Quick Definition
ἐπόπτης, ου, ὁ n.m. an eyewitness
Strong's Definition
from 1909 and a presumed derivative of 3700; a looker-on
KJV Usage: eye-witness
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, m. | -ου | ὁράω
24.46 · Sensory Events and States · See
eyewitness, personal witness one who has personally seen an event and thus has personal knowledge and can be expected to attest to the occurrence of such an event
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐπόπτης, -ov, 6, (fr. unused ἐπόπτωλ) ; 1. an overseer, inspector, see ἐπίσκοπος; (Aeschyl., Pind., al.; of God, in 2 Mace. iii. 39; vii. 35; 3 Mace. ii. 21; Add. to Esth. ν. 1; ἀνθρωπίνων ἔργων, Clem. Rom. 1 Cor. 59, 3). 2. a spectator, eye-witness of anything: so in 2 Pet. i. 16; inasmuch as those were called ἐπόπται by the Grks. who had attained to the third [i. e. the highest] grade of the Eleusinian mysteries (Plut. Alcib. 22, and elsewh.), the word seems to be used here to designate those privileged to be present at the heavenly spectacle of the transfiguration of Christ.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐπόπτης epoptēs 1x
a looker-on, eye-witness, 2 Pet. 1:16*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
** ἐπόπτης, -ου, ὁ
[in LXX (of God): Es 5:1, II Mac 3:39 7:35, III Mac 2:21 * ;]
an overseer (LXX, ll. c.).
a spectator: II Pe 1:16 (of ἐ. as applied to God, v. parallels in Inscr., MM, Exp., xiv; of the use of this term in the mysteries, v. Mayor on II Pe, l.c.; Thayer, s.v.).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐπόπτης. With the application of ἐπόπτης to God in the Greek Bible (e.g. Esth 51, 2 Macc 73°) may be compared the corresponding use in the inscrr. Thus an inscr. from Cyzicus describes Pompey the Great as ἐπόπτης γῆς TE kal θαλάσσης (/HS xxvii. p. 64), and in Pergamene inscrr. the Emperor Augustus is similarly described, e.g. Cagnat IV. 3092 (B.C. 29) θ]εοῦ υἱὸν θεὸν Σεβαστόϊν, πάσης] γῆϊς κ]αὶ θ[αἸλάσσης [ἐπόπτην : cf. OG/S 6663" (time of Nero) τὸν Ἥλιον “Ἄρμαχιν ἐπόπτην kal σωτῆρα with reference to an Egyptian Sun-god, δ γεύςοξο 1323 (ii/A-D.) Θεῷ ὑψίστῳ καὶ πάντων ἐπόπτῃ καὶ Ἡλίῳ καὶ Νεμέσεσι, and the magic P Lond 121351, 572 (11|Α.}.} (=I. pp. 95, 102). In P Oxy VI. 991 (A.D. 341) a petition (?) is addressed to a police official as ἐπόπτῃ ἰρήνης: cf. 2. XII. 1559° (A.D. 341). With the usage in 2 Pet 115 we may compare more particularly Afichel 11411 (ii/B.C.) ἱεροποιοὶ καὶ μυστηρίων ἐπόπται, Sy// 6574 Ῥοδίων ἱεροποιοὶ μύσται καὶ [ἐϊπόπται εὐσεβεῖς, and 16. 658° ἐφόπται εὐσεβεῖς, all with reference vw επος to those initiated into the mysteries and hence ‘‘ eye-witnesses.” In the last passage the editor explains the aspirated form as due to the influence of épopdw.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐπόπτης (epoptēs) — eyewitness. ἐπόπτ-ης, ου, ὁ, (ἐπόψομαι) overseer, watcher, especially of a god, Πυθῶνος [LXX+5th c.BC+]; title of Poseidon, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; of the Sun, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; δαίμονες ἐ. τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης, of Pompey, [Refs]; of Augustus, [Refs]; ἐ. εἰρήνης, of a police magistrate, [Refs 4th c.AD+]
2. simply, spectator, πόνων [Refs 4th c.BC+]
3. inspector, [Refs 4th c.AD+]
II. one admitted to the highest grade of the mysteries, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; τινος [NT]