G1984 — ἐπισκοπή

ἐπισκοπή, ἐπισκοπῆς, ἡ (ἐπισκοπέω), inspection, visitation (German Besichtigung);

a. properly: εἰς ἐπισκοπήν τοῦ παιδός, to visit the boy, Lucian, dial. deor. 20, 6; with this exception no example of the word in secular writings has yet been noted.

b. In biblical Greek, after the Hebrew ôÀÌ÷ËãÈÌä, that act by which God looks into and searches out the ways, deeds, character, of men, in order to adjudge them their lot accordingly, whether joyous or sad; inspection, investigation, visitation (Vulg. usuallyvisitatio): so universally, ἐν ἐπισκοπή ψυχῶν, when he shall search the souls of men, i. e. in the time of divine judgment, Wis 3:13; also ἐν ὥρα ἐπισκοπῆς, Sir 18:20 (19); so perhaps ἐν ἡμέρα ἐπισκοπῆς, 1Pe 2:12 (see below); in a good sense, of God’s gracious care: τόν καιρόν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς σου, i. e. τόν καιρόν ἐν ᾧ ἐπεσκέψατο σε ὁ Θεός, in which God showed himself gracious toward thee and offered thee salvation through Christ (see ἐπισκέπτομαι, b.), Luk 19:44; ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκοπῆς, in the time of divine reward, 1Pe 5:6 Lachmann; also, in the opinion of many commentators, 1Pe 2:12 (others, associate this passage with Luk 19:44 above; cf. DeWette (edited by Brückner) or Huther at the passage); from the O. T. cf. Gen 50:24; Job 34:9; Wis 2:20 Wis 3:7, etc. with a bad reference, of divine punishment: Exo 3:16; Isa 10:3; Jer 10:15; Wis 14:11 Wis 19:14 (15); (etc.; cf. Sophocles Lexicon, under the word).

c. after the analogy of the Hebrew ôÀÌ÷ËãÈÌä (Num 4:16; 1Ch 24:19 (here the Sept. ἐπίσκεψις), etc.), oversight i. e. overseership, office, charge; Vulg.episcopatus: Act 1:20, from Psa 108:8 (); specifically, the office of a bishop (the overseer or presiding officer of a Christian church): 1Ti 3:1, and in ecclesiastical writings