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G1893 ἐπεί (epeí)
Greek
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Quick Definition

ἐπεί Cj. after, for, since, otherwise

Strong's Definition

from 1909 and 1487; thereupon, i.e. since (of time or cause)

KJV Usage: because, else, for that (then, -asmuch as), otherwise, seeing that, since, when

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

conj. | ἐπί

89.32 · Relations · Cause and/or Reason

because, since, for, inasmuch as a marker of cause or reason, often with the implication of a relevant temporal element

MAT 18:32 · MAT 21:46 · MAT 27:6 · MRK 15:42 · LUK 1:34 · JHN 13:29 · JHN 19:31 · ROM 3:6 · ROM 11:6 · ROM 11:22 · 1CO 5:10 · 1CO 7:14 · 1CO 14:12 · 1CO 14:16 · 1CO 15:29 · 2CO 11:18 · 2CO 13:3 · HEB 2:14 · HEB 4:6 · HEB 5:2 · HEB 5:11 · HEB 6:13 · HEB 9:17 · HEB 9:26 · HEB 10:2 · HEB 11:11

1 In this series ἐπειδή[a] may be more emphatic than ἐπεί and the conjunction ἐπειδήπερ even more emphatic than ἐπειδή[a].

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

ἐπεί, [fr. temporal ἐπί and εἰ, lit. thereupon when; Curtius, Erliut. ete. p. 182; cf. Etym. Magn. 356, 7], conjunction, (Lat. cum), when, since, [ef. W.§ 53,1]; used 1. of time, after; so once in the N. Τ᾿: Lk. vii. 1 (where LT Tr txt. WH txt. ἐπειδή). 2. of cause, etc., since, seeing that, because: Mt. xviii. 32; [xxi. 46 T Tr WH]; xxvil. 6; Mk. xv. 42; Lk.i. 34; Jn. xiii. 29; xix. 31; 1 Co. xiv. 12; 2Co. xi. 18}; xiii.3; Heb. v. 2,11; vi. 13; ix. 17; xi. 11; ἐπεὶ οὖν since then, Heb. ii. 14; iv. 6. Agreeably to a very common abbreviation of speech, we must often supply in thought between ἐπεί and the proposition depending upon it some such phrase as if it is (or were) otherwise; so that the particle, although retaining the force of since, is yet to be rendered otherwise, else, or for then, (Germ. sonst); so in Ro. xi. 6, 22; Heb. ix. 26; ἐπεὶ dpa, 1 Co. v. 10; vii. 14, [ef. W. § 53, 8 a.]; ἐπεί alone before a question [cf. W. 480 (447); B. 233 (200)]: Ro. iii. 6; 1 Co. xiv. 16; xv. 29; Heb. x. 2; (4 Mace. i. 33; 11. 7,19; vi. 34 (35); vii. 21; viii. 8). Cf. Matthiae § 618; [B. § 149, 5].

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

ἐπεί epei 26x

when, after, since, because, in as much as, Mt. 18:32; 27:6; for, for then, for else, since in that case, Rom. 3:6; 11:6

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

ἐπεί conj. (ἐπί, εἰ),

when, since;

of time, when, after: Lk 7:1 (Rec., WH, mg.).

Of cause, since, because: Mt 18:32 21:46 27:6, Mk 15:42, Lk 1:34, Jo 13:29 19:31, Ac 13:46 (Rec., WH, mg.), I Co 14:12, II Co 11:18 13:3, He 5:2, 11 6:13 9:17 11:11; ἐ. οὖν, He 2:14 4:6. With ellipsis, otherwise, else: Ro 11:6, 22, He 9:26; ἐ. ἄρα, I Co 5:10 7:14; introducing a question, Ro 3:6, I Co 14:16 15:29, He 10:2 (cf. IV Mac 1:33 2:7 2:10 4:24, 26).†

Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT

ἐπεί. Citations of this very common word are hardly necessary, | but we may quote PSI IV. 435}2 (B.c. 258-7) ἐπεὶ δὲ τάχιστα ὑγιάσθην, παρεγένετό τις ἐκ KviSov, P Lond 4238 (B.c. 168) (=I. p. 31) ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ σου τυγχάνει βαρέως ἔχουσα, ‘since your mother is much annoyed about it,” and P Meyer 20* (1st half iii/A.D.) εἰπὲ τῇ ἱερίσσᾳ (2. -ἰσσῃ) τοῦ ἱεροῦ τῶν “HppwvOitav, ἵνα ἐκεῖ πέμπω τὰς | ἐπιστολάς, ἐπὶ (1: ἐπεὶ) εὐσήμαντά ἐστιν, “tell the priestess | of the sanctuary of Hermonthitis that I am sending my letters thither, since she is well known.’’ For ἐπεὶ μή see BGU II. | 530° (i/A.D.) ἡ μήτηρ σου μέμφεταί σε, ἐπὶ μὴ ἀντέγραψας | αὐτῇ--α letter from ἃ father to his son: cf. the similar use | of ὅτι μή in Jn 318 and see Pro/eg. p. 239f. and Abbott | Joh. Gr. p. 534 ff Ἔπεί = alioguin, as in Rom 11°, is | illustrated by Wetstein ad /., and by Field JVotes, p. 162.

Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon

ἐπεί (epei) — since. ἐπεί, conjunction, both temporal and causal; also ἐπειδή, ἐπείτε. OF TIME (ἐπειδή is more frequently in this sense in Prose), after that, since, when, from [Refs 8th c.BC+]

I. with Ind.,

I.1. of a definite occurrence in past time, mostly with aorist, ἐπεί π᾽ εὔξαντο after they had prayed, [Refs 8th c.BC+]after [Refs 5th c.BC+]: rarely with imperfect, ἐπειδὴ εἱστιώμεθ᾽ [Refs 5th c.BC+]pluperfect, ἐπειδὴ ἐξηπάτησθε.. after you had been deceived.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]; but generally the aorist is found, the pluperfect being used only for special emphasis: with imperfect to express an action not yet complete, ἐπεὶ ὑπηντίαζεν ἡ φάλαγξ καὶ ἡ σάλπιγξ ἐφθέγξατο after the phalanx began to advance and the trumpet had sounded, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I.2. with implied reference to some later time, ἐ. or ἐπειδή, ={ἐξ οὗ}, from the time when, since, mostly with aorist, πολλὰ πλάγχθη, ἐ. ἔπερσε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπείτε παρέλαβον τὸν θρόνον, τοῦτο ἐφρόντιζον ever since I came to the throne, I had this in mind, [Refs 5th c.BC+]present (used in perfect sense) and perfect, ἐ. δὲ φροῦδός ἐστι στρατός since the army is gone, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπείτε ὑπὸ τῷ Πέρσῃ εἰσί, πεπόνθασι τοιόνδε ever since they have been, now that they are.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. with Subj., ἄν being always added in Attic dialect Prose, and ἄν or κε generally in Poetry: ἐπεί with ἄν becomes ἐπήν (so in Comedy texts, [Refs 5th c.BC+], Ionic dialect ἐπεάν [Refs 8th c.BC+]

II.1. referring to future time with future apodosis, τέκνα ἄξομεν.. ἐπὴν πτολίεθρον ἕλωμεν when we shall have taken the city, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ταῦτ᾽, ἐπειδὰν περὶ τοῦ γένους εἴπω, τότ᾽ ἐρῶ I will speak of this, when I have spoken.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]; χρὴ δέ, ὅταν μὲν τιθῆσθε τοὺς νόμους,.. σκοπεῖν, ἐπειδὰν δὲ θῆσθε, φυλάττειν whenever you are enacting your laws,.. and after you have enacted them.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]

II.2. of repeated action, with a present apodosis, whenever, when once, δαμνᾷ, ἐ. κε λίπῃ ὀστέα θυμός [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπειδὰν ἡ ἐκφορὰ ᾖ.. ἄγουσι whenever the burial takes place they bring, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπειδὰν κρύψωσι γῇ.. λέγει when they have covered them with earth, [Refs] κε in Poets, ἐ. ἂρ βλέφαρ᾽ ἀμφικαλύψῃ [Refs 8th c.BC+]

II.3. like [Refs 4th c.BC+] within ten days from the passing of the resolution, [Refs]

