Quick Definition
ἐπισκοπέω v. I exercise oversight, care for
Strong's Definition
from 1909 and 4648; to oversee; by implication, to beware
KJV Usage: look diligently, take the oversight
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | σκοπέω
35.39 · Help, Care For · Care For, Take Care Of
to look after, to take care of, to see to to care for or look after, with the implication of continuous responsibility For another interpretation of ἐπισκοπέω in HEB 12:15, see 30.46.
30.46 · Think · To Think About, with the Implied Purpose of Responding Appropriately
to give careful attention to, to consider carefully, to guard against to give careful consideration to something, with the implication of guarding against For another interpretation of ἐπισκοπέω in HEB 12:15, see 35.39. Some scholars have seen in the occurrence of ἐπισκοπέω in HEB 12:15 a meaning at least somewhat similar to that which occurs in ἐπισκοπέω[c] ‘to be responsible, to care for’ (53.70).
53.70 · Religious Activities · Roles and Functions
to minister unto, to be responsible, to care for to have responsibility for the care of someone, implying a somewhat official responsibility within a congregation It is possible, however, that ἐπισκοπέω in 1PE 5:2 is not to be understood as designating some official responsibility but merely as a role of helping and serving (see 35.39).
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἔπι-σκοπέω, -@; to look upon, inspect, oversee, look after, care for: spoken of the eare of the church which rested upon the presbyters, 1 Pet. v. 2 [T WH om.] (with τὴν ἐκκλησίαν added, Ignat. ad Rom. 9,1); foll. by μή [q. vIl. 1 a.] i. q. Lat. caveo, to look carefully, beware: Heb. xii. 15. (Often by Grk. writ. fr. Aeschyl. down.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐπισκοπέω episkopeō 2x
to look at, inspect; met. to be circumspect, heedful, Heb. 12:15; to oversee, to exercise the office of ἐπίσκοπος, 1 Pet. 5:2*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἐπι-σκοπέω, -ῶ
[in LXX for פָּקַד ni., etc. ;]
to look upon, observe, examine: seq. μή, He 12:15.
As ἐπισκέπτομαι in LXX, NT, to visit, care for: I Pe 5:2 (R, txt.; WH om.; Cremer, 527).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐπισκοπέω. The NT (Heb 1215) connotation of this word ‘‘ exercise oversight or care” may be illustrated by its common use as an epistolary formula in the closing salutations of letters, e.g. P Revill Mel p. 2951? (B.c. 131-0) (= Witkowski Epp. p. 96) ἐπισκοποῦ <8[%])> καὶ tas ἀδελφὰς. . καὶ Πέλοπα κτλ., P Lips I. 10418 (c. B.c. 96-5) ἐπισκοπεῖτ[α]ι ὑμᾶς ᾿Αλμέντις, Ψενοσῖρις κτλ., P Oxy IV. 743'% (B.c. 2) ἐπισκοπίοῦ) τοὺς σοὺς πάντε(ς), 26. II. 294% (A.D. 22) ἐπισκωποῦ Δημητροῦ[ν] καὶ Δωρίωνα [τὸν πατ]έρα, P Giss I. 127 ἐπισκοποῦμαι τὴν σὴν σύνβιον καὶ τοὺς φιλοῦντάς σε πάντας. For the verb = ‘‘inspect”” see P Lille I. 1 verso?? (B.C. 259-8) ὕστερον δὲ ἐπισκοπούμενος τὸ περίχωμα συνέκρινεν τὰ χώματα ποῆσαι, P Tebt I. 3035 (B.c. 115) ἐπισκοποῦντες διὰ τοῦ ἀπολογισμοῦ τοῦ ἐδάφους, ““ on examining the Ἰαπα-τερίϑίεσ ᾿ (Edd.). From the inscrr. we may cite Syll 802%? (iii/B.c.) ἀνῶιξε Toy γυλιὸ[ν] Kall ἐπεσκόπει τὰ συντετριμμένα σ[κε]ύη.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐπισκοπέω (episkopeō) — to oversee/care for. ἐπισκοπ-έω, future -σκέψομαι, later -σκοπήσω[Refs 2nd c.AD+]aorist -εσκεψάμην, later -εσκόπησα[Refs 2nd c.AD+]: perfect ἐπέσκεμμαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also in passive sense, [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—look upon or at, inspect, observe, ἱστορίας καὶ τἆλλα ἔγγραφα [Refs 2nd c.BC+] (also in middle, ἐ. τὸ περίχωμα [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; regard, τἄμ᾽ ἐ. κακά [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of tutelary gods, Θηβαΐας ἐπισκοποῦντ᾽ ἀγυιάς, of Bacchus, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὦ Δῆμ᾽, ἐναργῶς ἡ θεός σ᾽ ἐπισκοπεῖ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also of a ruler, ἐ. τὴν πολιτείαν [Refs 5th c.BC+] observed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. μή.. take care lest, [NT]
2. visit, ὦ θάνατε, νῦν μ᾽ ἐπίσκεψαι μολών [Refs 5th c.BC+]; visit as a friend (ironically), [Refs 4th c.BC+]; especially visit the sick, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the physician, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]:—middle, [Refs 4th c.BC+] —passive, εὐνὴν ὀνείροις οὐκ ἐπισκοπουμένην visited not by dreams, i.e. sleepless, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
3. of a general, inspect, review, τὰς τάξεις [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ ὅπλα [Refs 4th c.BC+]
4. consider, reflect, meditate, ὅ τι ἂν μέλλῃς ἐρεῖν, πρότερον ἐπισκόπει τῇ γνώμῃ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also ἐ. πρός τι [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, examine with oneself, meditate, [Refs 5th c.BC+] —passive, perfect (see.above).
5. exercise the office of ἐπίσκοπος, variant in [NT]