Original Word: ἐπικαλέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: epikaleó
Pronunciation: ep-ee-kal-eh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ee-kal-eh'-om-ahee)
Definition: To call upon, to invoke, to appeal to, to name
Meaning: (a) I call (name) by a supplementary (additional, alternative) name, (b) mid: I call upon, appeal to, address.

Word Origin: From the preposition ἐπί (epi, meaning "upon" or "on") and the verb καλέω (kaleo, meaning "to call" or "to name").

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H7121 קָרָא (qara): To call, to proclaim, to read

- H8034 שֵׁם (shem): Name, reputation, fame, glory

Usage: The verb ἐπικαλέω primarily means "to call upon" or "to invoke" and is often used in the context of calling upon God or invoking His name. It can also mean "to appeal to" in a legal or formal sense, as well as "to name" or "to give a name to." In the New Testament, it frequently appears in contexts where individuals call upon the Lord for salvation, guidance, or help.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, calling upon a deity was a common practice in religious and civic life. Invoking a god's name was believed to bring divine presence and assistance. In the Jewish tradition, calling upon the name of the Lord was an expression of faith and reliance on God's covenant promises. This practice is rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, where the faithful are often depicted as calling on the Lord in times of need.

Word Origin
from epi and kaleó
Definition
to call upon
NASB Translation
address (1), appeal (2), appealed (4), call (7), called (14), calling (1), calls (1).

STRONGS NT 1941: ἐπικαλέω

ἐπικαλέω, ἐπικαλῶ: 1 aorist ἐπεκαλεσα; (passive and middle, present ἐπικαλοῦμαι); perfect passive ἐπικέκλημαι; pluperfect 3 person singular ἐπεκέκλητο, and with neglect of augment (cf. Winers Grammar, § 12, 5; Buttmann, 33 (29)) ἐπικεκλητο (Acts 26:32 Lachmann); 1 aorist passive ἐπεκλήθην; future middle ἐπικαλέσομαι; 1 aorist middle ἐπεκαλεσάμην; the Sept. very often for קָרָא;

1. to put a name upon, to surname: τινα (Xenophon, Plato, others), Matthew 10:25 G T Tr WH (Rec. ἐκάλεσαν); passive ὁ ἐπικαλούμενος, he who is surnamed, Luke 22:3 R G L; Acts 10:18; Acts 11:13; Acts 12:12; Acts 15:22 R G; also ὅς ἐπικαλεῖται, Acts 10:5, 32; ὁ ἐπικληθείς, Matthew 10:3 (R G); Acts 4:36; Acts 12:25; equivalent to ὅς ἐπεκλήθη, Acts 1:23. Passive with the force of a middle (cf. Winers Grammar, § 38, 3), to permit oneself to be surnamed: Hebrews 11:16; middle with τινα: 1 Peter 1:17 εἰ πατέρα ἐπικαλεῖσθε τόν etc. i. e. if ye call (for yourselves) on him as father, i. e. if ye surname him your father.

2. ἐπικαλεῖται τό ὄνομα τίνος ἐπί τινα, after the Hebrew פ עַל פ... שֵׁם נִקְרָא..., "the name of one is named upon some one, i. e. he is called by his name or declared to be dedicated to him" (cf. Gesenius, Thesaurus iii., p. 1232a): Acts 15:17 from Amos 9:12 (the name referred to is the people of God); James 2:7 (the name οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ).

3. τίνι with the accusative of the object; properly, to call something to one (cf. English to cry out upon (or against) one); "to charge something to one as a crime or reproach; to summon one on any charge, prosecute one for a crime; to blame one for, accuse one of" (Aristophanes pax 663; Thucydides 2, 27; 3, 36; Plato, legg. 6, 761 e.; 7, 809 e.; Dio Cass. 36, 28; 40, 41 and often in the orators (cf. under the word κατηγορέω)): εἰ τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ Βηλζεβουλ ἐπεκάλεσαν (i. e. accused of commerce with Beelzebul, of receiving his help, cf. Matthew 9:34; Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15), πόσῳ μᾶλλον τοῖς ὀικιακοις αὐτοῦ, Matthew 10:25 L WH marginal reading after Vat. (see 1 above), a reading defended by Rettig in the Studien und Kritiken for 1838, p. 477ff and by Alexander Buttmann (1873) in the same journal for 1860, p. 343, and also in his N. T. Gram. 151 (132); (also by Weiss in Meyer edition 7 at the passage). But this expression (Beelzebul for the help of Beelzebul) is too hard not to be suggestive of the emendation of some ignorant scribe, who took offence because (with the exception of this passage) the enemies of Jesus are nowhere in the Gospels said to have called him by the name of Beelzebul.

