Greek word · G1914

ἐπιβλέπω

epiblepō

to look upon/at

To look at, fix one's gaze upon. With a superior as subject it means to regard with care, attend to, show favor, often with action implied. It can also mean to look with partiality (James 2:3).

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἐπι-βλέπω

[in LXX for נָבַט hi., פָּנָה, רָאָה, etc. ;]

to look upon. In NT, as in LXX (1 Kings 1:11 9:1, Psalms 25:16; Tobit 3:3, al.), to look on with favour: before ἐπί with accusative of person(s), Luke 1:48 9:38, James 2:3.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Luke 1:48

Range of meaning

To look at, fix one's gaze upon. With a superior as subject it means to regard with care, attend to, show favor, often with action implied. It can also mean to look with partiality (James 2:3).

Against the English

KJV 'regarded', WEB/ESV 'looked at/on', BSB/NASB 2020 'looked with favor on', NIV 'been mindful of', NLT 'took notice of'. 'Looked with favor' spells out what the idiom implies. 'Been mindful of' moves it from seeing to remembering, which loses the picture of God's eyes turning toward her.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Samuel 1:11 LXX, the doubled form epiblepōn epiblepsēs ('if you will truly look upon'), translating Hebrew rāʾōh tirʾeh. 1 Samuel 9:16 LXX ('I have looked upon my people'). Psalm 25(24):16 and 69(68):16 LXX: 'look upon me and have mercy'. Luke 9:38: a father begs Jesus, 'look upon my son', meaning 'help him'.

From the study of James 2:3

Range of meaning

To look at or upon. Most often it means looking with attention, concern or favor: having regard for someone, looking on them kindly or with pity.

Against the English

KJV "have respect to" (in older English, "give deferential regard to"); WEB and NASB "pay special attention"; BSB "lavish attention"; YLT "look upon." The modern renderings rightly bring out the favoritism. "Look upon" is accurate but sounds too neutral to a modern reader.

How it drifted

KJV's "have respect to" once meant "show regard or partiality toward." Modern readers hear "respect" as a virtue, so the KJV can sound as if it is praising the action.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint, or LXX) it is used again and again of God turning his gaze favorably on the lowly: Hannah's prayer, "if you will look upon the affliction of your servant" (1 Sam 1:11), and many psalms, "look upon me and have mercy" (e.g., Ps 25:16 [LXX 24:16]). In the NT, Mary sings that God "has looked upon the humble estate of his servant" (Luke 1:48), and a father begs Jesus to "look upon my son" (Luke 9:38).

Similar words

Where it appears

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 1:48 ἐπέβλεψεν He has looked

    For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.

    Here: To turn your eyes on someone with care and intent to act. Coming from a superior, it means favor. The past tense presents God's look as a single, decisive act that has already happened.

  2. Luke 9:38 ἐπιβλέψαι to look

    Suddenly a man in the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only child.

James · 1

  1. James 2:3 ἐπιβλέψητε you may look

    If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”

    Here: Not a mere glance. The word means to look at someone with attention and favor. It is in the subjunctive and continues the "if/suppose" that began in verse 2: "suppose you fix your attentive gaze on…" In the Greek Old Testament it is the word for God turning his favorable gaze on someone, so the irony is sharp.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.