ἐπίσταμαι

ἐπίσταμαι — epístamai

ἐπίσταμαι (seems to be the Ionic form of the middle of ἐφίστημι. Isocrates, Aristotle, others, also use ἐπιστῆσαι τήν διάνοιαν, τόν νοῦν, ἑαυτόν for to put one's attention on, fix one's thoughts on; indeed, the simple ἐπιστῆσαι is used in the same sense, by an ellipsis analogous to that of τόν νοῦν with the verbs προσέχειν, ἐπέχειν, and of τήν ὄψιν with προσβάλλειν; see Lobeck ad Phryn., p. 281f Hence, ἐπίσταμαι is properly, to turn oneself or one's mind to, put one's thought upon a thing); from Homer down; the Sept. chiefly for יָדַע; (cf. German sichworaufverstehen);

a. to be acquainted with: τί, Act 18:25; Jas 4:14; Jud 1:10; τινα, Act 19:15; with reference to what is said or is to be interpreted, to understand: Mar 14:68; 1Ti 6:4.

b. to know: περί τίνος, Act 26:26; followed by an accusative with a participle Act 24:10 (Winers Grammar, 346 (324); Buttmann, 301 (258)); followed by ὅτι, Act 15:7; Act 19:25; Act 22:19; followed by ὡς, Act 10:28; by πῶς, Act 20:18; by ποῦ, Heb 11:8. (Synonym: see γινώσκω.)

STRONGS NT 1987a: ἐπίστασιςἐπίστασις, ἐπιστασεως, ἡ (ἐφίστημι, ἐφισταμαι), an advancing, approach; incursion, onset, press: τῆς κακίας (Vulg.malorumincursio), 2Ma 6:3, where cf. Grimm; used of the pressure of a multitude asking help, counsel, etc., τίνι (on which dative cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 3; (Buttmann, 180 (156)); Kühner, § 424, 1) to one, 2Co 11:28 L T Tr WH (but others would have us translate it here by oversight, attention, care, a common meaning of the word in Polybius); used of a tumultuous gathering in Act 24:12 L T Tr WH. Cf. Buttmann, as above