Greek word · G1957
ἐπιμαρτυρέω
epimartyreō
to testify to
To bear witness in addition or in support, to confirm by testimony. The prefix ἐπι- adds the sense of 'upon / in addition': putting one's own testimony on top of what is already known.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
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 1 Peter 5:12
- Range of meaning
To bear witness in addition or in support, to confirm by testimony. The prefix ἐπι- adds the sense of 'upon / in addition': putting one's own testimony on top of what is already known.
- Against the English
'Testifying' (BSB, KJV, WEB) is accurate but loses the sense of confirming something the readers already have. It does not mean announcing a new message.
- Used elsewhere in the period
A New Testament hapax (a word used only once). It is found in classical and Hellenistic Greek, for example in Plutarch and in papyri, for corroborating a statement. The related noun 'witness' (μάρτυς) describes the writer in 5:1: 'a witness of the sufferings of Christ'.
Where it appears
1 Peter · 1
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1 Peter 5:12 ἐπιμαρτυρῶν testifying
Through Silvanus, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.
Here: Occurs only here in the New Testament. It means adding one's own witness to confirm something. The writer, who calls himself a 'witness of Christ's sufferings' (5:1), puts his personal testimony behind what the readers have already heard and experienced.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.