III. with Opt. (without ἄν):

III.1. referring to future time, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὸ φῶς ἔλθοι, ὁρᾶν οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἓν δύνασθαι (i.e. οὐκ οἴει); after he had come into the light.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]

III.2. more frequently of repeated action, with a past apodosis, ἐ. ζεύξειεν.., δησάσκετο [Refs 8th c.BC+]

III.3. in indirect speech after past tenses, representing a subjunctive in direct speech, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπεὶ διαβαίης, ἀπιέναι ἔφησθα (the direct form being ἐπὴν διαβῶ) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; after optative in a final clause, ἐπορεύοντο, ὅπως ἐπειδὴ γένοιντο ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ.. ἴοιεν [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.4. by assimilation to optative in principal clause, ἦ τ᾽ ἂν.. νῦν μὲν ἀνώγοιμι πτολεμίζειν.. ἐπὴν τεισαίμεθα λώβην [Refs 8th c.BC+]

III.5. ἐπειδάν with optative is falsa lectio in some passages of early authors, as [Refs 5th c.BC+]: found in later Gr., [Refs 1st c.BC+]

IV. with Inf., only in indirect speech, ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατὰ σχολὴν σκέψασθαι, κόπτεσθαι (i.e. ἔφη) [Refs 5th c.BC+]

V. with other words:

V.1. ἐ. τάχιστα as soon as, frequently separated by a word, ἐ. ἦλθε τάχιστα,.. ἀπέδοτο [Refs 5th c.BC+]

V.1. b ἐ. τὰ πρῶτα [Refs 8th c.BC+]

V.2. with emphatic Particles, ἐπεὶ ἄρα when then, in continuing a narrative, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπεὶ οὖν when then, in resuming a narrative, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B CAUSAL (ἐπεί more frequently in this sense in early Prose: ἐπειδή whereas is used in preambles of decrees, [Refs]inasmuch as, NT.Luke.1.1), since, seeing that, frequently from [Refs 8th c.BC+] __B.1 with Ind. (after both present and past tenses), ἐ. οὐδὲ ἔοικε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; frequently with past tenses with ἄν, ἐπεὶ οὔποτ᾽ ἂν στόλον ἐπλεύσατ᾽ ἄν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐ γὰρ ἂν σθένοντά γε εἷλέν μ᾽· ἐπεὶ οὐδ᾽ ἂν ὧδ᾽ ἔχοντ᾽ (i.e. εἷλεν) [Refs 5th c.BC+]: especially in the sense, for otherwise.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]future, ἐξέστω δὲ μηδενὶ.. τεθῆναι.., ἐ. ἀποδώσει.. otherwise he shall pay.., [Refs] for teach me, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with an interrogative, ἐ. πῶς ἂν καλέσεια; for how would you call him? [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.2 with Opt., ἐ. ἂν μάλα τοι σχεδὸν ἔλθοι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; so after past tenses on the principle of indirect speech, ἐπείπερ ἡγήσαιντο since (as they said) they believed, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.3 with Inf. in indirect speech, ἐ. γιγνώσκειν γε αὐτά [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.4 in elliptical expressions, ἀδύνατός [εἰμι], ἐ. ἐβουλόμην ἂν οἷός τ᾽ εἶναι I am unable (and yet I am sorry), for I should like to have the power, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so εἶμι· ἐ. καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἂν ἴσως οὐκ ἀηδῶς σου ἤκουον [Refs]and yet, although, compare [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐ. ὅ γε ἀποθανὼν πελάτης τις ἦν ἐμός and yet (moreover) the murdered man was my own hired man, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.4.b sometimes after a vocative, where 'listen' may be supplied, Ἕκτορ, ἐ. με κατ᾽ αἶσαν ἐνείκεσας [Refs 8th c.BC+] __B.5 with other Particles, ἐ. ἄρα, ἐ. ἂρ δή since then, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐ. γε (ἐπεί.. γε [Refs 8th c.BC+] since indeed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπειδή γε[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. ἦ since in truth, ἐ. ἦ πολὺ φέρτερόν ἐστι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπείπερ (ἐ... περ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπειδήπερ in Comedy texts and Prose, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. τοι since surely, [Refs 8th c.BC+] sometimes begins a verse in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; sometimes coalesces by synizesis with οὐ, οὐδέ, etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+]

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