Quick Definition
I lie upon, am insistent
Strong's Definition
to rest upon (literally or figuratively)
Derivation: from G1909 (ἐπί) and G2749 (κεῖμαι);
KJV Usage: impose, be instant, (be) laid (there-, up-)on, (when) lay (on), lie (on), press upon
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐπίκειμαι; imperfect ἐπεκειμην; to lie upon or over, rest upon, be laid or placed upon;
a. properly: ἐπί τίνι, Joh_11:38; namely, on the burning coals, Joh_21:9.
b. figuratively, α. of things: of the pressure of a violent tempest, χειμῶνος ἐπικειμένου, Act_27:20 (Plutarch, Timol. 28, 7); ἀνάγκη μοι ἐπίκειται, is laid upon me, 1Co_9:16 (Homer, Iliad 6, 458); ἐπικείμενα, of observances imposed on a man by law, Heb_9:10 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 635 (589)]. β. of men; to press upon, to be urgent: with the dative of person Luk_5:1; ἐπέκειντο αἰτούμενοι, Luk_23:23 (πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπέκειτο ἀξιῶν, Josephus, Antiquities 18, 6, 6; μᾶλλον ἐπέκειντο βλασφημοῦντες, 20, 5, 3).
STRONGS NT 1945a: ἐπικέλλωἐπικέλλω: (1 aorist ἐπεκειλα); to run a ship ashore, to bring to land; so from Homer, Odyssey 9, 148 down; ἐπέκειλαν (R G ἐπώκειλαν) τήν ναῦν, Act_27:41 L T Tr WH; but in opposition see Meyer at the passage (Cf. B. D. American edition, p. 3009.)
STRONGS NT 1945b: ἐπικεφάλαιον [ἐπικεφάλαιον, ἐπικεφαλαιου, τό, head-money, poll-tax, (Aristotle, oec. 2, p. 1346{a} , 4 and 1348{a} , 32): Mar_12:14 WH (rejected) marginal reading for κῆνσον (others).]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐπίκειμαι epikeimai 7x
to lie upon, be placed upon, Joh_11:38 ; Joh_21:9 ;
to press, urge upon, Luk_5:1 ; Act_27:20 ;
be urgent, importunate upon, Luk_23:23 ;
to be imposed upon, be imposed by law, Heb_9:10 ; by necessity, 1Co_9:16
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἐπι -κείμαι ,
[in LXX : Exo_39:31 ( H5414 ), Job_19:3 ( H1970 hi .) Job_21:27 ( H2554 ), 1Ma_6:57 , 2Ma_1:21 , 3Ma_1:22 * ;]
to be placed, lie on: Joh_21:9 ; seq . ἐπί , c . dat ., Joh_11:38 ; fig ., Heb_9:10 ; ἀνάγκη , 1Co_9:16 ; χειμῶν , to threaten, come on: Act_27:20 ; of persons, to press upon: Luk_5:1 ; Luk_23:23 .†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐπίκειμαι [page 240]
For the meaning lie upon, cover, see P Tebt I. 47 .25 (B.C. 113) τοῦ ὕδατος ἐπικειμένου , of the water covering the land at the annual rising of the Nile, P Grenf II. 57 .9 (A.D. 168) τὴν ἐπικει [μέν ]ην σποράν : cf. also P Ryl II. 121 .11 (ii/A.D.) τ̣[ὰς ] σφραγεῖδας ἃς ἐπέθηκ [ε ἐπ ]ικεῖνται , the seals which he affixed are still in their place (Edd.), P Oxy VIII. 1127 .24 (A.D. 183) καὶ τὰς ἐπικειμένας θύρας δύο κλεῖν μίαν , and the two doors and one key attached (Ed.). The sepulchral inscr. Kaibel 622 .8 has φθίμενος τήνδ᾽ ἐπίκειμαι κόνιν , in death I have this dust laid upon me. The stronger sense of attack occurs in P Par 46 .8 (B.C. 153) (= Witkowski .2 , p. 86) ληστῶν ἐπικειμένων : cf. P Rein 48 .8 (ii/A.D.) ὁρῶ σὲ ἐπικείμενόν μοι , trθs irritι contre moi (Ed.), P Oxy III. 488 .21 (ii/iii A.D.) τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπικειμένου μοι , since the man oppresses me (Edd.). The verb is used much as in Luk_5:1 in P Ryl II. 243 .7 (ii/A.D.) καὶ νῦν ἐπιστάμεθά σου τὸ σπουδαῖον κ̣α̣ὶ ὡς ἐπίκεισαι τοῖς ἔργοις τοῦ κλήρου , we now know your zeal and attentiveness to the work of the holding (Edd.). See also the late P Lips I. 90 .1 (Byz.) σὺν θ (εῷ ) ἐπικείμ (ενος ) τῆς χειρογραφείας , and P Iand 24 .1 (vi/vii A.D.) ὁ ἐπικείμενος τῶν ἀγγαρευτῶν with the editor s note.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
