ἐπισκιάζω
To overshadow
Reading a lexicon entry
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Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does ἐπισκιάζω (episkiázō) mean in the Bible?
ἐπισκιάζω (episkiázō) is a Greek word meaning "to overshadow". ἐπι-σκιάζω [in LXX: Exo. Connects incarnation to divine glory presence imagery. This term runs through the canonical themes of Presence.
Full entry for ἐπισκιάζω (G1982) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
Divine presence manifesting through protective shadowing, often accompanied by luminous cloud or Spirit.
to throw a shadow upon, overshadow: with dative, Act.5:15; of a shining (Mt, l.with, and cf. Exo.40:29, 35, 2Ma.2:8) cloud, with dative, Mrk.9:7; with accusative, Mat.17:5, Luk.9:34; metaphorically (cf. Pss, Pr, ll.with), of the Holy Spirit, Luk.1:35.
Why This Word Matters
Connects incarnation to divine glory presence imagery. Luke 1:26–38
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Indicative states a fact or reality 3×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 5 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain