ἐφίστημι

ἐφίστημι (s. ἵστημι; Hom. et al.; ins, pap, LXX; TestJob 17:2; EpArist, Joseph.; Just. [‘pay attention’ D. 28, 1]; Ath.) fut. ἐπιστήσω; 1 aor. ἐπέστησα LXX; 2 aor. ἐπέστην, impv. ἐπίστηθι, ptc. ἐπιστάς; pf. ἐφέστηκα LXX, ptc. ἐφεστώς; plpf. 3 sg. ἐφειστήκει LXX; mid. 3 sg. indic. ἐπίσταται 1 Th 5:3 v.l. (on the form s. W-S. §5, 10c); 1 aor. pass. ἐπεστάθην 1 Cl 12:4; Hv 3, 1, 6. This aor. pass. can have mid. mng. (Eur., Iph. T. 1375 al.) and as a rule the mid. has, like the 2 aor., pf. and plpf. act., intransitive sense; it is only this intr. sense that is found for ἐφίστημι in our lit.

① to stand at or near a specific place, stand at/near, of living entities and oft. w. connotation of suddenness, pres. and aor. w. dat. of pers. Lk 2:9; 24:4 (of angels, as Diod S 1, 25, 5 of Isis in a dream; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 17, 1 of Hephaestus; SIG 1168, 37 ὁ θεὸς ἐπιστάς; TestSol 1:8 ἐν ᾗ ἂν ὥρᾳ ἐπιστῇ σοι τὸ δαιμόνιον; Jos., Ant. 3, 188. Of a figure in a dream Hdt. 5, 56); Ac 4:1; 12:7 D; 23:11. ἐπεστάθη μοι she approached me Hv 3, 1, 6. ἐπί τι approach or stand by someth. (Sir 41:24) Ac 10:17; 11:11. ἐπάνω τινός stand at someone’s head Lk 4:39 (cp. 2 Km 1:9). περιστερὰ … ἐπεστάθη ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ Ἰωσήφ a dove … perched on the head of Joseph GJs 9:1 (ἐπετάσθη v.l.). Abs. (EpArist 177) Lk 2:38; 10:40; 20:1; Ac 6:12; 12:7; 22:13; 23:27; 1 Cl 12:4; MPol 6:1; GJs 4:1 v.l.; AcPl Ha 4, 8.—Perf. stand by, be present αὐτὸς ἤμην ἐφεστώς I (myself) was standing by Ac 22:20 (cp. Jos., Vi. 294).

② to happen, esp. of misfortunes, which (suddenly) come upon someone, happen to, overtake, befall (Soph., Oed. R. 777; Thu. 3, 82, 2; LXX) w. dat. of pers. (cp. Cornutus 10 p. 11, 17; Wsd 6:8; 19:1) αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐφίσταται ὄλεθρος 1 Th 5:3. ἐπί τινα Lk 21:34.—DDaube, The Sudden in the Scriptures ’64, 36.

③ to come near with intention of harming, attack w. dat. of thing τῇ οἰκίᾳ Ἰ. Ac 17:5.

④ to be present to begin someth., begin, come on perf. διὰ τ. ὑετὸν τὸν ἐφεστῶτα because it had begun to rain Ac 28:2 (Polyb. 18, 20, 7 διὰ τὸν ἐφεστῶτα ζόφον). But the mng. here could also be because it threatened to rain (s. 6).

⑤ to be present in readiness to discharge a task, fix one’s mind on, be attentive to (Eur., Andr. 547; Demosth. 18, 60) ἐπίστηθι stand by = be ready, be on hand, be persistent 2 Ti 4:2.

⑥ to be before one as an event about to occur, be imminent perf. (Il. 12, 326; Demosth. 18, 176; Jos., Ant. 13, 241, Vi. 137 al.) ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἀναλύσεώς μου ἐφέστηκεν the time of my departure is imminent 2 Ti 4:6. For Ac 28:2 s. 4.

⑦ to stand over someth. as leader or overseer, be over, be in charge of perf. (Eur., Aristoph. et al.: Jdth 8:10; 12:11; Synes., Ep. 140 p. 276b ὁ ἐφεστὼς θεός; Just., D. 36, 6; Ath. 12, 1; 31, 2) εἴς τι: οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ εἰς τὴν οἱκοδομὴν ἐφεστῶτες the men who were in charge of the construction Hs 9, 6, 2.—M-M. TW.