ἐπίκειμαι inf. -κεῖσθαι ionic -κέεσθαι serving as Pass. to ἐπιτίθημι, "to be laid upon": of doors, "to be put to or closed", Od. , Theogn. "to be placed in or on", c. dat., Hes. , Theocr. of islands, νῆσοι ἐπὶ Λήμνου ἐπικείμεναι "lying off" Lemnos, Hdt. ; so, ἐπ. τῇ Θρηΐκῃ id=Hdt. ; αἱ νῆσοι αἱ ἐπικείμεναι the islands "off the coast", Thuc. "to press upon, be urgent" in intreaty, Hdt. : "to press upon" a retreating enemy, c. dat., id=Hdt. , Ar. , etc. "to hang over", Lat. imminere, c. dat., Xen. ; of penalties, θάνατος ἡ ζημίη ἐπικέαται the penalty "imposed" is death, Hdt. ; ζημία ἐπέκειτο στατήρ Thuc. c. acc. rei, ἐπικείμεναι κάρα κυνέας "having their" heads "covered" with helmets, Eur. ; πρόσωπον ἐπικείμενος "under an assumed" character, Plut.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
ἐπι-κείμαι
[in LXX: Exo.39:31 (נָתַן), Job.19:3 (הָכַר hi.) Job.21:27 (חָמַס), 1Ma.6:57, 2Ma.1:21, 3Ma.1:22 * ;]
to be placed, lie on: Jhn.21:9; before ἐπί, with dative, Jhn.11:38; figuratively, Heb.9:10; ἀνάγκη, 1Co.9:16; χειμῶν, to threaten, come on: Act.27:20; of persons, to press upon: Luk.5:1 23:23.†
(AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Imposed (insistent, lying, press around) (1945) epikeimai
Imposed (1945) (epikeimai from epà = upon + keÃmai = to lie on) means to lie upon, to be placed on, to lie on (literally of the stone against Jesus' tomb - Jn 21:9, of fish on the fire of coals - Jn 21:9). Metaphorically as used here in Hebrews 9, epikeimai means imposed upon and has the force of obligation, thus speaking speaks of necessity.
Another metaphorical meaning is to be insistent (pictures one keeping putting pressure on so to speak) in Lk 23:23. The idea is to act upon through force or pressure. The people were in a sense piling evidence on top of Pilate (so to speak), nearly burying him with reasons he need to sentence Jesus to crucifixion (cf Pilate's efforts in Jn 19:12) A T Robertson adds that epikeimai was "an old verb for the rush and swirl of a tempest...Pilate was overwhelmed by this tornado."
In Acts 27:20 epikeimai conveys the metaphorical sense of assailing, picturing the storm "pressing upon" their boat.
Epikeimai - 7x in 7v - Usage: am under(1), assailing(1), imposed(1), insistent(1), lying(1), placed(1), pressing around(1). Lxx Uses = Ex 39:31 (fasten); Job 19:3 (wrong me ~ "lie upon me" so to speak), Job 21:27.
Luke 5:1 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret;
Luke 23:23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.
John 11:38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
John 21:9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread.
Acts 27:20 Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned.
1 Corinthians 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion (literally the idea is "necessity is laid upon me"); for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.
Hebrews 9:10 since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.
Comment: The legal ordinances are pictured as being placed upon the people of Israel during the dispensation of the old covenant (the Law).