Greek word · G1989

ἐπιστέλλω

epistellō

to write to

To send a message or instructions, to write a letter (the root of 'epistle').

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

What it means

ἐπι-στέλλω

[in LXX: 3Ki.5:8 Nehemiah 6:19 (שָׁלַח), Judith 15:4, 1Ma.10:25 1Mac 12:7 1Mac 13:18 (in each case with seel. ἀποσ-) * ;]

1. to send to.

2. to send a message by letter, to write word (MM, Exp., xiv): with dative of person(s), Acts 21:25, Hebrews 13:22; before τοῦ, with inf., Acts 15:20.†

(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 Hebrews 13:22

Range of meaning

To send a message or instructions, to write a letter (the root of 'epistle').

Against the English

Most versions say 'written'. KJV's 'written a letter' brings out the sending-a-letter sense of the verb.

Used elsewhere in the period

Acts 15:20 and 21:25 (the Jerusalem leaders 'wrote' instructions to Gentile believers). Common in papyrus letters.

Where it appears

Acts · 2

  1. Acts 15:20 ἐπιστεῖλαι to write

    Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

    Here: The verb used for sending official written instructions. It points ahead to the actual letter in 15:23–29. The tense presents it as one single act: a single letter, sent once.

  2. Acts 21:25 ἐπεστείλαμεν wrote to

    As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”

Hebrews · 1

  1. Hebrews 13:22 ἐπέστειλα I have written

    I urge you, brothers, to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have only written to you briefly.

    Here: 'I have written / I am sending this to you.' The past tense is the usual letter-writer's habit of speaking from the time the readers receive it. The verb shows the sermon has been sent to them in writing.

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