ἐπισκοπή

ἐπισκοπή — episkopḗ

ἐπισκοπή, ἐπισκοπῆς, ἡ (ἐπισκοπέω), inspection, visitation (German Besichtigung);

a. properly: εἰς ἐπισκοπήν τοῦ παιδός, to visit the boy, Lucian, dial. deor. 20, 6; with this exception no example of the word in secular writings has yet been noted.

b. In biblical Greek, after the Hebrew פְּקֻדָּה, that act by which God looks into and searches out the ways, deeds, character, of men, in order to adjudge them their lot accordingly, whether joyous or sad; inspection, investigation, visitation (Vulg. usuallyvisitatio): so universally, ἐν ἐπισκοπή ψυχῶν, when he shall search the souls of men, i. e. in the time of divine judgment, Wis 3:13; also ἐν ὥρα ἐπισκοπῆς, Sir 18:20 (19); so perhaps ἐν ἡμέρα ἐπισκοπῆς, 1Pe 2:12 (see below); in a good sense, of God's gracious care: τόν καιρόν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς σου, i. e. τόν καιρόν ἐν ᾧ ἐπεσκέψατο σε ὁ Θεός, in which God showed himself gracious toward thee and offered thee salvation through Christ (see ἐπισκέπτομαι, b.), Luk 19:44; ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκοπῆς, in the time of divine reward, 1Pe 5:6 Lachmann; also, in the opinion of many commentators, 1Pe 2:12 (others, associate this passage with Luk 19:44 above; cf. DeWette (edited by Brückner) or Huther at the passage); from the O. T. cf. Gen 50:24; Job 34:9; Wis 2:20 Wis 3:7, etc. with a bad reference, of divine punishment: Exo 3:16; Isa 10:3; Jer 10:15; Wis 14:11 Wis 19:14 (15); (etc.; cf. Sophocles Lexicon, under the word).

c. after the analogy of the Hebrew פְּקֻדָּה (Num 4:16; 1Ch 24:19 (here the Sept. ἐπίσκεψις), etc.), oversight i. e. overseership, office, charge; Vulg.episcopatus: Act 1:20, from Psa 108:8; specifically, the office of a bishop (the overseer or presiding officer of a Christian church): 1Ti 3:1, and in ecclesiastical writings