῶν τινος s. ἔργον 3 and Rv 9:20.—W. prepositions: the hand on or in which someth. lies or fr. which someth. comes or is taken: ἐν τῇ χειρί Mt 3:12; Lk 3:17. (ἔχειν τι) εἰς τὰς χεῖρας Hv 1, 2, 2. ἐπὶ τὴν χεῖρα Rv 20:1. ἐπὶ χειρῶν Mt 4:6; Lk 4:11 (both Ps 90:12; s. end of this section). ἐκ (τῆς) χειρός (Diod S 2, 8, 6) Rv 8:4; 10:10. The hand by which someth. comes about: of deities θεοὶ οἱ διὰ χειρῶν γινόμενοι gods that are made by hand Ac 19:26 (cp. Just., A I, 20, 5). Of an earthly temple οἰκοδομητὸς ναὸς διὰ χειρός B 16:7.—The arm may be meant (as Hes., Theog. 150; Hdt. 2, 121, 5 ἐν τῷ ὤμῳ τὴν χεῖρα; Herodas 5, 83 ἐν τῇσι χερσὶ τῇσʼ ἐμῇσι=in my arms; Paus. 6, 14, 7; Galen, De Usu Part. 2, 2 vol. I p. 67, 1 Helmreich; Longus 1, 4, 2 χεῖρες εἰς ὤμους γυμναί) in ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσίν σε Mt 4:6; Lk 4:11 (both Ps 90:12; but s. above). Whole for the part: finger Lk 15:22.

② an acting agent, hand (of), fig. ext. of 1. In this sense the focus is on the person or thing as the source of an activity.

ⓐ The OT (but cp. Diod S 3, 65, 3 ταῖς τῶν γυναικῶν χερσί=by the women; Ael. Aristid. 45 p. 70 D.: μετὰ τῆς χειρὸς τῶν δικαίων; Philostrat., Vi. Apoll. 6, 29; Nicetas Eugen. 7, 165 χειρὶ βαρβάρων) has a tendency to speak of a person’s activity as the work of one’s hand; διὰ χειρός ([τῶν] χειρῶν) τινος (בְּיַד פּ׳) through or by someone or someone’s activity, at the hand of Mk 6:2; Ac 2:23; 5:12; 7:25; 11:30; 14:3; 15:23; 19:11. Also ἐν χειρί (PsSol 16:14 ἐν χειρὶ σαπρίας by corruption; cp. AscIs 2:5 ἐν χερσίν) Gal 3:19. Corresp. the hands can represent the one who is acting οὐδὲ ὐπὸ χειρῶν ἀνθρωπίνων θεραπεύεται nor does God need to be served by humans Ac 17:25.

ⓑ The hand of deity means divine power (Il. 15, 695; Ael. Aristid. 47, 42 K.=23 p. 455 D.: ἐν χερσὶ τοῦ θεοῦ; LXX; Aristobulus in Eus., PE 8, 10, 1; 7–9 [p. 138 Holladay]; Ezk. Trag. 239 in Eus., PE 9, 29, 14; SibOr 3, 672; 795.—Porphyr. in Eus., PE 4, 23, 6 ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἔχων ὑπὸ χεῖρα, sc. τ. δαίμονας; Ath. 33, 2 παραβαίνων τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ θεοῦ). S. New Docs 2, 44.

α. as Creator (Ath. 34, 1) Ac 7:50 (Is 66:2). ποίησις χειρῶν αὐτοῦ 1 Cl 27:7 (Ps 18:2). τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου Hb 1:10 (Ps 101:26; ApcEsdr 1:10 p. 25, 2 Tdf.); 2:7 v.l. (Ps 8:7). Cp. B 5:10. In connection w. the account of creation the words ἄνθρωπον ταῖς ἱεραῖς χερσὶν ἔπλασεν 1 Cl 33:4 could be taken in the lit. sense.