4. to call upon (like German anrufen), to invoke; middle, to call upon for oneself, in one's behalf: anyone as a helper, Acts 7:59, where supply τόν κύριον Ἰησοῦν (βοηθόν, Plato, Euthyd., p. 297 c.; Diodorus 5, 79); τινα μάρτυρα, as my witness, 2 Corinthians 1:23 (Plato, legg. 2, 664 c.); as a judge, i. e. to appeal to one, make appeal unto: Καίσαρα, Acts 25:11; Acts 26:32; Acts 28:19; (τόν Σεβαστόν, Acts 25:25); followed by the infinitive passive Acts 25:21 (to be reserved).

5. Hebraistically (like יְהוָה בְּשֵׁם קָרָא to call upon by pronouncing the name of Jehovah, Genesis 4:26; Genesis 12:8; 2 Kings 5:11, etc.; cf. Gesenius, Thesaurus, p. 1231{b} (or his Hebrew Lexicon, under the word קָרָא); an expression finding its explanation in the fact that prayers addressed to God ordinarily began with an invocation of the divine name: Psalm 3:2; Psalm 6:2; Psalm 7:2, etc.) ἐπικαλοῦμαι τό ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου, I call upon (on my behalf) the name of the Lord, i. e. to invoke, adore, worship, the Lord, i. e. Christ: Acts 2:21 (from Joel 2:32 ()); ; Romans 10:13; 1 Corinthians 1:2; τόν κύριον, Romans 10:12; 2 Timothy 2:22; (often in Greek writings ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τούς Θεούς, as Xenophon, Cyril 7, 1, 35; Plato, Tim., p. 27 c.; Polybius 15, 1, 13).

appeal unto, call on, invoke

Middle voice from epi and kaleo; to entitle; by implication, to invoke (for aid, worship, testimony, decision, etc.) -- appeal (unto), call (on, upon), surname.

see GREEK epi

see GREEK kaleo

επεκαλείτο επεκαλεσάμην επεκαλεσαν επεκαλέσαν επεκάλεσαν ἐπεκάλεσαν επεκαλέσαντο επεκαλέσατο επεκάλεσε επεκαλέσω επεκαλούντο επεκεκλητο επεκέκλητο ἐπεκέκλητο επεκληθη επεκλήθη ἐπεκλήθη επεκλήθησαν επικαλεισθαι επικαλείσθαι επικαλείσθαί ἐπικαλεῖσθαι επικαλεισθε επικαλείσθε ἐπικαλεῖσθε επικαλειται επικαλείται ἐπικαλεῖται επικάλεσαι επικάλεσαί επικαλεσαμενος επικαλεσάμενος ἐπικαλεσάμενος επικαλεσαμενου επικαλεσαμένου ἐπικαλεσαμένου επικαλεσασθαι επικαλέσασθαι ἐπικαλέσασθαι επικαλέσασθε επικαλέσεσθε επικαλέσεται επικαλέσεταί επικαλέση επικαλέσησθέ επικαλεσηται επικαλέσηται επικαλέσηταί ἐπικαλέσηται επικαλέσομαι επικαλεσόμεθα επικαλέσονται επικαλέσονταί επικαλέσωμαι επικαλέσωμαί επικαλεσώμεθά επικαλεσωνται επικαλέσωνταί ἐπικαλέσωνται επικαλού επικαλουμαι επικαλούμαι ἐπικαλοῦμαι επικαλουμενοις επικαλουμένοις ἐπικαλουμένοις επικαλουμενον επικαλούμενον ἐπικαλούμενον επικαλουμενος επικαλούμενος ἐπικαλούμενος επικαλουμενου επικαλουμένου ἐπικαλουμένου επικαλουμενους επικαλουμένους ἐπικαλουμένους επικαλουμενων επικαλουμένων ἐπικαλουμένων επικαλούνταί επικέκληνται επικεκλησαι επικέκλησαι ἐπικέκλησαι επικεκληται επικέκληται επικέκληταί ἐπικέκληται επικληθεις επικληθείς ἐπικληθεὶς επικληθεν επικληθέν ἐπικληθὲν επικληθεντα επικληθέντα ἐπικληθέντα επικληθήναι επικληθήσεται επικληθήσομαι epekalesan epekálesan epekekleto epekeklēto epekékleto epekéklēto epeklethe epeklēthē epeklḗthe epeklḗthē epikaleisthai epikaleîsthai epikaleisthe epikaleîsthe epikaleitai epikaleîtai epikalesamenos epikalesámenos epikalesamenou epikalesaménou epikalesasthai epikalésasthai epikalesetai epikalesētai epikalésetai epikalésētai epikalesontai epikalesōntai epikalésontai epikalésōntai epikaloumai epikaloûmai epikaloumenois epikalouménois epikaloumenon epikaloumenōn epikalouménon epikalouménōn epikaloúmenon epikaloumenos epikaloúmenos epikaloumenou epikalouménou epikaloumenous epikalouménous epikeklesai epikeklēsai epikéklesai epikéklēsai epikekletai epikeklētai epikékletai epikéklētai epikletheis epikletheìs epiklētheis epiklētheìs epiklethen epiklethèn epiklēthen epiklēthèn epiklethenta epiklethénta epiklēthenta epiklēthéntaInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts