"trans. to place upon, over, close by; intrans. to stand by or near, Lk. 2:38; 4:39; to come suddenly upon, Lk. 2:9; 24:4; to come upon, assault, Acts 6:12; 17:5; to come near, approach, Lk. 10:40; to impend, be instant, to be at hand, 1 Thess. 5:3; to be present, Acts 28:2; to be..."
Definition and meaning
trans. to place upon, over, close by; intrans. to stand by or near, Lk. 2:38; 4:39; to come suddenly upon, Lk. 2:9; 24:4; to come upon, assault, Acts 6:12; 17:5; to come near, approach, Lk. 10:40; to impend, be instant, to be at hand, 1 Thess. 5:3; to be present, Acts 28:2; to be pressing, urgent, earnest, 2 Tim. 4:2
In the original Greek the word is written: ἐφίστημι
Historical context
Luke wrote as a historian addressing a Greek audience. He carefully interviewed eyewitnesses and arranged events in order. The social and economic realities he describes — Roman taxation, Jewish religious hierarchy, the marginalization of women and the poor — are consistent with first-century Judea under Roman administration.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of ephistemi (G2186) across the King James Bible.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,
Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,
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Common questions
Strong's G2186 (ephistemi) is a Greek word that means: trans. to place upon, over, close by; intrans. to stand by or near, Lk. 2:38; 4:39; to come suddenly upon, Lk. 2:9; 24:4; to come upon, assault, Acts 6:12; 17:5; to come near, approach, Lk. 10:40; to ... It appears 21 times in the King James Bible.
The word ephistemi (G2186) appears 21 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2186 is ephistemi, a Greek word defined as: trans. to place upon, over, close by; intrans. to stand by or near, Lk. 2:38; 4:39; to come suddenly upon, Lk. 2:9; 24:4; to come upon, assault, Acts . James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
ephistemi is a Greek word found in the New Testament.