β. as ruler, helper, worker of wonders, regulator of the universe: χεὶρ κυρίου ἦν μετʼ αὐτοῦ Lk 1:66; Ac 11:21 (TestAbr A 18 p. 100, 21 [Stone p. 48]).—Lk 23:46 (Ps 30:6); J 10:29; Ac 4:28 (w. βουλή, hence almost=‘will’; cp. Sir 25:26), 30; 1 Pt 5:6 (cp. Gen 16:9); 1 Cl 60:3. ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν χεῖραν GJs 15:4.

γ. as punisher (PsSol 5:6 μὴν βαρύνῃς τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς; schol. on Apollon. Rhod. 4, 1043a ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ τῶν θεῶν νέμεσις) χεὶρ κυρίου ἐπί σε (1 Km 12:15) Ac 13:11. ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος (s. ἐμπίπτω 2) Hb 10:31. Cp. 1 Cl 28:2.

δ. of the powerful hand of Christ or of an angel J 3:35; 10:28; 13:3. ἐκ χειρὸς ἀγγέλου GJs 8:1; 13:2; cp. ἀγγέλων 15:3.—σὺν χειρὶ ἀγγέλου with the help of an angel Ac 7:35.

ⓒ hostile power (Hom. et al.; LXX) παραδιδόναι τινὰ εἰς χεῖράς τινος hand over to someone(’s power) (TestJob 20:3; ParJer 1:6; s. παραδίδωμι 1b; cp. PsSol 2:7 ἐγκαταλείπειν; Jos., Ant 6, 273.—B-D-F §217, 2) Ac 21:11b; pass. Mt 17:22; 26:45; Mk 9:31; Lk 9:44; 24:7; Ac 28:17; D 16:4. Also παραδιδ. τινὰ ἐν χειρί τινος 1 Cl 55:5. τὸ αἷμα σου ὑπὸ τὴν χεῖράν μού ἐστιν your blood is in my power GJs 23:2; escape, etc. ἐκ (τῆς) χειρός τινος from someone’s power (UPZ 79, 18 [159 B.C.] ἐκπέφευγεν ἐκ τῆς χειρός μου; Gen 32:12; Ex 18:10; Jos., Vi. 83) Lk 1:71, 74; J 10:39; Ac 12:11; AcPl Ha 8, 10f; AcPlCor 1:8. ἐκ χειρὸς σιδήρου λύσει σε he will free you from the power of the sword 1 Cl 56:9 (Job 5:20; Mel., P. 67, 478). ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν Ac 24:6 (7) v.l. (cp. X., An. 6, 3, 4; Lucian, Hermot. 9, end). ἐξέφυγον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ 2 Cor 11:33 (Diod S 18, 73, 4 τὰς τοῦ Σελεύκου χεῖρας διαφυγῶν). ὑπὸ χειρὸς ἀνθρώπων παθεῖν B 5:5. πίε τὸ ποτήριον … ἐν χειροῖν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἐν Ἅιδου drink the cup out of the hand of the son, who is in the nether world ApcPtRainer 17f.

③ distinctive prepositional combinations: ἐν χερσίν of someth. that one has in hand, w. which one is concerned at the moment (Hdt. 1, 35 τὸν γάμον ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντος; Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 81 §342 τὰ ἐν χερσίν; Ael. Aristid. 45 p. 74 D.; PPetr II, 9 [2], 4 [III B.C.] ἃ εἶχον ἐν ταῖς χερσίν; Jos., Bell. 43 165) ἐν χερσὶν ὁ ἀγών the contest is our concern at present 2 Cl 7:1. ὑπὸ χεῖρα continually (Ps.-Aristot., Mirabilia 52; Jos., Ant. 12, 185) Hv 3, 10, 7; 5:5; m 4, 3, 6 (B-D-F §232, 1.—In pap we have the mng. ‘privately’, ‘little by little’: PTebt 71, 15 [II B.C.]; Gnomon [=BGU V] prooem. 2f; PAmh 136, 17).—KGrayston, The Significance of ‘Hand’ in the NT: B Rigaux Festschr. ’70, 479–87.—B. 237ff. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.

ἐπελαβόμην s. ἐπιλαμβάνομαι.