Greek word · G1951

ἐπιλέγω

epilegō

to call/choose

Active: to say in addition, to call or name (John 5:2, 'called in Hebrew Bethesda'). Middle voice: to pick out or choose for oneself.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἐπι-λέγω

[in LXX chiefly for בָּחַר ;]

1. to say in addition (Hdt.).

2. to call by name, to call: John 5:2.

3. to choose; mid., to choose for oneself: Acts 15:40.†

(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 Acts 15:40

Range of meaning

Active: to say in addition, to call or name (John 5:2, 'called in Hebrew Bethesda'). Middle voice: to pick out or choose for oneself.

Against the English

"Chose" (BSB, KJV, ESV, NIV) is accurate. English does not show the middle voice, which points to Paul choosing for himself.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used in the middle voice in classical and Hellenistic Greek for selecting people (e.g., soldiers or delegates). In the New Testament it means 'choose' only here.

Where it appears

John · 1

  1. John 5:2 ἐπιλεγομένη is being called

    Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda.

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 15:40 ἐπιλεξάμενος having chosen

    but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

    Here: Aorist middle participle: 'having chosen for himself.' The middle voice suggests a choice Paul made for his own purposes, picking a partner to replace Barnabas. This is the only place in the New Testament the verb means 'choose.'

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