ἐπισκιάζω
episkiazō
to overshadow
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word ἐπισκιάζω (episkiazō) means "to overshadow." This verb conveys the idea of something or someone casting a shadow over another thing or person. In the context of light and darkness, it implies a covering or blocking of light, often in a literal sense. The word ἐπισκιάζω is used five times in the Bible, indicating its relatively limited but specific range of usage. It's likely used to describe situations where one thing or person is physically or metaphorically casting a shadow over another, such as a cloud covering the sun or a figure looming over another person. The significance of ἐπισκιάζω lies in its ability to convey a sense of obstruction or blocking, which can be both literal and figurative. It may be used to describe physical phenomena, but it can also be used to describe more abstract concepts, such as fear, anxiety, or even spiritual oppression.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences across the text
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
Mark 9:7A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Luke 1:35The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.
Luke 9:34While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud.
Acts 5:15They even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some of them.